In a time of political turbulence, and as the Welfare State so closely associated with Archbishop William Temple totters under the strain in a country that has changed almost beyond recognition since 1945, Temple's successor, Justin Welby, draws on Christian social teaching to identify the values that will enable us to reimagine, and to enact, a hopeful future.

The author identifies the building blocks for reimagining 'British Values' (so much trumpeted and so poorly defined) and their implementation in a post-Brexit, multicultural country. The thesis is that the work of reimagining is as great as it was in 1945, and will happen either by accident – and thus badly – or deliberately.

The book will be a clearly Christian-based attempt to contribute, sometimes provocatively, to the debate. The values he outlines draw on our history and Christian tradition, but are adapted to reflect the needs of today. Whilst there is a strong emphasis on Christian social teaching (under the group heading Cohesion), added to that are sections on Courage (aspiration, etc) and Continuity (resilience, sustainability, etc).

The main part of the book will examine a number of distinct building blocks which turn values into actions and thus embed them. These are the classical three of recent history: health (especially public and mental), housing, and education, to which the author adds family; environment; economy and finance; peacebuilding and overseas development; immigration; and integration. Finally, the book will look at the key actors, and the role of the churches and faith groups.