Good for Society: Christian Values and Conservative Politics
In 'Good for Society' Martin Parsons has written a book well worthy of its sub title 'Christian Values and Conservative Politics.'.
Good for Society is a robust defence of both our Christian heritage and the Conservative Party.
Rt Hon Lord Tebbit CH, former Chairman of the Conservative Party, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Secretary of State for Employment
This is a magnificent, detailed and authoritative examination of the relevance of Christian teaching to today's Conservative Party. Even when you do not agree with a deduction you are still challenged.
Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, former Conservative MP and Shadow Home Secretary
Dr Parsons brings together expertise in politics, careful biblical study, research in Islam and experience of life under the Taliban in Afghanistan. He mounts a powerful case for identifying Christian values and view of the world in the development of the laws, liberties and institutions of the English speaking peoples. He also identifies these values in the approaches of Conservative politics and politicians. These must be recovered in order to develop a narrative and values to address the threat of Islamism which seeks to impose sharia both subtly and violently. Liberal secularists who might disagree with Dr Parsons need to demonstrate a more convincing case than he presents on all fronts.
Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life
Christians in many parts of the world, who are influenced by progressivism, reject Conservative values on social policy by default. They uncritically assume that big government, redistribution of wealth and other leftist policies are closer to the teaching of Scripture, while capitalism, wealth creation, individualism and other Conservative values represent greed, oppression and injustice. Dr Martin Parsons turns this myth on its head. Exploring the great philosophical and historical traditions of Conservatism and expounding the teaching of the Bible, he demonstrates that Conservatism is firmly rooted in the Judeo-Christian worldview. Dr Parsons has written the definitive book on Conservatism and Christianity. I wish this book were written years ago. It would have saved me from years of wandering in the desert of progressivism.
Rev. Dr Jules Gomes, theologian and political journalist
Dr Martin Parsons has been an aid worker, teacher and academic. As an aid worker in Afghanistan he and a Norwegian colleague were the first westerners to visit a remote mountainous region approximately a week's walk from the end of the nearest road, which until then had been just a 'blank' area on the map. He subsequently began work on unscrambling the unwritten tribal language and set up an aid project to help the local people.
He has also held senior leadership roles in education both in the UK and overseas including having been Principal of an English Language Institute in Pakistan and a member of the NGO committee which functioned as the Afghan national education committee during the time when the Taliban were in power. After his return to the UK he became an examiner for A level Geography and part of the senior leadership team helping establish a new sixth form college which significantly improved educational attainment in a deprived UK coastal town; He later set up a new course in Research Ethics at a university.
Martin has also been a passionate advocate for persecuted Christians. While undertaking aid work in Afghanistan and Pakistan he was involved in helping local Christians including during the Taliban era when Afghan Christians were being severely persecuted. He has also been head of research at the international headquarters of an aid agency supporting Christian victims of persecution around the world and a faculty member of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life.
Martin has degrees in both Geography and Theology, a PhD in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has written extensively for a number of political publications including the UK Conservative Christian Fellowship's Conservativism magazine, The Difference, Conservative Way Forward, Brexit Central and has written regularly for ConservativeHome with a particular focus on both the challenge of radical Islam to the UK's historic national identity and values and on international relations. He has also been actively involved in politics himself as a local councillor. This is his second major book.
