Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
Parliament's supposed to be the home of reasoned debate – where crucial issues are hashed out and the people's representatives shape policy for the good of all. So why does a quick glance at BBC Parliament so often feel like being back in the school playground?
Slanging matches, tribal infighting, people showing off and being told off... it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. And it's not limited to the halls of Westminster. Trust in our politicians and political process is plummeting, leaving the door open for populists to sweep in on the promise of change. When politics looks like a nuclear-grade basket case, where do we even begin to try and fix it?
Author and theologian Dr Luke Bretherton suggests a counter-cultural answer: we should begin by turning to religion. In this episode, he explains how the Christian faith offers a better way for our politics – prioritising service, humility, and the good of others over the pursuit of power for its own sake.
Luke Bretherton is based at Duke University, North Carolina, where he is Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology and senior fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics. He is also a Visiting Professor at St Mellitus Theological College, London.
Parliament's supposed to be the home of reasoned debate – where crucial issues are hashed out and the people's representatives shape policy for the good of all. So why does a quick glance at BBC Parliament so often feel like being back in the school playground?
Slanging matches, tribal infighting, people showing off and being told off... it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. And it's not limited to the halls of Westminster. Trust in our politicians and political process is plummeting, leaving the door open for populists to sweep in on the promise of change. When politics looks like a nuclear-grade basket case, where do we even begin to try and fix it?
Author and theologian Dr Luke Bretherton suggests a counter-cultural answer: we should begin by turning to religion. In this episode, he explains how the Christian faith offers a better way for our politics – prioritising service, humility, and the good of others over the pursuit of power for its own sake.
Luke Bretherton is based at Duke University, North Carolina, where he is Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology and senior fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics. He is also a Visiting Professor at St Mellitus Theological College, London.
