Ethics and Religion: In Public and Political Life

This is a collection of articles that focus on the broad theme of Ethics and Religion in Public and Political Life. The articles are diverse reflections on this theme, and in some cases present rather differing views which, when placed next to one another provide the ingredients for good ethical debate and dare I say itthe possibility of progress in ethical thinking. I trust that readers will relish in the quality of the authors who have contributed to this issue and the contributions they have made. Leading the issue is John Milbank's remarkable piece entitled Theologising Brexit, in which he puts forward an argument for interpreting one of 2016s most surprising events in theological terms, and proceeds to do this, extending on previous work published in ABC Religion and Ethics Online. Next, Thandeka and Darcia Narvaez draw together Thandekas own Contemporary Affect Theology and Narvaezs theory of moral development and reasoning to propose an argument for the effectiveness of certain religious dispositions in prompting healing from destructive tendencies, including with a special focus on race. Their article is entitled Neurobiology, Emotions and Faith: From White Self-Destruction to Healing through Contemporary Affect Theology. Sturla Sagbergs article takes the lead of its name from Samuel Becketts famous quote, oft-cited by Cornel West, 'Try Again, Fail Again, Fail Better: An Essay on the Moral Power of Religious Language in Contemporary Society. Sagbergs argument is that religious language, and the worldviews underpinning it, have enduring relevance in public discourse in a manner that is qualitatively different to the kind of discourse offered without a religious basis. Derek Sankeys article Religion and Values in a World that is Coming of Age takes a different position, extending on Bonhoeffers comment that the world has come of age to posit an argument for a different kind of relationship between religion and ethics, one which sees historically contextualised theologies and religious interests de-coupled from contemporary ethical debates with a view to establishing a sense of sacredness which he sees as far better placed to underpin ethical discussion today. Nicholas Aroneys article is the last in the main section of this issue and also draws from previous work in ABC Religion and Ethics Online. Faith in Public Office: The Meaning, Persistence and Importance of Oaths is an extensive reflection on the topic of the journal, tracing the specifically religious history of oaths and analysing what this means for our understanding of this practice today, particularly when it comes to our having faith in public office. This issue also sees a new section added to the journal. In my own doctoral thesis, I claimed that the worth of the work (which focused on theological and philosophical ethics) was closely tied to its capacity for application. Ethics is ultimately an applied discipline and, whilst academic discussions surrounding it are eminently interesting and important, at some point the rubber has to hit the road. As such, in each issue I will attempt to include a contribution from practitioners those involved in the practice of ethics in one way or another. The contribution for this issue comes from Neil and Jane Hawkes, and focuses on their extensive study of values education and work in implementing it in the UK. I would like to thank all of the authors for their contributions to this issue. As ever with starting something new, there have been some unexpected delays and mistakes along the way, and each has shown great patience throughout this process. I would also like to thank the editorial board for their wisdom and efforts in bringing this work together.