November 2019

Virtues and Idols of Political Life: Nationalism, Consumerism and other Cults

Panelists left to right: Prof Wiliam T. Cavanaguh, Nic Zumaran (moderator) Asoc Prof Martin Drum, Dr Shamim Samani

To what degree do we participate and encourage a consumerist culture, and conversely, to what end does the panel think the public can be taken advantage of by corporations?

William T. Cavanaugh
Martin Drum
Shamim Samami

How does our fascination with brands come about, what is the link between the product and the lure of an idea?

William T. Cavanaugh

How does distrust of the media affect our democracy?

Martin Drum
William Cavanaugh
Shamim Samami

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What does the panel make of overt displays of religious belief in the political sphere?

Martin Drum
Shamim Samani
William T. Cavanaugh

What place do religious perspectives have in the context of political decision making?

Martin Drum
William T. Cavanaugh
Shamim Samani

Surely a challenge for pluralistic societies is that people live be different moral standards – in terms of politics and legislation, how do we handle incommensurable viewpoints?

Martin Drum
William T. Cavanaugh
Shamim Samani
Martin Drum

What contributions do religious traditions make to political virtues? What are some important kind of virtues to aspire towards?

William T. Cavanaugh
Martin Drum
Shamim Samani

How important is political life to Christians, is there a sense in which Christians should be somewhat disinterested about political life and more concerned about the kingdom of God? What about general public engagement in politics and the democratic process?

William T. Cavanaugh
Martin Drum
Shamim Samani
William T. Cavanaugh (on democratic engagement)
Shamim Samani (marginalisation within democracy)

Are there common themes to some of the current political unrest, e.g. Chile, Hong Kong, Pakistan?

Martin Drum
William T. Cavanaugh

Is there an important difference between nationalism and patriotism?

Martin Drum
Shamim Samami
William T. Cavanaugh