Faith in the public square in 1941 and 1991: two Malvern Conferences reviewed

Abstract

The Malvern Conference of 1941 brought together leading Anglican social thinkers of the day to explore the Christian basis for involvement in society and Christian responses to pressing social, political and economic issues, some of which influenced thinking behind the post-war welfare state. In 1991, a second Malvern conference was organised to mark the 50th anniversary of William Temple’s original conference, this time with a particular focus on the challenges facing Britain and Europe in the light of the creation of the European Union (EU). In this article, the two Malvern conferences are compared and contrasted for their views on the key challenges of the day, steps towards a more just future and the role of the churches within that process. The article concludes with reflection on the lessons of both conferences for the churches’ engagement in the public square today.

Keywords:

• Public theology
• William Temple
• Malvern Conference 1941
• Malvern Conference 1991
• social justice
• Europe