The former Bishop of Durham, Dr. David Jenkins, has died. His theological viewpoints were always much more nuanced than were reported, or misreported, in the press at the time. Nonetheless, what I thought was always rather striking was his espousal of a very publicly engaged form of Christianity, where the questions and answers were worked out ‘on the ground’. As such he challenged unfeeling market economics and argued that people with the least power and influence should always be at the centre of government policy.
This balanced insight into the man and his approach was produced in 1994 to mark his retirement and is well worth watching. In my opinion we need more Christian leaders that are willing to challenge unjust social structures in such a tenacious and consistent manner.
