Prof James Crossley to Launch New Book at St Mary's

Professor of Bible and Society in the Centre for the Social Scientific Study of the Bible at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, Prof James Crossley is to launch a new edition of his book Harnessing Chaos at an event on the 20^th April. Harnessing Chaos is an explanation of changes in dominant politicized assumptions about what the Bible 'really means' in English culture since the 1960s. The book looks at how the social upheavals of the 1960s, and the economic shift from the post-war dominance of Keynesianism to the post-1970s dominance of neoliberalism, brought about certain emphases and nuances in the ways in which the Bible is popularly understood, particularly in relation to dominant political ideas. This book examines the decline of politically radical biblical interpretation in parliamentary politics and the victory of (a modified form of) Margaret Thatcher's re-reading of the liberal Bible tradition, following the normalisation of (a modified form of) Thatcherism more generally. The new edition looks at some of the surprising (and unsurprising) developments in understanding the Bible over the past two years, including Cameron's critique of welfare, Russell Brand's intervention in mainstream politics, and the Labour leadership contest and the rise of Corbyn. The free event is open to the public and will be held at the University’s Strawberry Hill Campus at 6.30pm on 20^th April. To book a ticket for the event please click here.