POV: Eyewitness to Coronation of King Charles III
King Charles III’s coronation took place on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. The ceremony was rich in tradition and deeply rooted in the bible. Central to the service was the anointing with holy oil, symbolising divine approval and consecration, echoing the anointing of kings in the Bible, such as King Solomon. The monarch was presented with the Bible (I am holding the actual Bible above), regarded as the “rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes,” highlighting the spiritual and moral responsibilities of the sovereign. The coronation emphasised the intertwining of faith and monarchy, underscoring the sacred duty of the king. I was there.
At Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, I sat centre circle, 10ft from the new King and Queen and 10 ft from the Queen’s coffin. The passing of our late Queen brought great sorrow to many, and, as many would expect, the funeral service in a church was filled with the Bible, hope for eternity and, of course, the triumph over death by Jesus Christ. This, of course, was to be expected; after all, it was a funeral, it was in a church (Westminster Abbey), the Queen was the head of the Church of England, and she had publicly professed a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
The King’s Coronation, however, created a ripple effect of intrigue and, at times, outrage by critics of Christianity. “Why was it so Christian?” T S Elliot’s quote supports the raising of eyebrows surrounding the Christian content at the King’s Coronation, “to identify any particular form of government with Christianity is a dangerous error for it confounds the permanent with the transitory, the absolute with the contingent.”[1] Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the Coronation was that our then Hindu Prime Minister read an extract from Colossians 1:12-17 which is one of the most Christological passages in the Bible. Watching first-hand the very Christian Coronation with attendance from our Hindu PM, Muslim Mayor of London and First Minister of Scotland, and atheist Opposition leader (Keir Starmer, now PM of Great Britain) was indeed an experience. While I expected them to play roles like characters in a movie (after all, we are a “Christian Country”), I, along with many, was intrigued. At times, I was emotional with the amazing proclamation of Christ during that service. But how do we correlate the dichotomy of what happened at the Coronation, political influence, the church and the way society is currently heading?
Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies[2] by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird provide an exploration into how Christians should/could engage with power. Wright principally argues that Jesus’ teaching and example provide a framework for understanding how Christians should navigate this dichotomy. The framework for understanding the King’s Coronation and Christianity, Politics, Monarchy and power may be divided into two facets.
Firstly, and controversially, the book emphasises that Jesus’ mission was inherently political (see Chapter 1), as it challenged the prevailing powers of the time, both Roman imperial authority and the Jewish leaders who collaborated with it. In essence, the Kingdom of God is not about withdrawing from political engagement but about engaging in a way that reflects the values of God’s justice, peace, and mercy. Christians, therefore, are called to embody these values in all spheres of life, including politics, without becoming subservient to or indistinguishable from worldly powers.[3] Christians should be involved in government and society, influencing it according to Kingdom principles, but they must remain distinct from the corrupting influence of power.
Secondly, the book does not argue for total separation from state power but rather for a transformed engagement. Christians are to participate in politics, advocating for justice and the common good, but they must do so in a way that resists the idolatrous tendencies of state power—such as the pursuit of domination, violence, and self-interest. This means working within the system while also challenging it when it contradicts the values of the Kingdom of God. Wright and Bird state, “The people who change history must make history,”[4] furthering, and probably alluding to the musical Hamilton, “You need to be in the room where it happens.”[5]
Many other theologians and scholars have similarly expressed views that align with Wright’s understanding of the power dichotomy and the church.
In the book Resident Aliens,[6] Hauerwas and Willimon argue that the church is called to be a “colony of heaven”[7] on earth, embodying an alternative to the politics of the world. Hauerwas agrees with Wright that Christians must be politically engaged but insists that their primary allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, which often puts them at odds with the state. Similarly, Richard Mouw, in his book Politics and the Biblical Drama,[8] explores the role of Christians in political life, arguing that they should be actively involved in governance while maintaining a prophetic distance. Like Wright, Mouw believes that Christians can participate in politics without compromising their distinct identity as followers of Christ.
In The Desire of the Nations,[9] Oliver O’Donovan provides a theological account of political authority, suggesting that Christian political involvement is legitimate and necessary and, in agreement with Wright, should be guided by the gospel’s vision of justice and peace.
I was in tears at what occurred at the very beginning of the Coronation. A young boy representing the children of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries received the King and Queen after they had proceeded down the naïve of the Abbey. In front of Billions watching on TV, and a tearful me, standing just feet from this moment, the boy said, “Your Majesty, as children of the kingdom of God, we welcome you in the name of the King of Kings.” King Charles III responded with gratitude and acknowledged the importance of the moment by saying, “In His name, and after His example, I come not to be served but to serve.” Perhaps in this we see the answer to all and any challenges with Jesus, Power and the Church?
[1] Elliott, T.S. 1939. The idea of Christian society. London, Faber and Faber. 57
[2] Wright, N.T., and Bird, M.F. 2024. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. London: SPCK.
[3] Ibid, 78.
[4] Ibid, 37.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Hauerwas, Stanley, and Will Willimon. 1989. Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony. Abingdon Press.
[7] Ibid, 11.
[8] Mouw, Richard J. 1976. Politics and the Biblical Drama. Eerdmans.
[9] O’Donovan, Oliver. 1999. The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology. Cambridge University Press.
About the Author
Glyn Barrett
I am the founding, Lead Pastor of !Audacious Church in Manchester, England. I was born in Manchester, but moved to Australia at the age of two. My wife and I were married in Australia and began married and ministry life in England 28 years ago. After serving as youth pastors for 12 years, we moved to Manchester to pioneer !Audacious Church. As a church we now have 7 locations. 3 in Manchester, Chester, Cardiff (Wales), Sheffield, and Geneva (Switzerland). In 2019 I became the National Leader of Assemblies of God in Great Britain. We have over 600 churches in our movement and have planted 88 new churches since May 2022 with a goal of planting 400 new churches between May 2022 and May 2028. I am the European Lead for MM33, which is the church planting ministry for Assemblies of God Global and also chair Empowered21 Europe. I'm happily married to Sophia, with two children, one dog and two motorbikes. I love Golf, coffee and spending time with friends. I love to laugh, make friends and create memories!16 responses to “POV: Eyewitness to Coronation of King Charles III”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Glyn,
Great post and I appreciate your perspective as one who had a first-hand, close-up view of the event. Connecting Wright’s book with Richard Mouw’s was also great. The British perspective of the Monarchy and the Church is so different than ours here in America. How do you personally handle preaching in such a context? Do you shy away from anything that might be deemed political? Do you address societal issues with a biblical perspective?
Thank you for your insightful question. I’ve given considerable thought to how we address the issues you’ve raised. One key question I constantly grapple with is: Who determines which social, political, societal, and cultural issues should be addressed from the Sunday platform? It’s a question without a straightforward answer.
Every Sunday, there’s a potential risk of becoming so focused on societal issues that our preaching could turn into mere social commentary. What may seem crucial to one person might not hold the same significance for another. So, who gets to decide? While we certainly don’t shy away from addressing important topics, our approach is to deliberately teach biblical principles and values, with the hope that the spiritual maturity of our congregation will guide them in applying these principles to the various challenges in our nation.
One of the significant challenges in a large church (in the UK/European context) is recognising that not everyone present is a committed member, disciple, or even part of the flock. We have visitors, “goats”, and even opponents of Christianity. My conviction is that Sundays should primarily be a celebration of the gospel and life in Jesus. Meanwhile, small groups provide a more appropriate setting for deeper discussions on pressing issues, allowing us to engage with these topics through the lens of Kingdom principles.
Not everyone agrees, but it helps me keep the main thing, the main thing. Jesus.
Super cool Glyn! It must have been an emotionally powerful experience indeed, to be there for the coronation, as well as for the funeral of the Queen.
As you think about how this book and discussion impacts you, personally, where do you see God’s invitation to you?
Hi Debbie, thanks. Two significant things happened related to God’s invitation. First, a few weeks before the Queen’s funeral, I specifically asked God for guidance for the next season of my life. He gave me a word: “Expect Surprises!” I wrote it down in my prayer journal. Around the same time, I had been reflecting on the Bible verse, “A lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces” (Proverbs 30:28). Just two days before the funeral, I received an invitation to an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. As I walked through the palace, I was in awe, and God reminded me that even a lizard can make it into a palace!
Second, one of my life verses is Daniel 4:8, which says, “Finally Daniel came into my presence…” The King was afraid, but Daniel’s arrival brought peace. In a similar way, I don’t fully know where this invitation will lead, but I’ve promised God that I will continue to move forward as doors open.
No matter what happens, we continue praying for our King and Queen.
Glad you got to be there as an ambassador of Christ, Glyn. You are so well suited for that in the context you described.
I’m not advocating for this, because I believe that all powers have been defeated through the person and work of Jesus but, how does a Christian involve themselves in the powers without being corrupted by the powers themselves?
That’s a great question, Graeme. Since God opposes the proud, I believe it’s essential to walk in humility and have accountability when it comes to power and holding powerful positions.
Glyn, N.T. Wright comments that those who followed Billy Graham were people who generally attended church and Sunday school. They had a basic faith foundation.
Research tells us that religion in the West is declining; however, your church congregation seems to be growing — and with young people!
Generally speaking, do most of your congregants have a foundation of faith already established? It would seem that would be an important question for you to know so you can determine where to start building from.
Also, how receptive do you find the younger Christian audience to be when it comes to addressing politically difficult topics?
Hey Jennifer,
Most of the young people who come to faith have little to no background in Christianity or religion at all. Britain isn’t post-Christian anymore; it’s actually more like a pre-Christian society again. This is a positive thing because it means people don’t carry many preconceived notions or hang-ups about the Christian faith. They often encounter the gospel through friends or an invitation to church, and as a result, we’re seeing a growing number of salvation responses.
We have a faith goal of 50 salvation responses every Sunday, and we meet that target 3 out of 4 Sundays.
When it comes to addressing politically sensitive topics, it can be challenging. However, if we approach these issues in a thoughtful and sensitive way—creating an environment where context is key, rather than using a forceful preaching style—it usually helps. The best space for these conversations is in our small groups, where there’s more opportunity for open discussion and understanding.
Glyn, I love that you were at both the Queen’s funeral and the King’s corronation. God clearly has you in this place of leadership for this time.
In what ways have you been able to you find the balance between “advocating for justice and the common good” and “[resisting] the idolatry of state power—such as the pursuit of domination, violence, and self-interest”?
Hi Kari, Honestly, I married a brilliant woman. She’s incredibly wise, not easily fooled, and has an amazing ability to recognize underlying agendas. Whenever there’s even a slight chance of drifting into the areas you mentioned, she speaks up. It’s not always easy to hear, but it’s absolutely necessary.
Hi Glyn, You wrote, ‘Christians are to participate in politics, advocating for justice and the common good, but they must do so in a way that resists the idolatrous tendencies of state power—such as the pursuit of domination, violence, and self-interest.’ As I read your blog my sense was that you were relishing the opportunities that are coming to you, and rather than feeling entitled, you were moved by the realization that God has called you for this time and place. I pray you alway keep that sense. One of the things I wondered is if and how you shared your experience of being invited to the queen’s funeral and king’s coronation with the people who you pastor,
Hi Diane. The meeting with the King and the Funeral of our Queen was so quick that our church simply turned on the TV and saw me there. After the funeral, I was able to share with the church a sermon called “Expect surprises,” showing how God works behind the scenes to create opportunities for us all.
Wow – I wish I was there with you for the Coronation.
I too am moved by the young boy’s word, “Your Majesty, as children of the kingdom of God, we welcome you in the name of the King of Kings.”
I wonder if there is application to this in my American context. Can I welcome my political leaders in the name of the King of Kings? For countries that do not have a strict separation of church and state, I wonder what Americans can learn about this sort of integration.
How do British interpret a Hindu Prime Minister reading from Scripture? Donald Trump has also quoted Scripture, but it’s often interpreted as a tactic to manipulate Christians into voting for him.
Hi Christy, great question about American politics in this context. Regarding the idea of a Hindu Prime Minister reading from scripture, I don’t think it would have raised many concerns. Since we’re traditionally seen as a “Christian” country, it was likely considered acceptable. Unlike in America, where religion plays a significant role in politics, Christianity has little influence on political discourse or affect voting decisions. It’s a very different situation from the States.
Glyn, I really appreciate you introducing so many other voices into the conversation with Wright and Bird. You seem well-read on issues of political engagement, so how do you practically lead those in your congregation to be a Christ-like presence in political engagement? In addition to prayer, do you have any principles or examples you can pass along?
Chad, we encourage our church to engage in civic duty wherever possible. The first step in the UK toward civic or political service begins with involvement in schools. Every school requires Governors who collaborate with principals to make decisions and address challenges. The more Christians we have to serve in these roles, the better it is for the overall development of the students.
When it comes to principles for political engagement, we continue to let the Word of God guide the conversation. I often tell the church, “READ THE BOOK!”—of course, referring to the Bible. We are working diligently to raise biblical literacy and help people apply sound hermeneutics in their daily lives, including in the political sphere. We constantly ask ourselves, how can we act with wisdom and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in everything we do?