Press Releases - Religion and Society

Don't confuse religion with spirituality, report suggests

Press Office — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:41:21 +0100

As the debate continues about the inclusion in BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day of those who are not from the major world religions, a new paper from the religious thinktank Ekklesia urges that spirituality should not be confused with religion

Archbishop can help churches escape 'persecution complex'

Press Office — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:03:13 +0100

The religion and society think-tank Ekklesia says that today's installation of the new Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, may signal an important move away from an unhelpful 'persecution complex' which has been developing in certain sections of the churches in the last few years.

Religion and society think-tank continues expansion

Press Office — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:37:51 +0100

Symon Hill is to join Ekklesia as associate director from 1 June 2009, enabling what the think-tank describes as "a continued expansion" of its work in "creatively re-thinking the role of religion in contemporary society."

How faith can face the challenge of freedom

Press Office — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:01:43 +0000

Rather than resorting to fearful rhetoric about 'marginalisation' or 'persecution', Christians and people of faith in Britain have a real opportunity to contribute to the public good and to defend the civic freedoms upon which we all rely

Want to know what's on tomorrow's news agenda, today?

Press Office — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:11:35 +0000

A brand new service from the religion and society thinktank Ekklesia details what's on the agenda in the next four weeks with regard to religion and public life.

Anglicans challenged on power, sex and ‘traditionalism’

Press Office — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:32:55 +0100

But new research from the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia suggests that those who want to keep the church defined by very narrow parameters are straying from well established Christian tradition.

Church arguments miss the global challenge, says think tank

Press Office — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:52:12 +0100

Anglican wrangling about sexuality and authority in the church is missing the big picture about how the relationship between religion and society is changing, says a new book from the think tank Ekklesia to be published next week.

Good citizens question ‘national pride’, says Christian think tank

Press Office — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:26:33 +0000

Encouraging people to commit to social justice, human dignity, equality, civic participation and peace-building is the way to create good citizens, says the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia, not attempts to impose symbols of state allegiance and inflated rhetoric about ‘national pride’.

Archbishop's speech shows need for disestablishment

Press Office — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:28:02 +0000

The latest address by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Church of England's General Synod has confirmed the move toward a 'multi-faith settlement' for religion in terms of law and governance in the UK, the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia says.

Equalities 'historic opportunity' for evangelicals

Press Office — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:19:56 +0000

The think-tank Ekklesia, which examines religion in public life, says that the controversial appointment of the head of the Evangelical Alliance UK to the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is "a historic opportunity for evangelicals to shift toward full acceptance of the equalities agenda."

Government responds to requests for action on 'creationism' (updated)

Press Office — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:19:29 +0100

In June 2007 the Christian think-tank Ekklesia and the British Humanist Association wrote to the new Schools, Children and Families minister, Ed Balls MP, urging him to make progress on combating creationism in British schools. The government has subsequently issued its promised guidelines.

Biblical scholar challenges churches on Jesus' family values

Press Office — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:00:48 +0100

An opportunity to hear Professor Good, from the Episcopal Church's prestigious General Theological Seminary, at Ste Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace (78 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AG) at 11am on Thursday 31 May 2007.

Time to re-brand St George

Press Office — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:20:31 +0100

The patron saint of the English should be rebranded and St George's Day should become a national day of dissent, a religious think-tank is proposing.

Crying 'discrimination' harms churches message

Press Office — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:22:34 +0000

Christian claims of discrimination are negative, fail to put across the gospel message of equality, and are based on mixed and questionable evidence, says Ekklesia

Adoption row highlights need for rethink of church-state relations

Press Office — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:51:47 +0000

Responding to comments from Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster and the most senior figure in the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the independent UK religious think-tank Ekklesia says it is a mistake to automatically conflate church-based initiatives in civil society with government-sponsored services.