Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2120964
Ursula Mckenna, Tony Neal, Leslie J. Francis
ABSTRACT Like stipendiary and self-supporting clergy, retired clergy faced personal and professional challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to illuminate the personal impact of the pandemic, the project Through the eyes of retired clergy invited 30 retired Church of England clergy to document their experiences of the pandemic, and 24 accepted the invitation. The present paper analyses their responses and highlights five areas: the impact of the pandemic on physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing; opportunities during the pandemic to exercise Christian ministry; Christian ministry received from others during the pandemic; things missed most during the pandemic; and gains during the pandemic. These findings lead to two main conclusions: concerning the significant contribution made to the ministry and mission of the Church by retired clergy during the pandemic; and concerning how retired clergy could have benefited from greater recognition and support during the pandemic.
{"title":"Assessing the Personal Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Retired Clergy: Listening to their Experiences","authors":"Ursula Mckenna, Tony Neal, Leslie J. Francis","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2120964","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2120964","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Like stipendiary and self-supporting clergy, retired clergy faced personal and professional challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to illuminate the personal impact of the pandemic, the project Through the eyes of retired clergy invited 30 retired Church of England clergy to document their experiences of the pandemic, and 24 accepted the invitation. The present paper analyses their responses and highlights five areas: the impact of the pandemic on physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and spiritual wellbeing; opportunities during the pandemic to exercise Christian ministry; Christian ministry received from others during the pandemic; things missed most during the pandemic; and gains during the pandemic. These findings lead to two main conclusions: concerning the significant contribution made to the ministry and mission of the Church by retired clergy during the pandemic; and concerning how retired clergy could have benefited from greater recognition and support during the pandemic.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48218478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2102238
M. Grundy
The aim of this book is to introduce the history, spirituality and faith contribution made by those who have chosen to live the religious life under vows. John-Francis Friendship is a former Franciscan brother and now, released from vows, a member of the Franciscan Third Order. Interspersed with the history of many religious orders is an account of his own spiritual journey. It is both tantalising and frustrating that the story ends before his decision to leave the First Order of Brothers. In the Foreword, the Bishop of Manchester emphasises and regrets the extent to which contributions from those in religious vows has either disappeared or become submerged from public consciousness. Referring to a comment of Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, he comments that ‘Europe was not evangelised by clergy, but by monastics’ (xiii). Those who live and minister in rural areas, market towns or cathedral cities will be aware of this heritage in buildings, place names and much more. The book is divided into ten sections that guide a reader through understandings of the call to a religious life. We are told the manuscript in draft form has been worked over by members of several religious orders. Consequently, we could assume that the construction of each section models the integrated spirituality of a monk or nun. The mixture of history, accounts of the founding of many religious orders, quotations from spiritual writers and personal journey appears to have their approval. Alternatively, it may be characteristically Franciscan or even idiosyncratic to the author quarrying his pocketbook of helpful quotations. John-Francis is at home with his material and invites the reader into what has supported him and to what might support those considering or living such a vocation. His reflections are perceptive, even suggesting that some part of every life is that of a solitary. He illustrates well how a vocation to the religious life made independence possible for some Victorian and Edwardian women. His underlining of sacrificial lives dedicated to service in the poorest areas of the world is a story worthy of more public telling. Vocations to the traditional religious life are in steep decline. John-Francis acknowledges and explains this. He gives reference to new religious orders and other expressions of community living and this could have been profitably expanded. Oddly, the cover subtitle title is not the same as that on the inside flyleaf, but the aim is the same. This engaging book serves to remind or to introduce us to the fundamentals of the religious life and to suggest that in many developing forms such commitment can and should continue.
{"title":"What do you seek? Monastic wisdom for living today","authors":"M. Grundy","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2102238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2102238","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this book is to introduce the history, spirituality and faith contribution made by those who have chosen to live the religious life under vows. John-Francis Friendship is a former Franciscan brother and now, released from vows, a member of the Franciscan Third Order. Interspersed with the history of many religious orders is an account of his own spiritual journey. It is both tantalising and frustrating that the story ends before his decision to leave the First Order of Brothers. In the Foreword, the Bishop of Manchester emphasises and regrets the extent to which contributions from those in religious vows has either disappeared or become submerged from public consciousness. Referring to a comment of Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, he comments that ‘Europe was not evangelised by clergy, but by monastics’ (xiii). Those who live and minister in rural areas, market towns or cathedral cities will be aware of this heritage in buildings, place names and much more. The book is divided into ten sections that guide a reader through understandings of the call to a religious life. We are told the manuscript in draft form has been worked over by members of several religious orders. Consequently, we could assume that the construction of each section models the integrated spirituality of a monk or nun. The mixture of history, accounts of the founding of many religious orders, quotations from spiritual writers and personal journey appears to have their approval. Alternatively, it may be characteristically Franciscan or even idiosyncratic to the author quarrying his pocketbook of helpful quotations. John-Francis is at home with his material and invites the reader into what has supported him and to what might support those considering or living such a vocation. His reflections are perceptive, even suggesting that some part of every life is that of a solitary. He illustrates well how a vocation to the religious life made independence possible for some Victorian and Edwardian women. His underlining of sacrificial lives dedicated to service in the poorest areas of the world is a story worthy of more public telling. Vocations to the traditional religious life are in steep decline. John-Francis acknowledges and explains this. He gives reference to new religious orders and other expressions of community living and this could have been profitably expanded. Oddly, the cover subtitle title is not the same as that on the inside flyleaf, but the aim is the same. This engaging book serves to remind or to introduce us to the fundamentals of the religious life and to suggest that in many developing forms such commitment can and should continue.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46141514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2120969
J. Astley
ABSTRACT This study offers an example of ‘standing theology’, as distinguished from sitting theology and kneeling theology. The occasion, on 27 June 2021 in St Margaret of Antioch Church, Durham, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the preacher’s ordination to priesthood on 27 June 1971 in Lichfield Cathedral. The sermon was repeated on 18 July 2021 in the Church of St Mary, Wycliffe-on-Tees.
{"title":"Unexpected Priesthood and its Expectations","authors":"J. Astley","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2120969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2120969","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study offers an example of ‘standing theology’, as distinguished from sitting theology and kneeling theology. The occasion, on 27 June 2021 in St Margaret of Antioch Church, Durham, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the preacher’s ordination to priesthood on 27 June 1971 in Lichfield Cathedral. The sermon was repeated on 18 July 2021 in the Church of St Mary, Wycliffe-on-Tees.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48630312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2120972
A. Village, Leslie J. Francis
ABSTRACT Psychological wellbeing was assessed by affect balance (a function of negative and positive affect) during the third UK Covid-19 lockdown in 2021 among 1,847 clergy and laity in the Church of England. Wellbeing was lower among people with a general tendency toward neuroticism, among those with an Epimethean (SJ) psychological temperament, and among clergy, but higher among older people and Evangelicals. Differences in these findings from the first UK lockdown are discussed. Negative and positive affect were correlated with slightly different sets of predictor variables, in line with balanced affect theory. The mitigating effects of relevant support were evident for both clergy and lay people. Changes in the key sources of support from the first lockdown were evident, with church-based support for clergy appearing to be more effective in promoting wellbeing in the third lockdown.
{"title":"Psychological Wellbeing and Sources of Support for Church of England Clergy and Laity During the Third National COVID-19 Lockdown","authors":"A. Village, Leslie J. Francis","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2120972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2120972","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Psychological wellbeing was assessed by affect balance (a function of negative and positive affect) during the third UK Covid-19 lockdown in 2021 among 1,847 clergy and laity in the Church of England. Wellbeing was lower among people with a general tendency toward neuroticism, among those with an Epimethean (SJ) psychological temperament, and among clergy, but higher among older people and Evangelicals. Differences in these findings from the first UK lockdown are discussed. Negative and positive affect were correlated with slightly different sets of predictor variables, in line with balanced affect theory. The mitigating effects of relevant support were evident for both clergy and lay people. Changes in the key sources of support from the first lockdown were evident, with church-based support for clergy appearing to be more effective in promoting wellbeing in the third lockdown.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42342866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2102237
M. Grundy
{"title":"Doing theology in the new normal: global perspectives","authors":"M. Grundy","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2102237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2102237","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49503167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-03DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2120968
M. Wilson
As to today, when the pandemic claims More victims day by day. The graph into night rises. While the drug makers multiply to millions the reversal, The vaccination. Can we hope for a stasis? For a covid at bay? For graphs about to fall. The hospitals catch their breath; the sufferers sniff relief. The many look to restrictions curbed; we again can meet, Enterprise open its doors, energy release into action.
{"title":"This, the Latest Sunrise of the Year","authors":"M. Wilson","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2120968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2120968","url":null,"abstract":"As to today, when the pandemic claims More victims day by day. The graph into night rises. While the drug makers multiply to millions the reversal, The vaccination. Can we hope for a stasis? For a covid at bay? For graphs about to fall. The hospitals catch their breath; the sufferers sniff relief. The many look to restrictions curbed; we again can meet, Enterprise open its doors, energy release into action.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46364056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-04DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2048541
M. Fox
ABSTRACT This paper will seek to present and examine selected accounts from the RERC archive which have ‘rural’ at their heart. This will be done primarily by describing and analysing religious experiences that occur within a rural context or which have ‘rural’ as a key feature. Hand-in-hand with this analysis – and partly as a result of it – will be an application for the rural church to recognise the importance and significance of religious experience. Throughout, the related questions will be addressed: what is it about these experiences that should persuade the rural church to take them seriously and what form should any response(s) to them take? The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research.
{"title":"‘A Sacred Something’ – Religious Experience and the Rural Church","authors":"M. Fox","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2048541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2048541","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper will seek to present and examine selected accounts from the RERC archive which have ‘rural’ at their heart. This will be done primarily by describing and analysing religious experiences that occur within a rural context or which have ‘rural’ as a key feature. Hand-in-hand with this analysis – and partly as a result of it – will be an application for the rural church to recognise the importance and significance of religious experience. Throughout, the related questions will be addressed: what is it about these experiences that should persuade the rural church to take them seriously and what form should any response(s) to them take? The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research.","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48035291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-14DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2036468
James M. M. Francis
{"title":"Frequencies of God: walking through Advent with R. S. Thomas","authors":"James M. M. Francis","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2036468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2036468","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45929036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-14DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2041247
B. Nichols
{"title":"Enjoying the Bible: literary approaches to loving the scriptures","authors":"B. Nichols","doi":"10.1080/14704994.2022.2041247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2022.2041247","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":41896,"journal":{"name":"Rural Theology-International Ecumencial and Interdisciplinary Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48885378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-11DOI: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2041251
Susan H. Jones
Rob Kelsey has written a resource book, Praying for the earth, for all those who lead intercession in the churches and for those whowish to pray forGod’s creation in their personal prayers. The book is divided into four parts: prayers for the earth throughout the week; prayers for the earth throughout the month; the times and seasons of the Church year; and finally, prayers for the earth at other times. In the forward Bishop Nicholas Holtam writes: ‘praying for the earth is central to the Christian vocation to care for God’s creation’ (p. v). He sees the climate change and environmental crises as different to the crises of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter. He sees it as an ‘altogether bigger and more existential threat’ (p. v). Bishop Nicholas suggests that the role of the Church in this environmental crisis is clearly set out in the Anglican Communion’s five marks of mission and consequently a ‘missionary imperative’ (p. vii). While the Church’s role is to act, he also sees the role of the Church to pray, so the driver for change is spiritual. Kelsey, in his opening sentence, sets the scene of why we should pray by saying: ‘the Bible is clear that God’s plan of salvation is for the whole earth, not just human beings’ (p. xi). He then sets his argument in the context of the Genesis narrative of creation. This is further developed through other biblical texts including Job, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the book of Revelation. In this opening section the author also offers a way of using the prayers he has written and offers a collect for the earth. After this introduction the author offers prayers and readings for the earth throughout the week. He begins on a Sunday with the first day of creation and works through to Saturday when God rested. Within this structure there is also a monthly cycle offering alternative prayers on related themes. These alternative monthly themes can be found in the next section of the book. The final two sections offer prayers that reflect the Church’s times and season and prayers for other times in the year. The prayers are beautifully written and well themed. The language of the prayers enables people to enter deeply into the ecological threats facing the world. The volume of prayers reveals the different individual concerns thatmake up the overall concern for the environment. The book is a rich source of diverse themes and offers a comprehensive set of prayers. It is, however, not clear how the prayers are to be used in a weekly and monthly cycle, the instructions are complicated. This should not distract people, as the book offers a rich resource of prayers for private prayer and for intercessory prayer in public worship. I will use the resource within my context as part of Morning and Evening Prayer and in my own personal prayer life.
Rob Kelsey为所有在教会中领导代祷的人以及那些希望在个人祈祷中为上帝的创造祈祷的人写了一本资源书《为地球祈祷》。这本书分为四个部分：一周为地球祈祷；整个月都在为大地祈祷；教会年度的时间和季节；最后，在其他时间为地球祈祷。Nicholas Holtam主教在序言中写道：“为地球祈祷是基督教关心上帝创造的使命的核心”（第五页）。他认为气候变化和环境危机与新冠肺炎和《黑人的命很重要》的危机不同。他认为这是一个“更大、更关乎生存的威胁”（第五页）。尼古拉斯主教认为，教会在这场环境危机中的作用在圣公会的五大使命标志中得到了明确阐述，因此也是“传教的当务之急”（第七页）。虽然教会的作用是行动，但他也看到了教会祈祷的作用，因此变革的驱动力是精神上的。凯尔西在他的开场白中说：“圣经清楚地表明，上帝的救赎计划是为了整个地球，而不仅仅是为了人类”（xi）。然后，他将自己的论点放在创世纪关于创造的叙述中。这是通过其他圣经文本进一步发展的，包括《工作》、《诗篇》、《福音书》和《启示录》。在这一开头部分，作者还提供了一种使用他所写的祈祷词的方法，并提供了一本关于地球的合集。在这篇介绍之后，作者在整个星期为地球祈祷和阅读。他从一个星期天开始，从创造的第一天开始，一直工作到星期六上帝休息。在这个结构中，还有一个每月一次的周期，提供有关主题的替代祈祷。这些可供选择的每月主题可以在本书的下一节找到。最后两部分提供反映教会时间和季节的祈祷，以及一年中其他时间的祈祷。祈祷词写得很漂亮，主题也很好。祈祷的语言使人们能够深入了解世界面临的生态威胁。祈祷的数量揭示了不同的个人关注，这些关注构成了对环境的整体关注。这本书的主题丰富多样，提供了一套全面的祈祷。然而，目前尚不清楚如何在每周和每月的周期中使用祈祷，说明很复杂。这不应该分散人们的注意力，因为这本书为私人祈祷和公共礼拜中的代祷提供了丰富的祈祷资源。我将在我的背景下使用这些资源，作为早晚祈祷的一部分，并在我自己的个人祈祷生活中使用。
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