Re-branding Saint George

National Day of dissent
The religious think-tank Ekklesia suggests that St. George's Day on April 23 should be a national day of dissent, a day for disputes. In the report "When the Saints Go Marching Out: Redefining St. George" the authors propose that George be reinstated as "the people's saint".

Who is this Saint George
Very little is known about this early Christian martyr that according to tradition is born about 280 in Turkey. In the 6th century legends about him as a warrior-saint wearing knight's armor with a scarlet cross became popular. The story of his rescuing a Libyan king's daughter from a dragon and then slaying the monster in return for a promise by the king's subjects to be baptized, is a well known theme represented in much ecclesiastical art. Saint George becomes a medieval ideal of selflessness frequently used by the crusaders.

Other legends tell a story of Saint George who converted to Christianity after sheltering a Christian. Christians were a small minority in the Roman Empire, who were often treated as foreigners and aliens. In this sense George represents a Christian who takes the words about loving ones enemies seriously and defends the marginalized.

Re-branding the image of Saint George
Re-branding is about reconsidering what is important about a story and telling it afresh. The think-tank has searched for the heart of Saint George, and found that his image has been distorted and replaced by one of a dragon slayer. He had become a representative of a proud nationalism, the far right and racism. They suggest that Saint George's should be an icon for hospitality and for defending the marginalized. These values could form the basis of an English national holiday, which is inclusive and generous.  This Saint George would be offering a version of Englishness as global, rather than nationalistic. A national Saint George's Day could celebrate:

- The role of the English as global citizens
- Shared values of social justice arising from the past
- Exemplars of faith, hope and love, not thin celebrity

In search of an identity
The authors believe that Saint George possibly can help the English - a people in search of a post-imperial identity - to discover a positive role in a world they no longer control. "Our identity is formed by what enables us to relate positively, not what makes us 'different'," commented one of the report's authors Simon Barrow.

It will be interesting to see if Saint George becomes a British National Day and whether he can become a source of inspiration for British citizens of all kinds. By the way, if you think re-branding sounds like a silly marketing gimmick that only belongs in the commercial world, then just think of the re-branding of Christ that took place in the middle ages. Romanesque crucifixes with a royal crown upon the triumphant head of Christ, were later replaced by Gothic types with a crown of thorns stressing the suffering and death of Christ. They just didn't call it re-branding 1,000 years ago.

Related information
Ekklesia, is a think-tank founded in 2002, which promotes transformative theological ideas in public life. It was listed amongst the top 20 think-tanks in Britain in 2005, by the Independent newspaper. Ekklesia is independent of all church denominations, and funded on a self-financing, not-for-profit basis. Ekklesia website