St Paul's Institute

Money, Integrity, Wellbeing

St Paul's Institute's 2009 series addressed the moral questions raised by the dramatic financial situation, and whether opportunities for society's good can come from the economic crisis. Speakers included high level representatives from government, academics, economists, religious leaders and ethicists.

At the centre of the programme were five public debates, one on the eve of the G20 summit that involved Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Kevin Rudd, and the rest in the autumn. In addition, there were study days for clergy, public and sixth-formers, meditative services, a retreat and other events.

Speakers included: Catherine Cowley, Heythrop College; Andrew Dilnot, Oxford University; John Micklethwait, The Economist; Julia Neuberger, Rabbi and ethicist; Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrats; Lord Brian Griffiths, Goldman Sachs International; Adair Turner, Financial Services Authority; Nicholas Sagovsky, Westminster Abbey; Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development; Elizabeth Koepping, University of Edinburgh.

Details about the debates (including transcripts) can be found below:

My Word is My Bond?
Rebuilding Trust: the G20 and beyond

31st March 2009

The first event in the 2009 St Paul's Institute programme was a pre-G20 debate by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

On the eve of the G20 summit, this debate dealt with the moral questions raised by the current financial crisis.

Chair: Richard Chartres, Bishop of London.

A full transcript of this event can be found here

Money: a crisis of value?

6th October 2009

We have become used to describing human beings as consumers, to measuring our well-being in terms of economic advancement and stimulating consumption by mass advertising and cheap credit. We created an economic system that was dependent on rising house prices in order to sustain it. The financial crisis was ultimately the product of millions of individual decisions, not just macro-economic policymaking or regulatory failure.

To what extent has it been about something deeper than money and what are the implications for us as a society going forward?

Speakers: Catherine Cowley, Lecturer in Christian Ethics, Heythrop College; Andrew Dilnot, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Oxford University; Paul Tucker, Deputy Governor, Bank of England; John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist.

Chair: Richard Chartres, Bishop of London

A full transcript of this event can be found here

Work and human flourishing

13th October 2009

Faced with the prospect of working shorter hours and fewer days, some high-octane City workers have relished the idea of having more time with families and friends and for leisure activities that bring quality to their lives. Others are terrified at the loss of status and demands that keep them busy. What is the purpose of work? How is it defined? How can it be made to serve human flourishing?

Speakers: Phillip Blond, former Director of the Progressive Conservatism Project, Demos; Mary Chapman, Chairman of the Institute of Customer Service; Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor, St Paul's Cathedral; Julia Neuberger, Rabbi and ethicist.

Chair: Richard Chartres, Bishop of London

A full transcript of this event can be found here

Regulation, freedom and human welfare

20th October 2009

What is the place of morality in the marketplace? The role of regulators has been heavily criticised, and there have been calls for much tighter regulation. Growing dependence of major financial institutions and other industrial sectors on government support has brought governments back into the market place. Should governments and regulatory bodies take a more prominent role in the market and, if so, how should they behave? What is the role of the individual and collective responsibility?

Speakers: Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor; Brian Griffiths, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs International; Adair Turner, Chair of the Financial Services Authority; Nicholas Sagovsky, Canon Theologian, Westminster Abbey.

Chair: Claire Foster, Lay Canon, St Paul's Cathedral.

A full transcript of this event can be found here

A New Global Order?

27th October 2009

How should the new world, emerging from the globalfinancial crisis,be governed? To what extent is good global governance dependent on a collective change of mind and heart? What is the role of spiritual leadership? How has the financial crisis affected the developing economies and is there a future for the Millennium Development Goals? Will they be realized only if strong financial markets are re-established? Should stronger international institutions be created or should more power be given to those already in existence, eg the UN and the World Bank?

Speakers: Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development; Elizabeth Koepping, Lecturer in World Christianity, University of Edinburgh; Salil Shetty, Director, Millenium Development Campaign; Paul Vallely, Associate Editor of The Independent and Director of The Tablet.

Chair: Richard Chartres, Bishop of London

A full transcript of this event can be found here