1 thought on “Archbishop’s House of Lords soft power debate – opening speech”

  1. Missions work is also ‘soft power.’ As a particularly sublime expression of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, it restrains evil and facilitates common grace in many and various ways, just as a reader of the scriptures would expect. In weak and emerging states, evangelical missions have been an influence for publics that are more open, law-governed, and egalitarian. These are better able to sustain the many ‘virtuous cycles’ that lead to national progress in spheres not obviously religious– education, health, commerce. This effect is so widespread in the world that political scientists can and do investigate it quantitatively. Although many think of missionary work as a thing of the past, the Archbishop’s speech might stimulate us to instead rethink the way we do it in the C21.

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