Jonathan Bartley
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director of Ekklesia
, a Christian
think tank
based in London
, and a left-wing religious commentator who appears regularly on UK radio and television programmes. He currently lives in Streatham
, South London
(1994), he worked at the UK Parliament as a researcher and parliamentary assistant for a number of years, and was part of John Major
's campaign team in the 1995 Conservative Party
leadership election against John Redwood
. Between 1997 and 2001 he was General Secretary of the cross-party Movement for Christian Democracy. He founded Ekklesia, a think-tank which "works to promote radical theological ideas in public life".
's The Big Questions
, BBC Radio 4
's 'Thought for the Day' and ITV1
's 'The Moral of the Story', and is a columnist for The Church Times. He has been a guest on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and has written for The Guardian
newspaper.
in Salisbury, has served on the Church of England
Evangelical Council, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Christian festival. He is a supporter of Christian Peacemaker Teams
, a pacifist organisation, and acts as press officer on their behalf in the UK.
Bartley has spoken publicly in defence of Dr Jeffrey John's attack on penal substitutionary atonement. He defends the full participation of gay and lesbian people in the church as an outworking of the Christian gospel.
His theological perspective is shaped by a commitment to Christian nonviolence.
leader David Cameron
. Bartley agreed and party officials then brought the Conservative leader over the meet them, on his way to a car after a General Election campaign event in South London.
Mr Bartley claimed Conservative manifesto plans would increase the segregation of disabled children as it pledged to "end the bias towards the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.". Referring to his own two year battle to get his son into a mainstream school Bartley also asked why the Conservative manifesto didn't say that the Conservatives wanted to encourage children into mainstream schools. David Cameron said “It absolutely does say that sir, I promise you. After the event Channel 4 FactCheck said that David Cameron had been wrong.
The Daily Telegraph
pointed out that Bartley had been on the Moral Maze and was a regular commentator in the media. Bartley said he was a 'floating voter', that he felt let down by the main parties and criticised the Labour Government over the issues of inclusion. He wrote three days later about why he believed Jesus would not vote for any of the three main political parties in the UK.
Ekklesia (think tank)
Ekklesia is an independent, not-for-profit British think tank which examines the role of religion in public life and advocates transformative theological ideas and solutions. Jonathan Bartley is the founder and co-director....
, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and a left-wing religious commentator who appears regularly on UK radio and television programmes. He currently lives in Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, South London
Biography
After graduating from the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
(1994), he worked at the UK Parliament as a researcher and parliamentary assistant for a number of years, and was part of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's campaign team in the 1995 Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leadership election against John Redwood
John Redwood
John Alan Redwood is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. He was formerly Secretary of State for Wales in Prime Minister John Major's Cabinet and was an unsuccessful challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995...
. Between 1997 and 2001 he was General Secretary of the cross-party Movement for Christian Democracy. He founded Ekklesia, a think-tank which "works to promote radical theological ideas in public life".
Broadcasting
He is a regular contributor to BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's The Big Questions
The Big Questions
The Big Questions is a faith and ethics television programme usually presented by Nicky Campbell. It is currently broadcast live on BBC One between 10:00am and 11:00am on Sunday, replacing Heaven & Earth as the BBC's religious discussion programme....
, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's 'Thought for the Day' and ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's 'The Moral of the Story', and is a columnist for The Church Times. He has been a guest on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and has written for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper.
Public Theology
Bartley has lectured in Theology and Politics at Sarum CollegeSarum College
Sarum College is an ecumenical Christian institution in Salisbury, England. The College was established in 1995, and occupies the buildings formerly home to the Salisbury and Wells Theological College...
in Salisbury, has served on the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Evangelical Council, and is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Christian festival. He is a supporter of Christian Peacemaker Teams
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world. These teams believe that they can lower the levels of violence through nonviolent direct action, human rights documentation, and nonviolence training. CPT sums...
, a pacifist organisation, and acts as press officer on their behalf in the UK.
Bartley has spoken publicly in defence of Dr Jeffrey John's attack on penal substitutionary atonement. He defends the full participation of gay and lesbian people in the church as an outworking of the Christian gospel.
His theological perspective is shaped by a commitment to Christian nonviolence.
David Cameron Incident
On 27 April 2010 whilst Bartley was waiting to attend a hospital appointment at the Evelina Children's Hospital with his son Samuel, a Conservative party official asked if he would like to meet Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
. Bartley agreed and party officials then brought the Conservative leader over the meet them, on his way to a car after a General Election campaign event in South London.
Mr Bartley claimed Conservative manifesto plans would increase the segregation of disabled children as it pledged to "end the bias towards the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.". Referring to his own two year battle to get his son into a mainstream school Bartley also asked why the Conservative manifesto didn't say that the Conservatives wanted to encourage children into mainstream schools. David Cameron said “It absolutely does say that sir, I promise you. After the event Channel 4 FactCheck said that David Cameron had been wrong.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
pointed out that Bartley had been on the Moral Maze and was a regular commentator in the media. Bartley said he was a 'floating voter', that he felt let down by the main parties and criticised the Labour Government over the issues of inclusion. He wrote three days later about why he believed Jesus would not vote for any of the three main political parties in the UK.
Books
- The Subversive Manifesto: lifting the lid on God's political agenda (Bible Reading Fellowship, 2004).
- Your Child and the Internet (Hodder, 2004).
- (Co-editor) Consuming Passion: Why The Killing of Jesus Really Matters (DLT, 2005)
- Faith and Politics After Christendom: the church as a movement for anarchy (Paternoster, 2006).