Tony Blair Faith Foundation

Wednesday morning the students of Yale University’s “Faith and Globalization” course woke up early to engage in a video conference with Tony Blair from Jerusalem. Despite the early hour, the conversation was far from lethargic. The topic for the week was what might be considered the crux of the class: Interfaith Dialogue. Miroslav Volf opened up the discussion by presenting a specific example of dialogue in the Common Word case.

Will it be you that inspires interfaith social action in your community?

I know it wasn’t personal but the Pope’s visit to Britain coincided with my trip to the Millennium Summit in New York. So I caught the run-up hysteria before I left and the after calm when I returned. I have to confess I thought the Pontiff’s PR machinery had made a bad calculation.

Last Thursday, Tony Blair gave his second lecture of the semester in Yale University’s “Faith & Globalisation” course.

The Pope’s visit to Britain was fascinating. It was immensely clarifying to be at close quarters with him and listen to him speak. Here was a religious leader utterly committed to an intellectually-based crusade against atheism and secularity, determined to reconquer Europe for the Church. The experience played straight into my interest in the place of religion in the secular, democratic state. Walter Bagehot, the Victorian constitutionalist, was spot on when he described democracy as a discussion, a debate not crude majoritarian rule.