God and Mrs Thatcher: The Battle For Britain's Soul

by Eliza Filby

A woman demonised by the left and sanctified by the right, there has always been a religious undercurrent to discussions of Margaret Thatcher. However, while her Methodist roots are well known, the impact of her faith on her politics is often overlooked. In an attempt to source the origins of Margaret Thatcher's 'conviction politics', Eliza Filby explores how Thatcher's worldview was shaped and guided by the lessons of piety, thrift and the Protestant work ethic learnt in Finkin Street Methodist Church, Grantham, from her lay-preacher father. In doing so, she tells the story of how a Prime Minister steeped in the Nonconformist teachings of her childhood entered Downing Street determined to reinvigorate the nation with these religious values. Filby concludes that this was ultimately a failed crusade. In the end, Thatcher created a country that was not more Christian, but more secular; and not more devout, but entirely consumed by a new religion: capitalism. In upholding the sanctity of the individual, Thatcherism inadvertently signalled the death of Christian Britain. Drawing on previously unpublished archives, interviews and memoirs, Filby examines how the rise of Thatcher was echoed by the rebirth of the Christian right in Britain, both of which were forcefully opposed by the Church of England. Wide-ranging and exhaustively researched, God and Mrs Thatcher offers a truly original perspective on the source and substance of Margaret Thatcher's political values and the role that religion played in the politics of this tumultuous decade.

Genres: Religion, History

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2015

Reviews

[Frederick Heimbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping this book would be another deep dive into Margaret Thatcher's character and philosophy--another The Anatomy Of Thatcherism, in other words--but what we get instead, for most of the book, is a lot of church politics. I see, in retrospect, that's a worthy focus for a book of this title, so I'm not going to punish the book with a bad review for my incorrect assumptions.

In fact, in the last chapter, we do get a big picture view of the change Thatcher was trying to work upon the UK, and how she succeeded and failed. She gave people more freedom; indeed, I now understand Thatcher to be more libertarian than conservative, and that surprised me. She expected people to do with their freedom what she would have done, with her strict Methodist and shopkeeper habits of mind. Of all her disappointments, the greatest was the self-indulgence and ostentation among the newly rich.

The book admits that all the negative trends associated with the age of Thatcher started before her and continued after her; what makes these ills attach themselves to her is that she didn't publicly rail against them, and so appears to have wanted them. The truth is, as the book explains, Thatcher's flaw was that she was naive about human nature. She expected everyone to be as moral and self-disciplined as herself.

I think, in retrospect, it is best to choose a biography of a great person by an author who is fair-minded but whose philosophy is somewhat opposed, as appears to be the case here. The overpowering personality of Thatcher is nicely balanced by the dictatorial power the author naturally exercises over her own text. You should read this book if you're interested in Thatcher or her times--but be prepared to skim over the CoE bits.

[Michael Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of the complex interplay between religion, ethics and politics. Rather than than a narrowing focus on Mrs Thatcher, we study the process by which she set out to create a country in the image of her father but ended up with one in the image of her son. Considered, myth busting and robustly analytical, Filby reveals the divorce of the Conservative party and the Church of England to the detriment of both.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the book was interesting but the author only mentioned the connection between religion and Mrs. Thatcher about 4 times. She mostly writes about the history of religion in Britain without mentioning Mrs. Thatcher. Also, most the facts she gives are very one sided and I felt like she didn't have enough evidence for the conclusions she made.