Wider Church Research Articles

A case study of parent perspectives on interreligious learning and teaching in a diverse Catholic school context: ‘Building a civilisation of love’

ABSTRACT In the pluralised contexts of many contemporary Australian Catholic schools, cultural and religious diversity is a reality that could be ignored or potentially utilised to enhance learning. This case study probes the perceptions of parents regarding their children’s engagement in Religious Education in a Catholic school and in particular, engagement in interreligious learning and teaching. The small qualitative study utilised interviews with parents that were analysed and coded to reveal themes that are then discussed in light of the literature reviewed. Four key themes emerged: engagement, diversity, voice and agency, and identity revealing potential for enhancing partnerships with parents and families in the educative project of growing young Australians into their humanity and working towards the creation of a civilisation of love. The study points to a potential for the ‘wider Church’ to engage families in dialogue through articulating the why and how of Religious Education in Catholic schools (including interreligious learning and teaching) and enhancing parental engagement in such learning and teaching to resource the spiritual/religious identity of all as they grow into the fulness of life.

Traditionis custodes : Ecclesiological Difficulties

abstract: The motu proprio Traditionis custodes reordered the law on celebrating the pre-conciliar Roman liturgical rites. This legislative change, seemingly intended to lead to a "single and identical prayer" or unique liturgical expression of the Roman Rite, relies on an ecclesiological justification concerning the unity and communion of the Church. Analyzing the motu proprio and its elaborations in light of a "three-tier" ecclesiological model rooted in the documents of the Second Vatican Council shows that the unity and communion of no Church in this model is tied to the existence of a unique liturgical expression. Rather, the legislation's justification relies on a pre-conciliar ecclesiological outlook that posits the existence of Churches defined by rites such as a "Church of the Roman Rite." Due to this reliance, the norms have far-reaching negative consequences for the Roman Rite and the wider Church. Legislative actions on liturgical issues within the Latin Church must have a broader ecclesiological context, and the past and present experiences of the other Churches in the Catholic communion show that a vast liturgical diversity already exists in the Church and does so without harm to Catholic unity.

“It Is Only Bad Priests and Outlaws Who Thrive NowAdays”

AbstractIn Caribbean historiography, rumors are often associated with enslaved people and sailors; less often are they associated with elite men. This article addresses the use of rumor by elite men in the Lesser Antilles during the late 1820s, following the story of Antony O’Hannan, Roman Catholic rector of Grenada, whose relationship with his enslaved and free congregation made him dangerous to both Catholic and colonial authorities. Although the White Catholics of Grenada were often discriminated against, here they aligned with the wider Church in supporting the colonial power. Similarly, the colonial administration was willing to collaborate with Catholics, to activate an interisland rumor network that mobilized anxieties about O’Hannan’s perceived threat to White women. Using Colonial Office documents and Caribbean newspapers, this article explores microregional rumor as part of the arsenal used to maintain colonial order, and complicates the internal workings of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean.

The Church and Synodality

ABSTRACT Synodality has taken many forms in terms of both representation and authority. In Anglicanism it is usually a meeting of clergy, laity and bishops. Synods either pass bills or make Canons, defining its position on particular issues. Often a slow process, it speaks with authority for the whole church. In this paper, as a bishop and primus, in Scotland I describe my own experience of synodality in the context of the diverse history of synodality in the wider church.

A History of Christianity in Wales

A History of Christianity in Wales

The Sexual Economies of Clericalism: Women Religious and Gendered Violence in the Catholic Church

As the sexual abuse crisis continues to plague the Catholic Church across the world, the focus on men as both perpetrators of sexual violence, and victims of child sexual abuse has been at the forefront of media and academic analysis. However, evidence from public inquiries, criminal investigations, academic research and survivor testaments identifies women religious as both perpetrators of sexual and physical violence against children and victims of clerical sexual violence. This indicates that women religious, colloquially known as nuns, belong to a very unsettled landscape in religious gender politics in that they have been both victims of male clerical abuse and perpetrators of child abuse. This article considers these two contested realities by examining and analysing the evidence from research studies and public inquiries. We found that nuns were not only perpetrators of physical and sexual violence against children, but they were also engaged in herding children into the pathways of organised clerical paedophiles, particularly in children’s homes and orphanages where children were considered sexual commodities. Simultaneously, the sexual abuse of nuns has recently become a major concern for religious communities and the wider Church. We argue that by bringing these two realities together through a new discourse—the sexual economies of clericalism—new understandings of the agency of nuns can be explored in a wider theoretical and methodological framework.

Pleading the Blood

Abstract Although Pentecostals have given much attention to the Breaking of Bread, they have not generally considered it from the perspective of eucharistic sacrifice. Yet, from the earliest days of the history of the church, and with remarkable consistency across the ancient divisions of the church, the Eucharist has been recognised as a sacrifice. This article draws on the significant British Pentecostal concept of pleading the blood, along with the proto-Pentecostal Catholic Apostolic Church, and D.P. Williams’ understanding of the heavenly priesthood of Christ, in conversation with the wider church, to work towards a Pentecostal theology of eucharistic sacrifice, which would also have wider ecumenical potential for Protestant understandings of the Lord’s Supper.

De kerkelijke Laeyendecker

Leo Laeyendecker was not just a renowned sociologist, he was also a prominent voice in late-twentieth-century Dutch Catholicism, first as an Augustinian priest and then as a progressive public intellectual. This article offers a biographical sketch of the Catholic Laeyendecker, and focuses specifically on his performance of the roles of priest-scientist and Catholic public intellectual. He became a sociologist at the behest of his superiors, who hoped he would be able to assist church leadership with scientifically sound policy advice. But once he had completed his training, his objective as a priest-scientist was to use sociological analyses to convince his fellow friars and Catholics that the realities of modernity militated for church renewal. As a public intellectual, he continued to advocate a progressive agenda in an era in which church leaders were retreating from the specific reformist stance of their predecessors. This new context prompted another change of role, from that of a voice within the wider church community to that of theorist of its progressive wing.

Sunday morning Eucharists: a defence

Jesus was resurrected on Sunday morning. Scripture describes both the Last Supper and early Christian gatherings taking place close to the beginning of the day, according to the differing Jewish and Roman understandings of when this was. The resurrection is associated with light and life, and morning celebration with worshippers facing east amplifies this. Against this norm, evening celebration may be theologically or pastorally justified on particular occasions. The Eucharist makes the Church, bringing Christians together as Christ’s body into an organic spiritual unity. It engages the senses, including by means of movement and symbolism, and promotes active participation in worship and potentially in wider church and social life.

Science and Theology as Gifts to the Church: How Creation Allows Scientists and Theologians to Work Together

In contrast to common practice, which separates science and theology, this article takes the doctrine of creation as the key to map out fruitful interactions between science and theology. In particular, it asks how theologians---and the wider church---can benefit from science and what scientists can learn from theology for their professional work. Such an integrated view enables us to understand science as a gift to the church and also to consciously take advantage of theological resources in scientific practice. Although this article mainly uses creation as the lens through which to address these questions, it also hints at contributions which the doctrines of sin and redemption offer.

Ecce homo … ? Beholding mission’s White gaze

ABSTRACT This article uses materials from the London Missionary Society archive to frame a discussion of mission as ‘enacted White gaze’. The article outlines generations of missionary material that expose the ways Whiteness recentres its views and imposes it on the wider church and world. This exposes Mission’s complicity in creating Whiteness and blurring together White and Christian supremacy. Thus, dismantling Whiteness is incumbent on mission movements as a part of their reparation for their complicity in and profit from colonialism and racism. Using New Testament material and critical Black theology, the article highlights the profound change of perspective, heart, faith, and vantage this requires.

Experiencing recent missionary evacuations: Traumatic stress and loss as social networks break down

Although missionary evacuations have occurred since the beginning of missions, little research has explored modern missionary evacuations. In this qualitative study, the author analyzes the experiences of four missionaries who made unplanned departures from their Asian host country in 2018. Although each study participant had different demographic characteristics and their story was unique, common elements of the evacuation experience were shared: growing uneasiness, mounting stress, the decision to evacuate, a sudden exit, and waves of transition. The most traumatic aspect throughout the experience was the severe disruption of their relationships. Factors contributing to the breakdown of social networks included surveillance and scrutiny, searches and interrogations, contact tracing, the compromising of digital communication channels, and the final exit. The traumatic effects of the breakdown of social networks highlight the critical importance of relationships in the life and work of missionaries, particularly during crises. Understanding how evacuations are experienced enables the wider Church—which is preparing, sending out, and receiving missionaries back—to better care for its missionaries and contribute to their restoration and healing from trauma.

Learning from “Fresh Expressions of Church” and the “Loving-First Cycle” through a Case Study from Cape Town

Abstract This article outlines and engages the “loving-first cycle” as a contextual model for starting new faith communities and as potentially one of the lessons from “fresh expressions” for the wider church. Initially we describe two alternative approaches to church multiplication and explain the “loving-first cycle” as a contrasting methodology arising from the experience of fresh expressions of church in the UK. Next, we ground the cycle in a case study from Cape Town, South Africa. Then we argue that the cycle has the potential to be an intentional methodology for mission.

Who Are Abraham’s Children?

Abstract One of the goals of theological interpretation of Scripture is to assist the church in critical reflection upon its own practice as it seeks to understand and to live within the biblical story of God’s dealings with the world. Drawing upon Joel Green’s scholarly investigation of the nature of conversion in Luke-Acts, this article offers a critical reflection upon practices of exclusion in the church in New Zealand. I argue further, in accordance with Luke-Acts, that participation in the purposes of God, or being numbered among the children of Abraham, is not a matter of privileged descent, but consists in the redirection of one’s life in community with others towards the fulfilment of God’s eschatological purposes evident in Christ. Māori Christians, I suggest, have a good deal to teach the wider church in this regard.

Gender and domestic abuse victimisation among churchgoers in north west England: breaking the church’s gendered silence

Domestic abuse is often hidden in church contexts. Despite a body of North American research, it has rarely been researched in the UK. This article offers new empirical findings on the nature and extent of, and attitudes to, domestic abuse among churchgoers. The data are drawn from a cross-denominational survey of 438 churchgoers in rural north-west England. The majority of the survey respondents were female and aged over 60, providing important evidence of domestic abuse victimisation among this seldom-heard group. Using a broad measure of domestic abuse encompassing physical, emotional, sexual, financial and spiritual dimensions, the results revealed that one in four had experienced at least one abusive behaviour in their current intimate relationship. While headline figures for prevalence are similar for women and men, analysis revealed gender differences in four areas: number of abusive behaviours experienced, types of abuse, frequency of victimisation and impacts of abuse, with women experiencing the most frequent and high-impact abuse. Churchgoers’ comments on the church’s response to abuse reveals silence as a key theme, and the article attributes the church’s silence to gendered power relations in the wider church.

“This Mystical Blessing”: The Patristic Roots of John Calvin’s Eucharistic Theology

Though committed to the final authority of Scripture in all matters, John Calvin’s Institutes and biblical commentaries show him to be a remarkable student of patristics. His doctrine of the Lord’s Supper was no exception, as Calvin calls upon the likes of Augustine, Chrysostom, Tertullian and others to support his position. This article, therefore, contends that Calvin’s engagement with the Fathers – though imperfect – demonstrates that his view, in essence, may be clearly traced to the patristic period. It also suggests that his reverence for tradition, which he considered consistent with his commitment to sola scriptura, makes Calvin a prime example for contemporary evangelicals as they reflect on their own doctrine of the Supper. Not only would paying close attention to the Fathers enrich their own understanding, but given that such figures are esteemed by the wider church, it may well contribute to a more robust ecumenical conversation around the sacraments.

'Just because the mind is confused it doesn't mean the spirit is confused': Exploring the role of Anglican clergy in ministry to persons with dementia.

Churches and faith groups have an important role to play in the development of dementia-friendly communities; their support of spirituality of people with dementia and their care-givers adds an important dimension, interwoven with concepts of personhood and identity. Priests have a central role here, but little is known of their experiences of ministering to people with dementia and their families, of the challenges they may encounter, or of their perspective on dementia. Using a collective case-study approach, 10 Church in Wales priests took part in an in-depth qualitative interview regarding their ministry with people with dementia. Initial thematic analysis was used as a basis for an in-depth analysis of the positions adopted by clergy in relation to dementia and those experiencing it, as well as to their roles in the wider church. Clergy described discovering ways of working with people with dementia, learning 'on the job', and, for example, finding familiar symbols and music helpful. They found themselves being an intermediary, between people with dementia and God, but also within families and other care settings, such as care homes. Promoting spirituality within personhood was a fundamental aspect of their role, but was also reflected both in fears of dementia and in identifying redeeming aspects of dementia. They described an absence of preparedness, training and peer support for this ministry. The emerging model of Dementia ministry reflected the dynamic interplay of positions adopted by clergy, with an interface between the professional and the personal at its centre. The study indicates the need for increased support for clergy in taking forward dementia friendly churches and highlights their role in ensuring that the spiritual life of people with dementia can be maintained and supported.

Setting the stage: liturgy and theatre

At the outset it is recognized that theatre is diverse and constantly evolving and therefore elusive in definition. Liturgical worship, similarly, presents itself in many forms. The constraints of an article-length exploration necessarily lead us to focus on liturgical worship in a cathedral context, and most of the comparisons with theatre focus on it in its mainstream Western form. This article does not pretend to be exhaustive, but raises some parallels and contrasts which we offer to the wider Church as a starting point for further exploration.

“The Neutralism of Outer Hell”: Daniel Berrigan In (and Out of) the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1963

Between 1960 and 1963, Daniel Berrigan attempted to immerse himself in the civil rights movement. Spurred by the passionate activism of his brother, the Josephite Philip Berrigan, his racial consciousness developed rapidly during this period, much to the consternation of his Jesuit superiors. Their effort to turn his attention from joining the movement and the wider church’s failure to support black American leadership galvanized the priest and prompted a vocational crisis in him that his brother and his new friend Thomas Merton would help him weather. This essay examines previously unpublished letters of Berrigan’s to tell the story of his involvement in sending white students to work with black youth in New Orleans, his fruitless attempt to join the Freedom Rides in 1961, the spiritual disturbance caused by his superiors hindering his work, and his reflections on attending the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Exploring Berrigan’s relationship to the civil rights movement gives fuller understanding to his approach to the Catonsville Nine action and provides modern readers with a Catholic resource for navigating movements for racial justice in the twenty-first century.

Bridging the Colonial Divide

Abstract Conflicts over human sexuality are creating schisms within many churches, increasing the ecumenical challenges faced by the wider church. While there are legitimate theological disagreements, there has been a separation between “Global South” and “Global North” members of the denominations, as can be seen in the examples of United Methodism, Anglicanism, and Lutheranism. Schisms such as those based on human sexuality cannot overlook colonialism as a factor. Addressing this, Receptive Ecumenism has potential as a potent postcolonial method because Receptive Ecumenism offers tools that allow there to be dialogue among Christians who are particularly divided within denominations along lines created by colonialism, largely because of its posture of learning and listening. Indeed, if churches were to receive the methods of Receptive Ecumenism, by adopting a stance of active listening and learning, rather than a stance of self-advocacy and argument, the churches may find ways to heal internal divisions.