The Right Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham has declared his support for a new blog designed to engage people in Christian discussion and open debate on Britain’s future relationship with Europe ahead of the forthcoming referendum on whether Britain should remain a member of the EU.
The blog Reimagining Europe [http://www.reimaginingeurope.co.uk/] is a multidisciplinary blog hosted by the Church of England and the Church of Scotland with the editorial support of Crucible, the Christian Journal of Social Ethics.
The blog states:
Reimagining Europe’s has two complementary streams of reflection and deliberation. First, an in focus conversation on current themes involving experts from a range of theological and political backgrounds from around the UK and Europe. Second, a more popular Postcard from … series involving shorter one-off contributions and reflections from around Europe.
Reimagining Europe’s working premise is that many of the issues that shape Britain’s relationship with the EU require a wide-ranging debate of comparable depth, seriousness and intensity to that which took place in Scotland prior to the independence referendum of September 2014. That process was far from perfect, but it nevertheless did include a vibrant debate in homes, businesses, churches and public spaces about a range of social, political, identity, constitutional and economic questions.
Reimagining Europe has no editorial line beyond a commitment to communicating Christian reflection and commentary in ways that enhance public understanding on an issue that many find both confusing and divisive. It is not the place of this blog to tell people how to vote in any referendum.
Reimagining Europe’s only editorial requirement is that whatever the chosen topic, its contributors must be able to write articulately and persuasively from a Christian ethical perspective and to keep in mind that the blog exists to help others to think through the presenting issues ahead of any referendum.
The blog says: “The role of the Church of England and Church of Scotland in hosting [this blog] is to act as the curator of the views found on Reimagining Europe. It follows that the views and opinions expressed by the contributors to Reimagining Europe do not reflect the position of either the Church of England or the Church of Scotland.”
Reimagining Europe can be accessed via:
Web: http://www.reimaginingeurope.co.uk/ – where you can subscribe to a email update
Twitter: @ReimaginingE