The beardless one and the role of religious leaders in public debate

Those of you who have been paying attention will have noticed that my nemesis, Steven Craig Miller, believes all my support group have been created in my image in that they have little goatee beards. Just to prove this is not so, here is my lovely wife, known on these pages as Hannah in the hope of protecting our true identities. She is my best friend, soul-mate and unstinting supporter of my late vocation. A lifelong Anglican and clergy daughter, she has not been fazed by my Lutheranism. She is a university careers advisor. Enough clues.

There is a new mood of defensiveness within faith communities, the symptom of a fear about where religious and social trends are leading. It has not always been like this. Skilful religious leaders have engaged in debate and argued persuasively for positive change. Wilberforce, Gandhi and Martin Luther King took unpopular stances, but pointed to a better way for all, inspired by faith. Each of the major religions has hope at the heart of its message - an optimism that seeks to draw the best out of individuals and encourages them to build a better society. This hope, and a positive and constructive outlook, rather than defensiveness and trepidation, ought to be the hallmarks of faith leaders' contributions to public debate. Today's increasingly aggressive attacks on the role of religion in public life - whether against faith schools, grants to religious organisations or politicians who articulate belief - will only be countered by reasoned argument that offers solutions to the dilemmas that decision-makers face.