The academics featured in this report are based here at the Regeneration Institute, Cardiff University.

Spiritual side of Wales’ capital

Oct 27 2007 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

A MAJOR research project is being undertaken to demonstrate Cardiff’s status as a “spiritual capital”.

Priests, academics and religious activists have joined together to fight back against the image of the city as simply somewhere to shop and get drunk.

The project involves compiling a directory of all the religious organisations in Cardiff, including details of the good works they do.

Conceived by Rev Keith Kimber, Vicar of St John the Baptist church in Cardiff city centre, Spiritual Capital will produce a directory, a report and a conference.

Mr Kimber said, “Recent developments in social thinking internationally suggest a growing openness to consider factors such as the extent of trust, acceptable behaviour and the impact of religion on a city’s economics, politics and community cohesion.

“In Cardiff, the danger is that all the emphasis is on shiny new buildings like the Millennium Stadium and the (under construction) St David’s 2 shopping development.

“Yet every week 30,000 people worship in religious buildings, amounting to one and a half million acts of worship a year.

“That’s more than fit into the Millennium Stadium every year.

“No account of Cardiff’s strong religious element is included in any of the promotional material produced by the council. We have some superb religious buildings, yet they get no mention at all.”

Another member of the group, Mohammed Jabbar, a Muslim civil servant with two young children, said, “Muslim communities tend to look after their members. They are closely knit, and when people have personal problems, the community will help.

“Mosques are very important in our communities. They play a very major role in providing a sense of social cohesion.

“Muslims are peaceloving people, and it is important to make that point. We are not isolationist and treat others who are not Muslims with respect.

“I think this project is very important because it emphasises how important spiritual values are in creating a good society.”

Professor Paul Ballard, an expert in community and ministry, said, “People do not easily visit or invest in dysfunctional cities. The values and personal behavioural norms or standards of our city do come under examination by everyone who comes here.”