We were privileged this week to host Revd Dr Helen Paynter on a webinar for church leaders.
Helen led us in unpacking some of the theology and ideology behind ‘Christian Nationalism’ which we are seeing on the rise in our churches and communities.
Helen is Director of Theological Education at Bristol Baptist College, and founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. An Old Testament scholar by training, she works on the interpretation of biblical violence, and the weaponisation of the Bible in a violent world. Since 2022 she has been leading a project looking at the use of Scripture and Christian imagery by far-right groups and has authored and edited several books on this issue.
Around 200 church leaders joined us from across the Diocese and beyond to hear more about this important topic.
We are grateful for Helen giving us her some of her much-in-demand time and wisdom before she departs on sabbatical after Easter!
If you were not able to join us but would like to watch the webinar on catch up, you can do so below.
Webinar: Unpacking The Theology of Christian Nationalism
Next Steps: Running the “Difference” Course
As a follow up, we are also offering all churches a chance to find out about the Difference Course by inviting you to a Taster Session, hosted by Bishop Emma Ineson, Acting Bishop of London on 2nd June 2026, 7-8pm. Book HERE.
What is the Difference Course?
This is a free course for adults (5 weeks) and for young people (6 weeks) that can be run in small groups, with PCCs, ministry groups and others. It helps us listen well and explore the differences we hold, in our views, thinking, experience and beliefs. We do that without “othering” or creating fractures.
The Diocese is holding a taster session to find out more about Difference Course for adults hosted by our Acting Bishop of London, Right Revd Emma Ineson.
We’re also offering a taster session on the course for young people, aimed at youth workers and schools groups, hosted by Jess Masters-Carter from the Growing Younger Team.
- Difference Course Taster Session for churches & adult groups with +Emma: Tues 2nd June, 7-8pm.
- Difference Course Taster Session for young people & schools with Jess Masters-Carter: Wed 10th June 7-8pm.
Book below:
Further reading and resources
We have collated some follow up reading, listening, events and organisations you may wish to explore as a follow up to the webinar. This can be downloaded as a PDF, and resource links are also listed below.
Please note: this is not a comprehensive list; equally we are not endorsing any of them, simply collating offerings we are aware of that you may be interested to find out more about.
Resources to download
Follow on Reading & Resources - online links
Collated Resources:
Responding to Christian Nationalism – the Joint Public Issues Team have put together a comprehensive collection of resources for churches and Christians to respond.
“Joy for All” – some “rapid response” resources collated for Christmas
(December 2025 as a response to the “putting Christ back into Christmas” events)
Books:
Faithful Presence in a Fractured World A Church toolkit for resisting the Far Right, by Revd Dr Helen Paynter (Canterbury Press) released June 2026, available on pre-order
The Church, the Far Right and the Claim to Christianity, edited by Helen Paynter and Maria Power (SCM)
The Claim to Christianity: Responding to the Far Right by Hannah Strømmen & Ulrich Schmiedel (SCM)
Reports:
“Questions of Hope and Hate: Faith and Faultlines in a Changing Britain” (January 2026) by Paul Bickley and Tabitha von Kaufmann, Good Faith Partnership & Hope not Hate
Online Talks:
In person talk (similar content to our webinar) Theology of Christian Nationalism with Revd Dr Helen Paynter, organised by Better Story, December 2025
Articles:
‘My Name Is Lazarus’: Former Charlottesville rally participant says Catholic faith, Chesterton led him away from neo-Nazism’ Story of one participant in Neo-Nazi rallies in the USA who has found faith and a different path.
‘What’s wrong with Christian nationalism?’ Danny Webster gives an Evangelical perspective on Christian Nationalism in Premier Christianity Magazine (subscription required, 3 months free)
Upcoming Events & Talks:
“Faith, Flags and the Future of Englishness”
- Thursday 26th March 12-1pm
- This webinar, hosted by the Good Faith Partnership in collaboration with British Future, will explore whether English identity can be articulated in ways that are confident, inclusive and plural.
- Speakers include: Sunder Katwala (Director of British Future) and Lord Rook OBE (Partner at Good Faith Partnership and Member of the House of Lords).
- Book HERE
“Faith in Conflict: How Global Crises Are Shaping UK Faith Communities”
- Friday 27th March from 11am-12pm
- This webinar, hosted by the Good Faith Partnership collaboration with the Woolf Institute, will explore how overseas conflicts are shaping UK faith communities. It will explore which global conflicts have the greatest impact in the UK context, how they affect community cohesion and internal faith dynamics, and what policy and community responses are needed to address both immediate risks and longer-term challenges.
- Speakers Include: The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani (Bishop of Chelmsford) Professor James Walters (London School of Economics and Political Science) Laura Marks CBE (Founder, Mitzvah Day), Nick Lowles MBE (CEO, Hope not Hate) and Professor Javed Khan OBE (Managing Director, Equi)
- Book HERE
“Churches March Together Alliance” Church Service
- Saturday 28th March 10.30am-11.15am
- ‘Oasis Church Waterloo, gathering before the bigger Together Alliance March (below).
“Together Alliance” March Against the Far Right
- Saturday 28th March 12pm-6pm
- 200+ charities march Against the Far Right. The main march will begin gathering from 12pm on Park Lane.
“Blessed are the Peacemakers: how Christians can bring people together in polarised times”
- Monday 13th April 7-9pm
- In person talk in Central London with speaker: Alex Evans, from Larger Us. Organised by Better Story.
“Radical Hope: Young People as hopeful Prophets for Polarised Times”’
- Monday 18th May 6-8:30pm with Revd Dr Helen Paynter
- St Mellitus College, SW5 0LX
- Youthscape/St Mellitus Annual Lecture
- Free in-person and online tickets available HERE
The Great Get Together– from the Jo Cox Foundation
- Weekend of 19th-21st June
- The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites our communities, inspired by Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common than that which divides us.
- It is an opportunity for anyone to organise a community event as part of a well-recognised national campaign. Every June, on the weekend closest to Jo’s birthday, ordinary people run events that bring communities together to celebrate unity and reject division, bridge divides and demonstrate our shared humanity.
- Information about how to organise and event and a toolkit HERE
- Happens every year in the 2nd week of November. In 2026 it falls between Sunday 8th – 15th November 2026. Look out for interfaith forums and faith groups organising events (usually with food!)
- More information HERE
- Sunday 22nd November (organised at the end of Interfaith week).
- The UK’s largest faith-led day of social action. Jewish-led, we bring together people of all faiths and backgrounds, to volunteer side-by-side, building longstanding, genuine relationships. Information & Sign up HERE
Training offers:
- A short Christian course that can be run by anyone, to facilitate talk about conflict and difference generally (not specific to Christian Nationalism).
- Information here
- There are courses for Churches and groups, Prisons, Secondary schools & Church youth groups.
The Diocese of London are offering a range of taster sessions for the Difference Course:
- For Churches/Adults: Online Taster Session with Bishop Emma Ineson
- Tuesday 2nd June, 7-8pm
- Booking link HERE
- For Youth Groups: Online Taster session offered for youth leaders & schools
- Wednesday 10th June, 7-9pm
- Booking link HERE
Who is Your Neighbour? (WIYN) Online training
WIYN invites people to speak about their experiences; sharing how things are for them, and how they are changing, in the places where they live and work. They provide spaces for listening with curiosity and speaking openly, helping us adapt to change and get along. They offer organisation training and support for individuals, groups, and organisations in South Yorkshire, and across the UK online. We offer accessible options and have a sliding scale of fees for all our work.
A new training scheme available for faith communities in England & Wales. Learn how to reduce the risk of hate crime, anti-social behaviour, and serious threats. The course is free for places of worship: it’s being delivered on behalf of the Home Office by CDS Support. Details here
The Friendship First Course from Interserve gives Christians the skills, confidence and resources to build Christ-centred friendships with Muslims.
Group Resources (particularly for young people but suitable for all):
A fun scenario-based card game, created by The Feast, in partnership with Youthscape, to help young people practice healthy conversations with those they may disagree with.
Anti-Racism Conversations (ARC)
A flexible, card-based resource, created by Youthscape, helping young people explore racial justice, understand everyday racism, and take practical steps toward becoming actively anti-racist.
Organisations working in this field:
Larger Us is a community of change-makers who share the aim of using psychology for good – to bridge divides, build broader coalitions and bring people together.
We are a movement of Christians seeking to resist this distortion of our faith by re-centring Christ’s compassion, humility, and self-sacrificial generosity in the public conversation about Christianity.
Our work within the Christian community and across wider society enables communities and individuals to encounter one another in meaningful ways to build understanding and trust. We nurture respectful, resilient individuals and communities, and support leadership in faith communities to enrich public life. We aim to empower people of all faiths – and those with no faith – to co-operate with each other for the good of all.
Our desire is to bring together teenagers from different faiths and cultures to build friendships, explore faith and change lives. We work by building good relationships with groups of young people and then invite them to ‘encounter’ events where they can meet one another. The relationships between the young people have to be developed in distinctive ways, as their varied communities have different structures and youth programmes based on faith and culture.
We invite people to speak about their experiences and listen to others do the same. We invite them to share how things are for them, and how they are changing, in the places where they live and work. Listening with curiosity and speaking openly can help us all adapt to change and get along. Safe, non-judgmental conversations matter. Our facilitated group conversations take place across South Yorkshire. We also offer training and consultancy nationally.
Local/regional Inter Faith Forums
Many boroughs in London, and other localities and regions have Inter Faith Forums. Your local authority/ council may have information on this.
