Review of JustShare Christian Social and Political Thought Lectures: The Revd Dr Ken Leech

The Revd Dr Ken Leech

Founder of Centrepoint and formerly Director of the Runnymede Trust

‘Is There an Anglican Tradition of Social Justice?’

We were delighted to welcome Fr Ken Leech to deliver the last in the 2009 JustShare lecture series on Christian Social and Political Thought on 11/11/2009.

Fr Leech began by noting that there were many traditions of social justice in Anglicanism, some more to be welcomed than others. He focused on 3 different types of social action; the status quo model, the top down model and the grassroots up model.

He emphasised that the status quo model, which meant reinforcing the established positions and taking no action whatsoever to challenge them, was often seen as apolitical but was in fact a deeply political act. Doing nothing, and by doing nothing, reinforcing the status quo, was a strong form of social and political action. Those who believed the Church should stay out of politics usually meant that it should stay out of the politics of dissent, not the politics of conformism.

The second model, ‘top down social action,’ was the kind which establshed working parties and wrote reports. These reports might be excellent, but often they came too late; by the time they had been considered, received and disseminated, the situation on the ground would have evolved anyway. The danger was that reports and working parties slowed down the potential for action.

The third model, grassroots social action, was epitomised by the founding of Centrepoint or The Simon Community. Fr Leech’s enjoyable history of the founding of Centrepoint emphasised its direct reponse to social needs and it small beginnings; ‘immediate action in your own backyard.’. Many of today’s most famous charities working for social justice began from very small roots and those involved did not necessarily see the wider implications or future of their endeavours. However, this third model of ‘grassroots up’ immediate social action was crucial.

Fr Alan thanked Ken Leech on behalf of the audience both for his lecture and for his inspirational personal tradition of Anglican social justice. Discussions continued over Fairtrade wine generously donated by La Riojana.