A Mucky Business: Why Christians should get involved in politics by Tim Farron
/REVIEWER: Harry Fenner Crawley
BOOK: A mucky business: why Christians should get involved in politics
(IVP, November 2022) 208pp, paperback
In this immensely readable book, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron tackles the question of why Christians should seriously consider getting involved in politics – whether that is learning more to pray more effectively, through being involved in local issues, to standing for Parliament themselves.
The book does not push any particular political agenda, though one appendix does explain what Liberalism stands for; while short pieces on particular individuals look at Christians who serve in various parties, including the Welsh Assembly and the SNP.
Having taken on and largely demolished the usual reasons for not getting involved in politics, Farron goes on the attack, pointing out that just as Jesus got his hands dirty, we are called to do the same.
Politicians are not to be on a mission to make others stick to biblical rules: he clearly says, ‘It feels counterproductive for Christians to seek to legislate to make people who are not Christians live as though they were … it feels coercive and wrong.’ Having got that out of the way, he points out that there is a long and honourable tradition of Christians trying to make life better for their fellow citizens and, since politics affects us all in so many ways, getting involved in politics is a key way of achieving this aim. He cites Wilberforce and other members of the Clapham Sect, who fought hard for many sorts of change.
Not that he is squeamish about pointing out the issues anyone standing for office will face. One section is specifically entitled ‘Responding to abuse’ and he points out that being an MP has proven fatal twice in recent years. And he acknowledges that politics can be a dirty business, but then adds that so can most other forms of employment.
He argues that politics is too important to be ignored, particularly because ‘if Christians do not show up … other people will. And some of them will … be seeking to promote values and priorities that we disagree with.’
Any preacher or leader who wants to encourage others to get involved in what is going on in this country would benefit from reading this book. It is full of biblical argument, practical suggestions, information, encouragement and personal testimony.
Reviewer: Harry Fenner Crawley
MA Theology, Community Engagement Manager for Bible Society, Bristol-based Bible-lover and landscape gardener: Twitter @CrawleyFenner
