Jubilee Centre

The Jubilee Centre is a Christian social reform think tank[1] based in the United Kingdom which conducts research into the contemporary relevance of the biblical vision for society.

> Cambridge Papers has maintained a consistently high standard of Christian reflection on contemporary issues.

> — John Stott, Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, Langham Place

The Jubilee Centre was founded in 1983 by Michael Schluter to explore the continued relevance for modern societies of the biblical social vision. Characterised by its concern for right relationships – and applied to areas as diverse as debt and the economy, criminal justice, care for the elderly, asylum and immigration, the environment, and sexual ethics - this relational agenda led to the publication in 2005 of the charity's comprehensive 'Jubilee Manifesto: a framework, agenda and strategy for Christian social reform'[2] (see Books by the Jubilee Centre, below). It also produces the quarterly Cambridge Papers, an influential collection of peer-reviewed studies on contemporary issues.[3][4]

Inspired by the example of Christian reformers such as William Wilberforce, the Jubilee Centre's work led to the launch in 1985 of the now independent Keep Sunday Special campaign, which was instrumental in bringing about Margaret Thatcher's first and only defeat in the Commons.[5][6] Its work later gave rise to a number of other organisations involved in social reform, including Credit Action, the Relationships Foundation and the international peace-building charity Concordis International. Most recently, it launched the informal Fair Sex Movement which "seeks to promote a greater awareness of the personal, social and economic consequences of sexual relationships".[7] A number of groups are now drawing upon the experience and expertise of the Jubilee Centre to establish similar organisations internationally in countries as diverse as Singapore,[8] Kenya,[9] and the US.[10]

The Jubilee Centre is a British registered charity (No. 288783),[11] financed by private donations.

## Books published by the centre[edit]

* God, Justice, and Society: Aspects of Law and Legality in the Bible (Burnside, OUP, 2010) ISBN 978-0-19-975921-7
* Free to Live: Expressing the love of Christ in an age of debt (Brandon, SPCK, 2010) ISBN 0-281-06229-3
* Votewise Now! Helping Christians engage with the issues (Lynas, SPCK, 2009) ISBN 0-281-06192-0 [12]
* Just Sex: Is it ever just sex? (Brandon, IVP, 2009) ISBN 1-84474-371-3 [13]
* Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living (Spencer & White, SPCK, 2007) ISBN 0-281-05833-4 [14][15]
* Jubilee Manifesto: a framework, agenda and strategy for Christian social reform (Schluter & Ashcroft (eds), IVP, 2005) ISBN 1-84474-074-9
* Votewise: helping Christians engage with the issues (Spencer, SPCK, 2004) ISBN 0-281-05683-8
* Asylum and Immigration: a Christian perspective on a polarised debate (Spencer, Paternoster, 2004) ISBN 1-84227-271-3
* Christian Perspectives on Law and Relationism (Beaumont & Wotherspoon (eds), Paternoster, 2000) ISBN 0-85364-994-4
* Christianity in a Changing World (Michael Schluter and the Cambridge Papers Group, Zondervan, 2000) ISBN 0-551-03241-3
* Relational Justice: Repairing the breach (Burnside & Baker (eds), Waterside Press, 1994) ISBN 1-872870-22-8
* Credit & Debt: Sorting it out (Schluter & Lee, Marshall Pickering, 1989) ISBN 0-551-01780-5

## See also[edit]

* List of UK think tanks

## References[edit]

1. ^ Midgley, Carol (29 January 2008). "Experts say marriage isn't so important now". The Times. London. Retrieved 30 May 2008. "According to the Jubilee Centre, a Christian-based social reform organisation..."
2. ^ "Jubilee Manifesto". UK Christian Bookshops Directory: Christian Book Reviews. Retrieved 6 June 2008. "This is probably the second best book I've ever read."
3. ^ Gledhill, Ruth (3 October 2008). "Christian group calls for a Christian university in Britain". The Times. London. Retrieved 3 October 2008. "an academic paper published by a leading Christian think-tank."
4. ^ "The Jubilee Centre Winter School, January 2007". Potton Vineyard Church. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2008. "The Jubilee Centre Winter School (was) a seminal, life changing experience ... various publications, including the internationally well-known Cambridge Papers"
5. ^ Richter, Philip (1994). "Seven Days' Trading Make One Weak? The Sunday Trading Issue as an Index of Secularization". The British Journal of Sociology. 45 (3). The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Sep., 1994), pp. 333-348: 333–348. doi:10.2307/591652. JSTOR 591652. "The Parliamentary battle over the 1985/6 Shops Bill, designed to relax most of Britain's Sunday Trading laws, was the biggest defeat ever suffered by the Thatcher govern- ment: although the government had an absolute majority of 139 it was defeated by 14 votes. Christian lobby groups, such as the Cambridge- based Keep Sunday Special Campaign played a key role, alongside the trade unions and other opponents, in achieving this result."
6. ^ "Social campaigner appointed MBE (sic)". BBC News. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2009. "He launched the Keep Sunday Special campaign against the deregulation of Sunday trading in 1985, causing Margaret Thatcher's only defeat in Parliament."
7. ^ "Movement demands consultation on compulsory sex ed for five-year-olds". Christian Today. Retrieved 15 April 2009. "The Fair Sex Movement is calling for a public consultation on the Government's controversial proposals to make sex and relationship education a statutory requirement for children five years old and over in all England's schools."
8. ^ "Building a School". Shalom Singapore. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2008. "Under the joint partnership between SHALOM SINGAPORE and THE JUBILEE CENTRE in Cambridge, UK"
9. ^ "Finding a biblical framework for Christian social engagement". Christian Today. Retrieved 18 June 2008. "In Kenya, a group of Christians under Professor Peter Kimuyu's leadership has recently come together to establish a body similar to the Jubilee Centre."
10. ^ "New director for Jubilee Centre". Christian Today. Retrieved 30 May 2008. "the Christian research centre is planning to expand its international network into such places as Singapore, Kenya, Holland and the USA."
11. ^ "Extract from the Central Register of Charities: Jubilee Centre". The Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
12. ^ "Alistair Burt outlines why he thinks Christians should vote Conservative". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 21 September 2009. "Alistair Burt, the Conservative frontbencher, is one of three MPs from each of the main parties to have contributed to a new book called Votewise Now!"
13. ^ Nazir-Ali, Michael (20 December 2008). "In bad times, we need the Good News". The Sunday Telegraph. London. Retrieved 21 December 2008. "In his soon to be published book Just Sex?, Guy Brandon of the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge claims that it is the failure to respect persons, as made in God's image, which is at the heart of our social and personal malaise."
14. ^ Spencer, Nick; White, Robert (8 February 2008). "Extract: Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living". The Times. London. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
15. ^ "Tearfund supports new book on climate change and sustainable living". Tearfund. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008. "Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living is a groundbreaking new book looking at a Christian response to climate change."

## External links[edit]

* Official website