The Christian Humanist Lens on Our Moment — Luke Bretherton

What happens when people no longer feel capable of shaping the world around them? Oxford theologian Luke Bretherton argues that beneath our political and cultural turmoil lie twin crises of agency and institutional trust. Drawing on the Christian humanist tradition, he proposes a recovery of the human person rooted not in autonomy or power but in participation, responsibility, and the image of Christ. Before Luke took the stage, we watched a short film titled What Does It Mean to Be Human? created by our friends at ChristianStory—linked in the show notes. It helped frame the conversation you're about to hear. Mentioned: What Is a Human? (from ChristianStory) Christ and the Common Life, by Luke Bretherton A Primer in Christian Ethics, by Luke Bretherton Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. The Understory is a production of Comment (comment.org), published by Cardus (cardus.ca). Hosted by Anne Snyder. Edited by Allie Crummy. Produced by Tiffany Thompson and Evan Rosa. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Episode Highlights "Christian humanism is not a theory. Rather, it's a therapy for recovering our humanity in and through Christ." "Jesus is remade into a tribal God, and love of neighbor is labeled toxic empathy." "Democracy in this sense is fundamentally a practice of neighboring." "People feel acted upon by forces they can neither understand nor resist." "We cannot live by money and technology alone." About Luke Bretherton Luke Bretherton is the Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford and director of the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life. Before Oxford he was the Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology at Duke University. His books include Christ and the Common Life (2019), A Primer in Christian Ethics (2023), and What Is Political Theology? (2025), and he hosts the Listen, Organize, Act! podcast (Oxford Faculty of Theology and Religion). Learn more and follow at theology.ox.ac.uk/people/rev-canon-professor-luke-bretherton Helpful Links and Resources Luke Bretherton at Oxford: theology.ox.ac.uk/people/rev-canon-professor-luke-bretherton The Understory, from Comment: comment.org/issues/the-understory/ #ChristianHumanism #LukeBretherton #TheUnderstory #CommentMagazine #ImagoDei #PoliticalTheology