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The role of the Church in a time of no religion
Alan Billings, SPCK, 2004 £10.99
Sue Burridge reviews Alan Billings’ book, an apologetic for the continuing role of the Church in society, particularly through the traditional rites of passage, particularly that of baptism, weddings and funerals.
This book should be read by anyone struggling to drum up interest in the work the Church does in offering occasional offices and getting despondent about the apparent lack of increase of ‘bums on pews’. Secular Lives, Sacred Hearts is an apologetic for the continuing role of the Church in society, particularly through the traditional rites of passage, particularly that of baptism, weddings and funerals. It is a clarion call for a rediscovery of the importance of the ‘parish’ church and the connection of the church with those who may think of themselves as being Christians without necessarily belonging to any church. As such, its message is diametrically opposed to the current pre-occupation with numbers and very relevant as the Church of England struggles to work out whether it can maintain a real connection with society or whether it gives in to the pressure to look inward and build gathered communities!
Alan Billings is an Anglican parish priest in Kendal and Director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at Lancaster University. This book follows on from his previous book Dying and Grieving – A guide to Pastoral Ministry.
Part one expounds Billings’ idea of ‘cultural Christianity’ based on his observations of the legacy of Christian ideas and beliefs under-girded by the findings of the Census 2001 (where over 76% of the British adult population identified themselves with one of the faith traditions).
In Part two, Billings takes the three major occasional offices of baptism, marriage and funerals and for each, maps the changes in societal beliefs and practices. Based on his local observations, he then draws out what he sees to be the inadequacies of secular alternatives and why people in his parish turn to the church for the religious rites of passage. He strongly argues that the church should welcome people if they come asking for the occasional offices. He maintains that those who ‘judge their success’ at the occasional offices in terms of ‘bums on pews’ will almost always feel that they have failed at this area of ministry. Instead if ministers see each occasional office as ‘an important moment in nourishing and educating the faith of those who are Christians though not regular churchgoers then their approach would be transformed’. (p112).
Finally in part three, Billings sets out what he sees as four unhelpful tendencies of the contemporary church, including going along with the concept of the secularisation of society and offers four principles which ‘the contemporary church should have in mind as a guide for its life and mission’ (p104) in today’s society.
My main criticism of the book is that, in terms of ministry, it is very priest-focussed whilst sitting lightly to the institution of the church and gives little space to or recognition of lay ministry around the occasional offices. It also offers little comfort to the parish struggling to pay its parish quota or maintain the sacred building that Billings is so fond of or the diocese trying to balance its books! I am also wary of setting so much store by the Census 2001 as a main justification of his central development of the idea of ‘cultural Christianity’ leading to the term of sacred hearts while living secular lives.
However, those considerations apart, Secular lives, Sacred Hearts is a very welcome counter-balance to much contemporary religious sociological observation and the depressing language of ‘creative decline’. It is a classic exponent of the sentiment expressed by William Temple, ‘The Church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of those who are not (yet) its members.’ Billings makes many useful observations of the changes in society and how the local church (mainly the parish priest!) can connect with and build on the positive aspects of people’s needs that the developing secular alternatives do not provide. This book provides much justification and hope to those who wish to spend much of their ministry welcoming those who come for occasional offices and who view this aspect of ministry as a privilege rather than a duty – or even for those of us, somewhat uncomfortably manning Church of England stands at wedding shows alongside the party strippers (see p69) !!