Debate: Is Christianity the Foundation of Western Civilisation?

The motion we will be debating is this: "This House Believes Christianity is the Foundation of Western Civilisation".  

Can the West be sustained by secularism and multiculturalism and is Tom Holland right that we are like fish swimming in "Christian waters"? 

Author of the book God is an Englishman, Bijan Omrani, and author of How Christianity Transformed the World, Sharon James will be arguing in favour of the motion, and Editor of The Freethinker and council member of the Secular Society, Daniel J. Sharp; and theologian turned jurist from King's College London, Steven M. Rhodes, will argue against it.

Ticket price includes a free drinks reception from 6pm onwards.

The "Tom Holland thesis" has become widely discussed lately - basically that "the West" was created by Christianity, shaped by Christian notions of morality and ethics, and that even secular values today have been derived from a Christian view of the world and humanity. Is this true? And if so, what does it mean as we are progressively losing our religion? Can the West be sustained without a belief in its foundation?

Or is this exaggerated? How did Greek, non-Christian thinking influence what became the Western world, along with Roman law and cultural traits that we have also inherited? Is the picture more mixed, and can we sustain the Best of the West in a multicultural, multi-religious and secular society?

Expect great arguments on either side and plenty of room for YOU to test the motion, challenge assumptions, and ask your questions during the Q&A.

The Debaters:

Proposition: 

Bijan Omrani is a British historian, classicist, barrister and author whose work focuses on the relationship between history, culture and national identity. He studied Classics and English at Lincoln College, Oxford, later studied at King's College London, and completed a doctorate in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter. He has taught Classics at both Eton College and Westminster School and was an Honorary Associate Research Fellow at the University of Exeter.

His latest book,God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England, argues that Christianity has been central to the development of England's national identity, legal traditions, political institutions, language, literature and moral culture over the past seventeen centuries. The book contends that understanding the history of the West is impossible without understanding the formative role Christianity has played in shaping it.

He will be proposing the motion.

Sharon James is a British historian, author and public speaker who serves as Social Policy Analyst for the Christian Institute. She studied History at the University of Cambridge, completed a Master of Divinity at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and earned a doctorate from the University of Wales. She has taught history in both England and Malawi and has written extensively on Christianity, history and public policy.

Her book How Christianity Transformed the World examines the historical influence of Christianity on the development of Western civilisation, arguing that Christian beliefs and institutions played a decisive role in advancing ideas such as human dignity, justice, religious liberty, education, healthcare and philanthropy. The book challenges the common claim that Christianity has been predominantly harmful to society, instead presenting historical evidence for its positive impact.

She will be Proposing the motion

Opposition:

Steven Mark Rhodes is a lawyer and theologian whose academic background spans both law and theology at King's College London, where he has pursued advanced study in both disciplines. His legal career has focused on regulatory, commercial and ethical issues, while his theological studies have given him a strong grounding in Christian thought and the historical development of the Church. He is also a Fellow of King's College (FKC) and serves as a trustee of the King's College London Theological Trust.

Alongside his professional work, Rhodes has a longstanding interest in classical civilisation and ancient history, particularly the influence of Greek philosophy and culture on the emergence of Christianity and the development of Western civilisation. His interest extends to the interaction between Hellenistic thought, Roman law and the Christian intellectual tradition, making him well placed to discuss the historical foundations of the West from both legal and theological perspectives.

Rhodes's educational background brings together two disciplines that have profoundly shaped Western civilisation: theology and law. Combined with his deep interest in classical history and the Greek intellectual tradition, he is able to explore how Christianity both inherited and transformed the ideas of the classical world, and how that synthesis influenced Western philosophy, legal systems and political institutions.

He will be opposing the motion.

William Hagerup is a translator and the author of In Good Faith, which tells the semi-autobiographical story of his time working for Europe’s largest Pentecostal church. His experiences in the church set him on a course that eventually saw him reject religious faith.

Mr Hagerup is originally from Norway, where he was a youth politician between the ages of 16 and 21 in that country’s libertarian party, and he is the co-founder of the Agora Debate Club, the Online Debaters and Forum Colchester, as well as former President of 104 London Debaters. He studied 18th-century literature as well as political and ethical philosophy at the University of Trondheim, and 18th-century British society at King’s College London. Last year, he published The Really Practical Guide to Debating, and in August this year, his crime novel Vegan Slaughter was published on Amazon.

He will be opposing the motion.