Extremism. Irrelevance. The twin evils set to destroy the public image and persona of religion worldwide. The first fuelled by minority elements amongst people of faith, and the second foisted upon religion by a majority of those of no faith, dismissing it as outmoded superstition.

Into the breach steps Tony Blair – as our newly appointed defender of the faiths. The former Prime Minister has set up a Faith Foundation whose goal is not just the nurture of harmony amongst different faiths and the eradication of extremism, but also the enlightenment of secular western society in regard to its debt to faith, past and present.

Naturally, Mr Blair is being reminded at every press conference that in the not so distant past he didn’t “do God.” But, despite tricky questions about syncretism and his belief in the supremacy of Christ, so far Tony’s attempts at conducting a cosmetic makeover of public faith have been met with much enthusiasm.

And not without good cause – in his speech on faith and globalisation at Westminster Cathedral last week he outlined exactly why society should ‘do God’:

“Religious faith is a good thing in itself, that so far from being a reactionary force, it has a major part to play in shaping the values which guide the modern world, and can be a force for progress.”

And to that end another of the priorities of his foundation will be to encourage faith groups to help the UN meet its Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

Although Tony and his advisors – most notably Alistair Campbell – seemed to want to downplay the significance of his religious beliefs when in office, it has now become abundantly clear that faith is at the centre of Blair’s motivation. As he admitted in his speech, when asked if religion is important to his career:

“It’s like asking someone whether their health is important to them or their family. If you are someone ‘of faith’ it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn’t affect your politics.”

Blair will need courage and wisdom if he’s to succeed in his new role – not least as he seeks to defend all faiths whilst not compromising his own Christian belief in the supremacy of Christ (Colossians 1:15-20). We should pray for him, and for ourselves, because the challenges we face are the same.

Jason Gardner

Links

Read Tony Blair’s speech in full, and find out more about his Faith Foundation here: http://tonyblairoffice.org/2008/04/tony-blair-announces-faith-fou.html

Discover a concept brand promoting harmony between the three Abrahamic faiths here: http://www.coexistonline.com

Read an explanatory article on syncretism and its relation to religion here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14383c.htm