Race, Nationalism and White Supremacy

In the west, the powers of race, nationalism and white supremacy have resurfaced into public discourse. This has been accentuated by the rise of political ‘strongmen’: Victor Orban, Matteo Salvini, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and (he would like to think) Boris Johnson.

MAGA and Brexit also play on the fears of our indigenous populations - facing rapid change, the dominance of global capitalism, and immigration from poorer countries. They also gain leverage by appealing to feelings of patriotism, loyalty to local communities, and solidarity among people overlooked by unbalanced economic development.

Coventry Cathedral Welcome sign

Coventry Cathedral put up a welcome sign some time ago, which attracted more attention than most church noticeboards. They emphasised their inclusive welcome of those often excluded by ‘normal’ churches: 

"We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down at heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers …

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit mums, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like ‘organised religion.’"