Contact: Jessica Prol, John Jay Institute, 215-987-3000

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 15, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Friday, September 16th at 7:00pm, the John Jay Institute will host its inaugural fall lecture, titled "Compassion and Conservatism: Lord Shaftesbury as a Model for Faith and Politics." Guest lecturer, Rev. Dr. Richard is a Shaftesbury biographer, Anglican clergyman, and Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University and will deliver his address from the Philadelphia Biblical University's Holmes Recital Hall.

"Since the Progressive Era, American liberals have effectively carried the mantle of compassionate policy," says Alan Crippen, President and Founder of the John Jay Institute. "But over a century before President George W. Bush advocated for a 'compassionate conservatism,' one of the most successful modern social reformers served Great Britain as a political conservative."

In his book, Shaftesbury: The Great Reformer, Rev. Dr. Turnbull details how the Earl of Shaftebury's Christian faith motivated his service as a Tory Member of Parliament and drove his advocacy for better urban housing standards, factory reform, and free education for poor and destitute children.

"While conservatives are rarely known for their creative and caring solutions," says Crippen, "Lord Shaftesbury's faith-informed leadership offers an inspiring model for political leadership and effective social justice in America today."

To attend Friday's event, please RSVP via email: rsvp@johnjayinstitute.org.  

The John Jay Institute is the only faith-based, intercollegiate organization in America that is exclusively dedicated to developing principled leaders for public life. The Institute has recently relocated from Colorado to Greater Philadelphia and operates its educational programming in Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.