Theos ‘think tank’ aims to change the thinking that shapes society

ENGLAND AND WALES – The British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) has announced a new initiative that seeks “to change the climate of opinion about how we live and the thinking that shapes our society.”

The initiative takes the form of Theos, which the Bible Society describes as a “public theology think tank.” Conceived along the lines of the bodies that provide the intellectual rationale shaping the policies of Britain’s major political parties, Theos will conduct research, publish reports and engage with the media to present Christian theological perspectives on social and political issues. There are also plans for a program including public debates and lectures and events at the annual conferences of British political parties. A Theos web site is under development.

Ethos and operation

Theos has been more than two years in the planning. Two years ago the Bible Society conducted research into the ethos and operation of major UK think tanks such as the Adam Smith Institute, the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Social Market Foundation, and a report approved the further exploration of the idea of a Christian model. In July last year, Paul Woolley was hired to draw up a framework for the initiative and in February BFBS trustees approved his plans and granted core funding for the project, which is under his direction.

In a paper outlining the history of the Theos project and the thinking behind it, the Bible Society says, “Theos aims to shape events, not simply react to them. In this sense, we aspire to be the Ecclesiastes of the day, speaking wisdom into the increasingly crowded marketplace of ideas.” The overall aim, it says, is that of putting God ‘back’ into the public domain and discourse.

Analysis and advice

Based in offices in Central London, Theos will also provide research, analysis and advice to individuals and organisations including Parliamentarians, non-profit organisations and commercial companies. Income earned from these clients will supplement the substantial grant it gets from the Bible Society and the support it receives from charities, trusts and individuals. Like the Bible Society itself, Theos is neither Catholic nor Protestant; it is interconfessional.