Theos Report on Motherhood

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Dr Madeleine Pennington and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, Motherhood, Inside Out: The Story in Numbers (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘Motherhood is one of the most significant transitions a woman can experience. It can reshape identity, relationships, priorities and, for many women, how they see the world itself. Yet it remains surprisingly under–researched and is often undervalued in public life.

‘This report accompanies the Motherhood, Inside Out research project, unpacking its main quantitative findings […]

‘We asked women how they saw the value of, and economic and cultural support for, parenting, before asking the mothers specifically how their thinking and identity had shifted since having children. The findings reveal that motherhood can transform women from the inside out […]

‘Taken as a whole, the findings explored in this report speak to a potentially under-supported social role – but as explored further in our separate qualitative report, they also hint at an existential shift that is far more complex and wide-reaching than is acknowledged in ordinary depictions of motherhood, entailing social, political, and even spiritual impacts on the women who go through it.’

More information about the project is available here, more information about the report is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on English Cathedrals

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

George Lapshynov and Nathan Mladin, Living Stones: English Cathedrals as Sacred Spaces in Changing Times (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘Our cathedrals are in crisis.

‘They are more than just big churches. They’re primarily places of worship, but also civic anchors, community hubs, arts venues, and sanctuaries of stillness open to everyone.

‘Despite all they bring, increasing financial pressures threaten their existence. Their efforts to commercialise and diversify aren't enough without proper support.

‘In partnership with the Association of English Cathedrals, George Lapshynov and Nathan Mladin explore what cathedrals really do, the pressures they face, and what needs to change.’

More information is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Investment

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Paul Bickley, Madeleine Pennington, and George Lapshynov, A Theology of Investment (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘In our cultural imagination, investment is often seen as “finance–driven capitalism” associated with short-termism where profits are prioritised over people.

‘And it’s true, financial investment is part of a larger economic system which often flows in ways which reinforce injustice, entrench inequality, and contribute to environmental damage.

‘But this is not the whole story.

‘When understood differently, investment is a tool that can either steer our societies towards abuse and excess, or towards something more fruitful. Investment stewarded well can be a mechanism for human and global flourishing…

‘A biblically–informed view of investment is an important means of allocating surpluses fairly, honouring the network of relationships in which we are embedded, and respecting the needs of the natural world.

‘A more positive account of investment is not only possible, but urgently needed.’

More information is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Power

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Madeleine Pennington and Paul Bickley, A Theology of Power (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘We live in an age of strongman leadership on the global stage.

‘From Putin to Trump, our global leaders wield their military, financial, and political power in a way that profoundly challenges historical norms. Is there a more constructive way to think about power?

‘In partnership with Christian Aid, Madeleine Pennington and Paul Bickley explore what power means through a biblical lens.’

More information is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Religious Education

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Hannah Rich, Beyond the Classroom: Informal Religion and Worldviews Education in the UK (London: Theos, 2025).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘We live in divided times where religion is often seen as the problem.

‘But RE properly understood – as lifelong learning that goes beyond the school classroom – could help us heal our fractured society.

Our latest report by Hannah Rich explores the spaces and places where people of all ages can learn about religion outside the classroom.’

More information is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on the Church and the Integration of Refugees

A report from Theos has recently been published:

George Lapshynov, From Strangers to Neighbours: The Church and the Integration of Refugees (London: Theos, 2025).

Here’s a summary:

‘Migration dominates political discussions, but the focus typically remains on reducing net migration rather than enabling those who have already arrived to settle and flourish. What if we told a different side of the story?

‘From Strangers to Neighbours explores the significant yet frequently overlooked role of churches across the UK in supporting the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. Addressing misconceptions and challenges surrounding church activities, the report highlights how churches complement the work of voluntary and statutory organisations. It identifies the strengths that enable churches to play a pivotal role in refugee integration, particularly their ethical framework based on Christian teachings that rejects the alienation and commodification of immigrants.

‘Ultimately, it calls for an improved national integration strategy, urging policymakers, charities and churches to collaborate more effectively. By recognising and supporting the unique contributions that churches can make, Britain can better welcome refugees – not merely as strangers living on this island, but as neighbours who belong, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to our society.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Creating a Neighbourhood Health Service

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Marianne Rozario with contribution from Esther Platt, Creating a Neighbourhood Health Service: The Role of Churches and Faith Groups in Social Prescribing (London: Theos, 2025).

Here’s a quick summary:

‘The NHS and social care services in England are stretched to breaking point, grappling with record-high demand for GP appointments and secondary care services. Yet, one in five GP appointments are not for medical reasons, but rather requests for help with issues like loneliness, housing, or debt.

‘Lord Darzi’s 2024 report paints a stark picture of the NHS’s current state but also offers a vision for its future: a shift towards neighbourhood-level care, preventing ill-health and tackling health inequalities, a vision echoed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP’s ambition to turn the NHS into a “neighbourhood health service.”

‘Social prescribing – connecting people to community-based activities to benefit their wellbeing – can be part of that preventative solution. Churches and faith groups not only contribute significantly to social prescribing offering networks and resources, but with their focus on community, relationship and holistic wellbeing, they can play a foundational role in preventative healthcare.

‘Our research found that faith groups across the country already host a wealth of friendly, welcoming, and “referrable” activities. These groups act as “anchors of the community” with the ability to network and convene, provide resources, buildings and volunteers, and offer pastoral and spiritual care.

‘However, there are barriers preventing a more integrated approach between faith and health including communication and administrative challenges. Therefore, this report outlines a model of relationship-building through active networking, engaged collaboration, and forward planning, unlocking the full potential of faith-based support.

‘Ultimately, this report highlights the contribution of faith groups in social prescribing and puts forward recommendations for proactive collaboration between faith groups, the NHS and wider healthcare networks at the level of “neighbourhoods”, “places” and “systems”.

A summary blog of the report can be found here.

A pdf of the full report is available here.

A guide for faith leaders looking to engage more deeply with social prescribing, and especially looking to build connections with social prescribing link workers is available here.

A guide for Social Prescribing Link Workers looking to work more effectively with churches and faith groups in order to support the wellbeing of individual is available here.

Theos Report on Recovering from the Riots

The latest report from Theos has just been published:

Hannah Rich, Disunited Kingdom? Local Churches and the Riots of Summer 2024 (London: Theos, 2024).

Here’s a quick summary:

‘In Summer 2024, the most extensive outbreak of riots across England in over a decade took place, driven by anti-immigrant sentiment, civil unrest and online misinformation in the wake of the murder of three girls in Southport.

‘The local church played an important role in the response to the riots, both immediately and over the longer term in rebuilding communities. This report explores how local churches in places where riots occurred were well-placed to respond by: (a) leveraging their strong community networks in order to work with other faith and activism groups; (b) maintaining a trusted presence in the community even when the riots threatened the buildings; (c) holding institutional relationships with local police and being conduits for information; and (d) using their convening power to draw the community together for vigils and moments of much-needed reflection.

‘There are lessons to learn from these experiences, about the causes of the riots, the emergency response and what preventative measures might be developed going forward. There is a willingness from local churches to engage in the deep listening required to heal communities fractured by the riots, addressing the sense of disenfranchisement and material challenges, as well as correcting misinformation. We offer recommendations to national and local policymakers as well as to churches in how all might work together to improve cohesion and rebuild communities.’

A summary blog of the report can be found here.

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Assisted Dying

The latest report from Theos has just been published:

Andrew Grey, The Meaning of Dignity: What’s Beneath the Assisted Dying Debate? (London: Theos, 2024).

As it happens, this is a revision of a report first published in 2018, now revised and reissued in the light of the publication of the Assisted Dying Bill earlier this month.

Here is the blurb:

‘The question of assisted dying is never far away and is now back somewhere near the top of the political agenda. It’s a serious and sensitive debate, about which well-meaning people can disagree profoundly.

‘Much of that disagreement can be traced to conflicting ideas about the meaning of human “dignity”. “Dignity” is used in two subtly different ways – one to do with autonomy and choice, the other with care and relationships – and how we understand the term shapes how we think people should be treated at the end of life.

‘This essay, by Andrew Grey, a fully revised and extended version of Theos’ 2018 report on Dignity in Dying, explores both meanings of “dignity” and argues that the idea of “dignity-through-care” gives a better account of what it means to be human.

‘More pressingly, it also argues that if dignity is understood as personal autonomy expressed through choice, society no longer has any deep reason to deny an individual their choice to die, even if they are not in a terminal condition, not in unbearable pain, or indeed not even in physical ill-health.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Productivity

A new report from Theos has been published:

Nick Spencer, Hannah Rich and Nathan Mladin, More: The Problem with Productivity (London: Theos, 2024).

According to the blurb:

‘There is a relentless emphasis on improving productivity today – and with good reason. Productivity is, economically speaking, extremely important. But productivity is an unexamined idea, one of those words that “think for us”.

‘The challenge posed at the heart of this report is: Productivity of what? What are we trying to produce more of, and why?

‘Productivity at its deepest and most profound level is not a matter of creating more stuff but of forming better “persons”. Improving productivity levels can enable that, but it may not. In particular, when it comes to activities in which the human dimension is central, improving productivity can be counterproductive.

‘As developed economies become ever more service-based, this can become a serious issue. Encouraging people to become productive in such service interactions can undermine the personal, human good inherent in the activity itself.

‘And although AI can boost productivity in many sectors, including the service sector, it is not a solution to the problem of productivity outlined in this report and poses risks to essential human goods and values.

‘Ultimately, as we seek to solve our “productivity problem”, we need to avoid idolising productivity or allowing it to corrode what is most precious to us.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Theos Report on Love’s Labours

A new report from Theos has been published:

Hannah Rich, Love’s Labours: Good Work, Care Work and a Mutual Economy (London: Theos, 2024).

This is the third report in Theos’ Work Shift series, exploring how a renewed focus on the relational elements of work could improve the labour market.’

According to the blurb:

‘There is a crisis facing the adult social care sector in the UK at present, which is not only economic in nature, but also relational. The devaluation of paid care work in economic terms stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what care is, what work is and even what love is.

‘Different workspaces, cultures and working conditions have the power to create different kinds of human relationships and forms of human community and in so doing, create different arenas for ‘love’ to flourish. Social care is therefore a key arena for the intersection between ‘love’ and ‘work’.

‘The intersection between love, work and care offers a way of reimagining how caring professions are valued. Further, the integration of Christian theological ideas of love and dignity allows a broader, more holistic policy debate than the current economistic one.

‘Drawing together sociological and theological literature with the first-hand experiences of those working in the social care sector, this report explores what ‘love’ means in this context and how rediscovering it might lead us to value care work differently and more highly.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.