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'A very sympathetic [view] of Herbert's life and an appreciation of his verse. He also follows this with a solid history of the clergy in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries' --Parson & Parish, Summer 2010
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At a time of uncertainty for the Church, this robust challenge to an outmoded style of ministry offers realistic encouragement for the future. The book's deliberately provocative title echoes: If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him; its thesis is that the shadow of George Herbert's parish ministry lingers still in the Church of England, placing an impossible burden of unreasonable expectations upon today's parish clergy. The author sets out realistically to assess the context of Herbert's life and to explore the difficulties of parish life today; he concludes by outlining a more sustainable pattern for the future. This is a book of the long view. In looking at the status and role of parish clergy it draws on the work of historians, social anthropologists, psychologists and theologians and presents their ideas in a readable and passionate style. It is neither a jeremiad nor pollyanna-ish in its analysis or its prescriptions, but rather sees the future strength of the parochial clergy to be found in a recovery of historic, renewed understandings of priestly ministry. In a climate of such uncertainty for the future of the church, it will be an encouragement for priest and people, and welcomed by both.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The controversial title of this book, which owes something to a Zen master, reacts to something that has been like a millstone around the neck of the Church of England parish clergy for many years. Often judged in relation to their predecessors there is also the romantic example of George Herbert who served for less than three years in the parishes of Fugglestone with Bemerton in the 1630's and who wrote lovely poetry. In the twentieth century Herbert was held up as the ideal of the devoted parish priest even as it became more impossible to live up to the role.
Justin Lewis-Anthony, a youngish parish priest from the Liberal Catholic wing of the Church of England offers a way out of what he sees as an outmoded pattern of ministry. He sketches George Herbert's life and then surveys the story of the busy parish priest quoting a number of 20th century self-help manuals along the way. He sees this model of the priest as `phulaxal' rather like a wicket keeper, handing out the jobs and keeping the show on the road. The priest is the paid volunteer who somehow ends up running everything and is consequently seen by the world at large as `The Church', or in its strictest sense `the vicar' doing it on behalf of everyone else. The vicar is then reduced to being `nice' which leads to a consideration of ministerial burnout. This struck many chords with me as one who has struggled with the George Herbert model for more than thirty years without succumbing to burnout.
The central section of the book sees the priest as Witness, Watchman and Weaver with a chapter devoted to each. This is based on a lecture by Archbishop Rowan Williams which in turn reflects on Michael Ramsey's classic "The Christian Priest Today". Lewis-Anthony draws heavily on the writings of Hauerwas, Richard Neibuhr and Bonhoeffer in this. I have to confess to finding this part of the book a bit dense.
The final section looks at the `KGH' (Killing George Herbert) priest with regard to Rule, Role, Responsibility, Reckoning and Reconciling. Rule in this case means `Rule of Life' rather than ruling the roost. I found this part of the book quite helpful; Lewis-Anthony points to the work of John Truscott and to models of `Getting Things Done'. He places Prayer first but for me he does not quite resolve the tension between `Being' and `Doing' when most of the doing can be done better or at least as well by the non-ordained. The author's Rule of Life which he appends seems to be every bit as exhaustive and exhausting as some of the self-help manuals he has criticised earlier and leaves me asking "How does he fit all this in to one week?" I would, incidentally, rather aspire to being a `PGH' (Post George Herbert) priest.
In short, this is a thought provoking book written in a racy and anecdotal style (the outer sections at least) that challenges many orthodoxies without completely replacing them.
Justin Lewis-Anthony, a youngish parish priest from the Liberal Catholic wing of the Church of England offers a way out of what he sees as an outmoded pattern of ministry. He sketches George Herbert's life and then surveys the story of the busy parish priest quoting a number of 20th century self-help manuals along the way. He sees this model of the priest as `phulaxal' rather like a wicket keeper, handing out the jobs and keeping the show on the road. The priest is the paid volunteer who somehow ends up running everything and is consequently seen by the world at large as `The Church', or in its strictest sense `the vicar' doing it on behalf of everyone else. The vicar is then reduced to being `nice' which leads to a consideration of ministerial burnout. This struck many chords with me as one who has struggled with the George Herbert model for more than thirty years without succumbing to burnout.
The central section of the book sees the priest as Witness, Watchman and Weaver with a chapter devoted to each. This is based on a lecture by Archbishop Rowan Williams which in turn reflects on Michael Ramsey's classic "The Christian Priest Today". Lewis-Anthony draws heavily on the writings of Hauerwas, Richard Neibuhr and Bonhoeffer in this. I have to confess to finding this part of the book a bit dense.
The final section looks at the `KGH' (Killing George Herbert) priest with regard to Rule, Role, Responsibility, Reckoning and Reconciling. Rule in this case means `Rule of Life' rather than ruling the roost. I found this part of the book quite helpful; Lewis-Anthony points to the work of John Truscott and to models of `Getting Things Done'. He places Prayer first but for me he does not quite resolve the tension between `Being' and `Doing' when most of the doing can be done better or at least as well by the non-ordained. The author's Rule of Life which he appends seems to be every bit as exhaustive and exhausting as some of the self-help manuals he has criticised earlier and leaves me asking "How does he fit all this in to one week?" I would, incidentally, rather aspire to being a `PGH' (Post George Herbert) priest.
In short, this is a thought provoking book written in a racy and anecdotal style (the outer sections at least) that challenges many orthodoxies without completely replacing them.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A passionate argument on a subject of considerable interest to the serving clergy of the church of england. The author argues that the pastoral ideal embodied in the saintly George Herbert was never a reality, whether in Herbert's own life, his own lifetime, or ever since. If this model then only succeeds in making c of e clergy feel inadequate, can a better be offered? Attempting to answer this question forms the second, rather denser part of his book.
The basic premise, however, might be examined more accurately and sympathetically. Even though it is demonstrably the case that George Herbert's Bemerton ministry lasted but three years - during which time he had the assistance of curates to a degree unimaginable today - nonetheless the ideal it is supposed to enshrine goes back at least as far as Chaucer's "powr parson" and is embraced as enthusiastically by clerical writers as diverse as Richard Baxter in his "Reformed Pastor" and the legendary Canon Peter Green.
I don't doubt that those who share the author's highly articulate theological background will find much to interest and possibly inspire in the attempt to replace the image of pastoral ministry encapsulated in "Herbertism". On the other hand, the virtue of Herbert as an icon is that it is straightforward to the meanest intellect - however unattainable in practice. A guiding star is there, not because we should ever reach out and grasp it, but so that it might shed light for our stumbling feet to tread more faithfully...
The basic premise, however, might be examined more accurately and sympathetically. Even though it is demonstrably the case that George Herbert's Bemerton ministry lasted but three years - during which time he had the assistance of curates to a degree unimaginable today - nonetheless the ideal it is supposed to enshrine goes back at least as far as Chaucer's "powr parson" and is embraced as enthusiastically by clerical writers as diverse as Richard Baxter in his "Reformed Pastor" and the legendary Canon Peter Green.
I don't doubt that those who share the author's highly articulate theological background will find much to interest and possibly inspire in the attempt to replace the image of pastoral ministry encapsulated in "Herbertism". On the other hand, the virtue of Herbert as an icon is that it is straightforward to the meanest intellect - however unattainable in practice. A guiding star is there, not because we should ever reach out and grasp it, but so that it might shed light for our stumbling feet to tread more faithfully...
Format:Paperback
The book certainly offers an interesting reflection on modern ministry. Justin Lewis-Anthony himself is very readable - but this is not always true of the authors from whom he quotes at some length.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Radical priesthood for today
Excellent book giving a radical, but very relevant consideration of ministry in the modern church which all clergy would do well to read. Received promptly
Published 2 months ago by L1ncoln
Compulsary reading
This is a most helpful book for anyone coming fresh into ministry, or looking to review their ministry pattern. It is a must for all Curates in training. Read more
Published on 21 May 2010 by M. Nicholas
Not a lot to do with Herbert
The author identifies a problem with the expectations of ordained ministers. He refers to the bland inoffensive bumbling ineffectual "nice" parson who spends their time being... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by Rev. Mr. Robert M. Barlow
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