Volume 16.4

In this issue…

.. we give a warm welcome to John Weaver who joins the FiBQ editorial team. A Baptist Minister, John was formerly principal of the South Wales Baptist College and Dean of the Faculty of Theology in Cardiff. Prior to this, John pursued a career in academic science and is currently chair of the John Ray Initiative connecting Environment, Science and Christianity. We look forward to the valuable contribution John’s strengths and experience will bring to the task of editing FiBQ.
John makes his debut in this issue with an article on fracking. As the debate rages over the impact of fracking on the natural world, he encourages a ‘change of heart’. A Christian perspective will demand that we become God-centred and not human-centred in our duty towards his natural world.
We are pleased in this issue to bring you Archbishop Justin Welby’s keynote speech Business Success through Serving Society delivered in London on 24th October 2013. “I’m asking lots of questions and I don’t have many answers” says the Archbishop. His questions nevertheless invite us to reflect Christianly on the seemingly intractable problems of business life.
Regular contributor, David Parish, provides a fascinating insight into the pioneering and entrepreneurial business activities of Methodists in 19th century America. Courage and flexibility, concludes David, are two key qualities we might emulate. Arising from her research into modern-day Christian entrepreneurs, Kina Robertshaw profiles Simon Lawson, an independent Builder’s Merchant based in London and the South East.
Richard Higginson sums up the 2014 Faith in Business conference on the lifecyle of business, ’It’s all about people!’ with many challenging and encouraging reflections on being Gospel-centred within the lifecycle of a business. Phil Jump reflects further on justice at work in his regular column.
A rich diet of book reviews includes Eve Poole’s reflections on Rowan Williams’ Faith in the Public Square; Michael Smith on Mammon’s Kingdom: An Essay on Britain, Now by David Marquand; Beyond Nice by Martin Woodroofe reviewed by Robin McKenzie; a review by John Weaver of Michael Northcott’s A Political Theology of Climate Change; and to wrap things up, Tim Harle follows through on the theme of the lifecycle of business with a review of David Hurst’s The New Ecology of Leadership: Business Mastery in a Chaotic World.
Something for everyone, we hope you’ll agree!