The Past and Future of
Anglo-Catholic Socialism
Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th February 2026
'I seriously believe that Christianity is the only foundation of Socialism, and that a true Socialism is the necessary result of a sound Christianity.' -- F.D. Maurice, Tracts on Christian Socialism, No. 1.
Overview
An impressive number of socialist priests and intellectuals were formed by the Anglo-Catholic tradition in the first half of the twentieth century, including Percy Dearmer, F.D. Maurice, R.H. Tawney, J. N. Figgis, Henry Scott Holland, Frank Weston, Conrad Noel, Albert Mansbridge, Charles Gore, Ken Leech, and John Hughes.
The Centre for Theology, Law, and Culture at Pusey House will organise a colloquium to discuss what can be learnt from Anglo-Catholic socialism as a tradition that still bears relevance for our time.
The colloquium will consider:
-- To what extent did theological doctrines, such as the Incarnation or the Real Presence in the Eucharist, involve and shape how Anglo-Catholics understood the importance of solidarity, the common good, subsidiarity, or social justice?
-- Were Anglo-Catholics drawn to socialist politics more than low churchman, and if so, why?
-- Is there anything distinctive about Anglo-Catholic socialism that sets it apart from the social teachings of the Popes, and even corrects some problems with Catholic social teaching?
-- What were some of the major intellectual influences on the Anglo-Catholic socialists? What was the influence of Ruskin and Morris?
-- The famous survey made by Labour MPs in 1906 by W.T. Stead, to ask what books most influenced their political beliefs, found that Ruskin was mentioned most frequently, followed by the Bible. This may have given rise to the aphorism that the Labour Party owed more to Methodism than to Marx. Is that saying true? Does it underestimate the influence of the Anglo-Catholics or does it reflect the greater influence of nonconformism among Christian socialists?
-- Can we trace the influence of Anglo-Catholic socialism on any current or recent parliamentarians?
-- What were some of the particular social or economic policies that Anglo-Catholics advocated and campaigned for, and are any of these policies still relevant today?
-- Are there any parallels between the Anglo-Catholic socialists from the early-twentieth century and the post-liberal thinkers of our time?
SPeakers
Speakers include:
The Rev'd Professor Paul Avis (University of Edinburgh).
The Rev'd Professor Mark Chapman (Oxford).
Professor Andrew Chandler (University of Chichester).
Professor Jane Garnett (Oxford).
Dr Lawrence Goldman (Oxford).
Professor Robert Ingram (University of Florida).
Dr Sebastian Milbank (The Critic).
The Rev'd Canon Dr Stephen Spencer (Anglican Communion Office).
Tickets
The conference will be preceded by a public lecture by Dr Jon Cruddas, former MP for Dagenham and Rainham, and author of The Dignity of Labour (Polity, 2021), at 4pm on Tuesday 10th February:
Title: "Catholicism and the Labour Party"
Abstract to come.
We are only able to host our academic programme thanks to the generosity of donors great and small. If you would like to support us, you may do so HERE
