Christian Socialism in the Early British Welfare State

:Focusing on R. H. Tawney

Abstract

In the interwar period, R. H. Tawney became a leading British proponent and expositor of welfare society. Observing the world moving towards secularisation, he attempted to conceive a social thought that would be compatible with this. In the second half of the 20th century, the limits of the welfare state led many British to advocate its modernisation. Yet today, the limitations of neoliberalism occasion renewed attention to Tawney's social thought. This study focuses on Tawney’s Christian socialist ideals underpinning the establishment of the British welfare state.