Remoralizing Britain?: Political, Ethical and Theological Perspectives on New Labour

Drawing together for the first time theorists from a range of disciplines and commitments, this interdisciplinary collection offers a reckoning of this New Labour decade. On seeking office and in coming to power, New Labour presented its vision for Britain in moral terms. During the course of the New Labour administration, further moral themes have been introduced: responsibility and respect, the merits of local government and self-governance, and the moral imperative to confront threats of 'terror' from abroad. This moral agenda, with its apparently religious roots, has been much noted, but not much discussed.The political phenomenon of New Labour requires the disciplines of theology and ethics, as well as social theory and politics, to be properly understood and assessed. Drawing together for the first time theorists from a range of disciplines and commitments, this interdisciplinary collection offers a reckoning of this New Labour decade. As such, it has four central research questions: What is the nature of this remoralising? What are its sources? How effective has it been and what difference has this moral discourse made? What can be learned from Blairism about the relationship between faith, morals and governance?In recent years the study of the nature and function of religion with respect to politics has seen enormous changes. This important series provides a range of books devoted to furthering this study, and aimed at those studying and researching in this area across both disciplines.Titles in this series look specifically at the relationship between religion and political culture. Drawing upon a broad range of religious perspectives the series is open for studies of historical as well as current phenomena in political culture. It seeks not only to inform but to provoke debate at a time when religion is gaining increasing prominence in the public realm.