Parliamentarians, theologians and think tank staff attended a Theos breakfast in the House of Commons today to discuss whether an individual can be both a loyal citizen of a state and, at the same time, a passionate religious adherent.

The event followed the publication of a Theos report last year on the same subject by Dr Sean Oliver Dee.

During the breakfast and in the report, Sean proposed a 'Two Tier Model' in which religion and state become identity layers rather than competitors in the same field. Sean argued that such tensions need not exist providing that policy-makers and religious communities each recognise the legitimacy of the other within its proper sphere.

Commenting on the report, Colin Chapman, former lecturer in Islamic Studies, Near East School of Theology, Beirut, said 'This paper is highly relevant to the debates about how Muslims understand their identity and how they relate to Britain today ... Oliver-Dee recognises [the] historical background [that] is essential... for understanding the debates within British Muslim communities today.'

To read Sean’s report in full, click here.