It’s not often I get asked to speak before a former archbishop, so I was honoured to join this discussion at the Oxford Literary Festival.
The event was co-organised by Compassion in World Farming, whose former chief executive Joyce D’Silva has written a book about the treatment of animals in major world religions. It’s a comprehensive guide to some inspiring ideas – as well as to why they aren’t always observed.
Joyce spoke first, aiming “to challenge and encourage religious leaders and followers to reexamine their teachings and put the welfare of animals back on the agenda”. She was followed by Dr. Amir Khan – a wildlife advocate and Muslim who works as a GP, author and broadcaster.
Then it was my turn – in theory, presenting a Hindu perspective, but as I explained, I’m not a Hindu myself. So I focused on ideas about non-harming that have influenced yogis, Buddhists and Jains, while quoting from texts such as the Bhagavad Gītā.
Last up was Lord Carey of Clifton, archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, who spoke about critiques of Christianity’s focus on humans, and how things are changing. We then had a broader discussion chaired by Francine Stock, a former presenter of the BBC’s Newsnight. Scroll down for a video.
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