Cytûn supports churches and memebrs through resources designed to support engagement with political and public policy challenges, and to help shape a thoughtful and informed response from the wider Christian community. Since 1999, our work has had a specific focus on engaging with the devoloved intstitutions, first the National Assembly for Wales, then the Welsh Government and the Senedd.
What is Public Theology?
Public Theology represents the conviction that Christian faith and theological reflection have a vital and continuing role to play in shaping public discourse, policy and civic life in contemporary society.
Far from being confined to the private sphere or institutional church structures, Public Theology asserts that Christian insights into justice, dignity, community and the common good offer essential perspectives on the pressing challenges facing our multicultural and increasingly secular society. Through ecumenical witness—the collaborative engagement of churches across denominational boundaries—Public Theology demonstrates the unity of Christian conviction and amplifies the prophetic voice of faith communities in addressing matters of public concern, from social inequality and environmental stewardship to education and civic renewal.
“Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness, and pride of power, and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear … Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now”. My Strength is Made Perfect in Weakness, Bonhoeffer 1934
Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales plays a crucial role in supporting its member churches and organisations to engage effectively with the political and public governance of Wales, ensuring that Christian perspectives inform policy development and public decision-making at national and community level.
This work builds upon the profound and enduring legacy of the Christian church in Wales, which for centuries has been instrumental in shaping the nation’s character, values and institutions—from pioneering education and healthcare to fostering the civic virtues of community solidarity, social responsibility and democratic participation that continue to define Welsh society today.
Listening and Engaging
Like all aspects of our mission, our work in the field of Public Theology is supported by regular engagement with the Cytûn Enabling Group, drawn from all its members, and is overseen by its Board of Trustees.
Cytûn’s approach to Public Theology is grounded in the humbling recognition that human interpretation of scripture, however well-intentioned, remains subject to profound limitations and distortions. Throughout history, biblical texts have been wielded to justify oppression, coercion and the subjugation of the vulnerable—from the subordination of women and colonised peoples to the exploitation of creation itself—revealing how readily theological frameworks can be corrupted to serve the interests of power rather than liberation. This acknowledgement of inherent human weakness in theological thinking does not diminish the authority of scripture or the transformative power of Christian witness; rather, it creates essential space for genuine humility and critical self-reflection within the church.
It is this recognition of fallibility that opens the possibility of deeper insight: by remaining attentive to the wisdom and spiritual traditions of other religions and beliefs, and by listening carefully to those whose voices have been marginalised or excluded from theological discourse, the Christian community can better discern the liberating truth at the heart of Christ’s teaching. In this posture of humble openness, Public Theology is an opportunity to witness more authentically to Christ’s radical commitment to justice, dignity and the flourishing of all creation, refined and deepened through genuine dialogue with the full breadth of human spiritual experience and moral insight.
Our work and witness in Public Theology is supported by Cardiff Baptist College.