My name is Noah Reddie, and I am one of the new Joint Public Issues Team 2026-27 interns. I look forward to exploring how the Church can push for peace and just solutions. Whether that is ending UK arms sales to human rights abusers abroad or tackling social and racial justice at home.
I come to JPIT having recently finished my master’s at King’s College London in Theology, Bible and the Arts. During that time, I was a part of the Roar News writers’ team and the Christian Union. I have also been fortunate enough to be a part of the London Campaign Against the Arms Trade, looking to hold to account those who profit from war.
I believe that justice and faith are intertwined and should not be treated as two separate ideals. I believe in a God who is just, and this belief has shaped the way I navigate the world. My fascination with the two virtues came from my household, in which ideas around faith and the concern for others were a daily part of my life.
However, it was the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 that turned that upbringing into something more urgent. Despite the lockdown constraints, I was fortunate enough to make my journey to demonstrations, advocating from a Black British perspective for a future better than the one previous generations have inherited. During this moment, it honestly felt as though the world was ready to tackle racial justice effectively. Although this hope has been perturbed by the rise of far-right extremism, Christian nationalism and general systemic inequality being so prevalent. I recognise that these issues seek to divide and stop social cohesion, and wanting to address them is something I am truly passionate about. In my spare time, I explored and wrote about the rise of Christian nationalism and the need to address it. Equally, I have examined the Church’s failure to properly engage with the reparatory justice debate for Transatlantic African chattel enslavement.
I believe that the Church has to engage seriously with these movements. This conviction is also what enticed me to read Theology and Religion at Durham University. I was fascinated by the works of liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez and his ideas that Christian faith and social justice are inextricably linked. As a Christian, it’s our mission to love and empower those who are marginalised and oppressed.
My undergraduate dissertation carried this further by examining the near absence of social justice messages within Gospel Music. I argued that if we believed in a just God, then we must reflect his devotion to Justice within our music. I centred a lot of my work on Micah 6:8:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
That same sentiment shaped my decision to become Ethnic Minority Representative for St Mary’s College, my alma mater. Durham University has the lowest proportion of Black and minority ethnic students at any Russell Group University. While in this role, I campaigned for more inclusive recruitment within my college and provided support and conversation to minority ethnic students about university life. I took on a similar role as Welfare Officer for the Durham People of Colour Association, work that meant showing up for students facing racial and academic challenges. Moreover, I enabled these students to have the ability to comfortably share their emotions in a judgment-free zone. Alongside this, I joined a campaign calling on the university to end its contract with Mitie, whose care and custody division ran an immigration detention centre across the North East of England. This involved gathering many signatures and formally petitioning the university to sever its ties.
It is this same belief faith demanding justice and justice demanding action that hooked me to the Joint Public Issues Team. I’m excited to learn from JPIT’s approach to these issues and to contribute what I can to helping churches engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
