Jim Wallis to visit the UK from 23 August to 4 September

Lion Hudson is delighted to announce that Jim Wallis will be visiting the UK from 23 August to 4 September to launch his new book, ‘On God’s Side’. After appearing as a main speaker at Greenbelt 2013 in Cheltenham, Jim’s tour itinerary will include a large number of events in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as many high-level meetings and interviews.

Jim Wallis has met with Gordon Brown, George Bush, Tony Blair, Rowan Williams, Bono and other high-profile figures on many occasions to discuss global issues. A man who is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, he has been arrested around 20 times for 'non-violent civil disobedience'. The president and CEO of Sojourners (an American network of Christians working for justice and peace), Jim is a public theologian, social activist and an international commentator on ethics and public life. He has been interviewed on Newsnight, Today, The Daily Politics, HardTalk, The Simon Mayo Show, Radio 4’s Sunday and BBC World Service’s Newshour, among other programmes, and featured in the national press. In the States, he has written for major newspapers including The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, and appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and NPR. He teaches at Georgetown University and has taught at Harvard. He lives in Washington with his wife, Joy Carroll (the real-life inspiration behind The Vicar of Dibley), and their two young sons.

Jim’s new book, ‘On God’s Side’, is subtitled ‘What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good’. In the preface to this timely and provocative book, Jim writes that:

‘The prerequisite for solving the deepest problems the world now faces is a commitment to a very ancient idea whose time has urgently come: the common good. How do we work together, even with people we don’t agree with? How do we treat each other, especially the poorest and most vulnerable? How do we take care of not just ourselves but also one another? Only by inspiring a spiritual and practical commitment to the common good can we help make our personal and public lives better.’                           

On God’s Side shows us how to reclaim the ancient and compelling vision of the common good. This is a vision that should influence and inspire not only our politics but also our personal lives, families, churches and neighbourhoods, and our vocational and financial choices. It is these individual and communal choices, writes Wallis, which will ultimately create the cultural shifts and social movements that really change politics in the long run.

Up to date information about events on Jim Wallis’ UK tour will be posted to the Lion Hudson website as they are confirmed.

For more information about Jim Wallis or to discuss author events, interviews and articles linked to the book, or to request a review copy of ‘On God’s Side’, Lion Hudson PR on marketing@lionhudson.com.

Praise for Jim Wallis and his writing:
‘Jim Wallis is compelling, provocative and inspirational, with the kind of faith that can move mountains and can certainly move people and communities.’
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

‘Wallis is a wrestler of values, ideas, and policies and how they interact to shape the world we live in. His deep, melodious voice is easy to listen to, but what he says takes a harder commitment to live by.’
Bono, lead singer of U2; cofounder of ONE.org

‘Two great issues of our time are addressed by Jim Wallis and his thought-provoking answers make powerful reading for anyone interested in social change; Jim Wallis challenges us to create a society which both addresses injustice and stresses personal responsibility and his call for a global covenant through which rich countries meet their obligations to the poor will have a resonance across the world.’
Gordon Brown, in his endorsement of God’s Politics by Jim Wallis

‘Jim Wallis and I have a variety of differences on domestic and international policy, but there is no message more timely or urgent than his call to actively consider the common good.’
Michael Gerson, The Washington Post

Chapter Headings for ‘On God’s Side’:

Part 1: Inspiring the Common Good
 1.A Gospel for the Common Good
 2.The Lion, the Word, and the Way
 3.Who Jesus Is and Why It Matters
 4.Lord, Help Us to Treat You Well
 5.The Good Samaritan Goes Global
 6.The Beloved Community Welcomes All Tribes
 7.Surprising Our Enemies

Part 2: Practices for the Common Good
 8.Conservatives, Liberals, and a Call to Civility
 9.Redeeming Democracy
 10.Economic Trust
 11.A Servant Government
 12.Making Things Right
 13.Healthy Households
 14.The World Is Our Parish

On God’s Side – Jim Wallis
Current affairs, paperback (216mm x 138mm), 320pp, 978-0-7459-5612-1, £9.99