Ask a member of my generation the question, "Who you gonna call?" and the answer will be inevitable.
2016 has been a bad year in many ways, but one of the entertainment highlights was the release of the brilliant new Ghostbusters film featuring an all female lead cast.
If this seemed unlikely a few years ago, imagine this thought...
'The economy is in a mess, we're more unhappy and divided as a society as we've been for years. Mainstream politics has few answers for the vast problems we're facing and the extremes are terrifying... Who can we call on to help us? Well, how about the Archbishop of Canterbury?'
Traditionally, of course, the Archbishop of Canterbury is not only Primate of All England and Metropolitan, head of the Anglican Communion. Historically, the role has vast political and constitutional importance. Indeed, the Archbishop ranks only below members of the Royal Family in the order of precedence (above the Prime Minister). Archbishops have been advisors to the powerful and often wielded huge temporal power themselves.
Yet this power has waned significantly. Probably the last Archbishop to have a lasting political impact was William Temple, with his support for the introduction of a comprehensive welfare state which came into being after the Second World War. The liberalising reforms of the 1960s were given backing by Michael Ramsey, but by the turn of the millennium, the idea that the Church hierarchy could have a useful contribution to politics was old hat.
In the wake of the fashionable fad of new atheism in the early 2000s, editorial writers risked looking pretty silly if they railed against the political power of the Church. The Church's political role was so reduced, that they were surely tilting at windmills.
Yet, here we find ourselves, in the depths of a multi-faceted crisis, calling on the services of the 105<sup>th Archbishop, the Most Rev Justin Welby. He has been recruited to the IPPR's new Commission on economic justice.
Just how did this turnaround take place?
For those of us inside the Church, it really isn't all that surprising. It's been true for many years that in some deprived parts of the UK, the last professionals left living and working there are the vicar and the free church pastor. I have spoken to many clergy from the Church of England and other denominations who are quite literally on the front lines of the battle against poverty in the UK.
Hungry people turn up on the vicarage doorstep seeking food and a cup of tea. How has the Church responded? Well, in a thousand ad hoc ways, of course, while also being the powerhouse behind the Trussell Trust and other food banks that are feeding hundreds of thousands of people every year.
People with money problems also find a listening ear in church. As the financial crisis gave way into a supposed recovery, the level of problem debt, gambling addiction and other attendant problems has been clear to many church leaders. So, again, the Church has stepped up. Christians Against Poverty offers a way out of debt for people across the country. The Archbishop's own support for credit unions and other community finance institutions is bearing fruit. The Church has been at the forefront of campaigns for the Living Wage and a cap on the cost of credit.
In the House of Lords, the Bishops engage on a daily basis on issues of direct concern to the communities they represent. In these ways and so, so many others, the Church is punching above its weight year after year. Research by Theos found that 10 million people a year are affected by the social provision of churches. The Church remains the biggest civil society movement in the country. The Church remains the place where there is most diversity in British society.
Churches have spearheaded the welcome to refugees, providing countless meals and beds for homeless people, helping young people find jobs and so on and so on...
It isn't merely this practical work that means the Archbishop merits a seat at the table, though. There are two further reasons. Firstly, the robust social theology of the Church means there is a wealth of treasure to draw upon. Catholic Social Teaching began in 1891, and soon saw advocacy for the Living Wage and better conditions for workers. The Temple tradition is part of the Anglican contribution, while Methodism, Quakers, Salvationists, evangelicals and others have all brought huge insight, both practical and theoretical to economic and political problems.
Secondly, the Archbishop himself is a hugely impressive figure. Lauded for his astute analysis and incisive criticism of the banking sector, he is too clever to be dismissed as a bleeding heart liberal or handwringing lefty. His personal experience of business, as well as deprived communities in Coventry, Liverpool and Durham make him well placed to talk from the heart.
Well done to the IPPR for seeking out Justin Welby's input for the post-Brexit economy and society. We should be praying for him.
Follow Andy Walton on Twitter @waltonandy
