Pluto Press Cults, Martyrs and Good Samaritans: Religion in Contemporary English Political Discourse

James Crossley holds a mirror up to English politics, examining how Christianity is often used to legitimise ideological positions and parties. From the paternalistic Christianity used to justify ever-intensifiying neoliberalism, to the ethnonationalist and economic protectionist Christianity of Theresa May and Brexit, and encompassing the socialist constructions of Christianity by Jeremy Corbyn and a resurgent Left, Crossley guides us through politics' love affair with Christianity. Drawing on interviews with politicians, leave and remain voters, activists, and revolutionaries, Crossley reveals how religion is linked to positions relating to class, capitalism and foreign policy: obfuscating potential causes of unrest, justifying military intervention and challenging dominant class interests. Review "In this work, Crossley shifts decisively to analysing the last decade of English politics and its intersections with religion--all in the context of Brexit, Islam and the rediscovery of a socialist left. Sharp analysis, insights aplenty, a major contribution to serious political debate in the UK."--Roland Boer, Xin Ao Distinguished Overseas Professor at Renmin University of China, Beijing, research professor at the University of Newcastle About the Author James Crossley is Professor of Bible, Society and Politics, at St Mary's University, London. His recent books include Cults, Martyrs and Good Samaritans (Pluto, 2018) and Harnessing Chaos: The Bible in English Political Discourse since 1968 (Bloomsbury, 2016).