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The Christian Institute has said it hopes to reduce the religious illiteracy of Britain’s political class with the gift of a book about the nation’s Christian heritage to parliamentarians this Easter.
The initiative comes at what might be an all-time low for the influence of Christianity upon politics – and yet equally a time of renewed interest in the faith.
Decades ago, Tony Blair’s spokesman Alastair Campbell famously said, “We don’t do God.” Later in 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron was forced to step down, citing the impossibility of reconciling his personal Christian faith with leading a political party.
Now, in 2026 for the first time Britain has an openly atheist prime minister and an agnostic leader of the opposition. Even those parties that promise a recognition of Britain’s Christian heritage are led by men for whom faith is not a driving issue.
Rupert Lowe of Restore Britain has never publicly professed personal faith of any kind, while Nigel Farage of Reform UK has publicly identified as an Anglican, albeit one who does not attend church regularly.
In the hopes of increasing awareness of Christianity’s unique role in the evolution of British society, The Christian Institute has posted a copy of the book, How Christianity Transformed the World, by Dr Sharon James, to MPs and members of the devolved assemblies.
The book is full of testimonies and examples of Christians who have been motivated to change society for the better as a result of their faith. The book has been described as having an “evangelical perspective” that mirrors many of the arguments made by Tom Holland in his bestselling book, Dominion.
Dr James said, “Without the impact of Christians following the teachings of Christ in the public square, the world would be less just, less free, less educated, more cruel, and more poor. Above all, it would be without hope – the ultimate hope of life in Christ.
“There is no doubt that there is a renewed interest in the Christian faith in the UK, including among some of our politicians. There is a huge religious literacy gap and our hope is that this book will help politicians to better understand what the Christian faith really teaches.”
