Margaret Thatcher, the late Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and contemporary of President Ronald Reagan, was fundamentally shaped by her Methodist faith and upbringing.
Historian Dr. Eliza Filby delved into Thatcher’s deep-seated Methodism and how this influenced her conservative politics in her new book, God and Mrs Thatcher: The Battle for Britain’s Soul.
“Margaret Thatcher’s faith is not something that has generally been examined,” Filby said in a speech September 16 at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank in Washington, D.C. Filby said most biographers and commentators have erroneously sourced Thatcher’s political convictions to the “resurgence of free-market economics from the mid-1970s” rather than her faith. Yet Filby argued in her speech that Thatcher was a woman of “beliefs, not ideals,” and it was the “beliefs of Methodism” that uniquely shaped her political worldview.
Thatcher’s father was a Methodist lay-preacher, who emphasized individual salvation, the Protestant work ethic, and virtues such as thrift and liberty. He also applied his faith to politics and took strong stands in favor a free trade, while opposing big government, unions, and church involvement in social justice causes. These sermons shaped young Margaret, according to Filby.
“Before I ever read a page of Milton Friedman or Alan Walters, I just knew that thrift was a virtue and profligacy was a vice,” Thatcher later said. Widely known as the “Iron Lady,” Thatcher determinedly held onto her Methodist-based outlook on politics and morals throughout her life. Instead of citing secular economic influences as she ascended to parliamentary leadership in 1975, Filby said Thatcher billed herself as a hardworking Methodist intent on holding lethargic Conservative leaders accountable.
Also vital to Thatcher’s development was her early home life. Her parents were teetotalers, and her family devoutly prayed before and after meals, attended chapel three times on Sunday, and strictly observed the Sabbath. “Life was to work and do things,” Thatcher said of her family.
Thatcher’s upbringing paralleled that of Ronald Reagan, who attended a Methodist church in Illinois, Filby noted. She added that this lead to “their personal affinity” later in life. Also like Reagan, Thatcher approached the Cold War as a fundamentally moral conflict. She “believed that the fight against atheistic communism was, in every sense, a crusade” and “always dismissed the notion that there was any moral equivalence between the USSR and the West,” Filby said.
While Thatcher rarely expressed her faith openly during her time in politics, Filby argued that “her class, her principles, her values, her language, her style” clearly reflected her religious convictions. In addition, Thatcher’s faith remained strong during her political career, although not commonly known by the British public. She faithfully attended Sunday worship services, read a wide variety of religious works including John Wesley’s sermons and the Bible itself, and relied on prayer for strength in times of difficulty. Indeed, she “never strayed far from those Sundays” she spent attending her childhood Methodist church, Filby concluded.
Comment by Asking Questions on September 22, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Very nice post. This is a historical perspective that I think is lost on most people who respect both Thatcher and Reagan.
Comment by Donald Haynes on October 3, 2015 at 11:53 am
This is most helpful! I have known for years that Lady Thatcher’s father was a Methodist and they lived somewhat “over the store” in a small village. However, that note was usually followed by a reference to her converting to Anglicanism to enhance her political career. I look forward to buying and reading this book. ( Donald Haynes in North Carolina)