Faith and Peaceful Relations

About our group

In the words of various FPR colleagues: ‘To undertake and promote academically rigorous research into the relationships between religion (or faith or belief) and peaceful relations’. (Lucy Peacock) ‘The group is about enabling people of all faiths and none to reflect on how to live together without violence.’ (Laura Payne) ‘The group engages in research that can inform society, develop understanding between faith and society, as well as between different positions of faith and belief, in order to create more harmonious and peaceful relationships in the world.’ (Dilwar Hussain)

We also believe that research can help to build social justice. Stephanie Denning, describing her and Chris Shannahan’s Life on the Breadline research, said ‘the Life on the Breadline research aims to understand how churches are responding to UK poverty in order to better inform government policy making and reduce UK inequality.’

Our academic rigour comes from a wide disciplinary base, including politics, international relations, sociology, experimental psychology, Islamic studies, theology, religious studies media & communications & geography. The theologians among us have a clear sense of vital place theology has. As Chris puts it, in the group ‘theology can be a force for social justice.’

We want to be both academically critical & practically engaged (Paul Weller tells us, ‘the group aspires to take both a properly critical & practically engaged approach’). We want to write journal articles & books that help people understand religion but also achieve impact in society & in grassroots communities.

What impact do we want to achieve? In addition to academic knowledge, it’s peaceful coexistence between individuals & communities. As Mabel Alkali put it, ‘The group aims to carry out impactful research…that will enable peaceful understanding and coexistence within diverse faith groups, people of faith and the secular world’.

We work alongside local or religious communities. In our analysis of religion we hear lesser-heard voices, for example women, children and the economically deprived, and explore their roles in the intellectual and social ‘production’ and transformation of religion’ (Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor). ‘We strive to stand with and empower people who have been left out or left behind & to use our research alongside faith communities to speak truth to power’ (Chris Shannahan).

The Faith & Peaceful Relations group undertakes research with, on and for people of all faiths and none. Our group has a strong sense that we can contribute new knowledge & practical impacts in today’s world – our research can make the world a better place, and this is why we do it.