The Pioneer Gift - A Review

The Pioneer Gift: Explorations in Mission edited by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross has clearly been written, to some extent, as a text book for the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training Programme and other courses around the country which are looking at pioneering. It reads as a set of chapters intended as the basis of pre-reading for seminar discussions and the majority of contributors are people who lecture or are/ have been students on the CMS programme. However, that should not put off those who don't need a text book but do want to reflect more deeply on the theology of pioneer ministry. This is an important and somewhat innovative resource.

I say the book is innovative because books on pioneering in the UK have tended to take three forms. The first category is the book which has sought to map how and why pioneer movements have emerged. Gibbs and Bolger's Emerging Churches is a sociological study which is perhaps the best example of this type of study. It uses qualitative interview data and contains a range of in depth interviews with key players in these types of movements. The second type of text has been a variation on the first and has been more reflexive and less objective in the way in which it has looked at the reasons why a more contextual approach was needed. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost is a good example of this. The third type of book has sought to mix theology, (normally coming from institutional gate keepers or "permission givers") with reflections on specific projects, coming from pioneers who have normally been ordained. This book differs in format because whilst it is written by practitioners, (and even the academics involved are practioners on one level or another), it is more theological in its approach. There is far less descriptive material than in the previous types of text mentioned and much more theology. It is also much more ecumenical than many of the other texts on the subject have been.

The book begins with Jonny Baker's introduction exploring what The Pioneer Gift is. Within this he starts by discussing the theme of "the gift of not fitting in", which you may have heard him speak on at Greenbelt and elsewhere. He then discusses how CMS fits into the pioneer movement and what the benefits of pioneering are as well as some of the challenges faced.

Lecturer Cathy Ross discusses the theme of missiology before discussing theological homelessness and its link with dissent. The style of this chapter underlines her familiarity with writing for this type of text, yet it is not so academic it feels out of place. It is within this chapter we first get the feel for how liberation theology and feminist theologies have influenced the pioneers.

Scottish theologian Doug Gay, who will also be familiar to Greenbelt audiences, has a reflexive style similar to Frost. His chapter is perhaps the most descriptive within the book. Within it he raises and important aspect which I feel helps make this book such a useful resource, this is the interplay and complexity of relationships between the institutional church and pioneers. Too often there has been a binary approach taken which has seen a mixed economy as being inherited church verses fresh expressions. This text has several points which illustrate the way in which the relationship is far more messy, involving over lap and grey areas. The issue of permission giving is discussed in a much more objective and at times negative way than in many of the books so far published on this topic, which have tended to have had direct input from the permission givers, (normally Church of England bishops).

Anna Ruddick's chapter on the subject of transformation is interesting. It examines both language and praxis, focusing on the Eden Network which has grown out of the Message Trust in Manchester. Within this chapter she makes use of some interesting qualitative research to illustrate the transformation which takes place and the way in which significance is created. I found this one of the most interesting chapters within the book.

Karlie Allaway is a student on the course and a Roman Catholic who has come to that denomination via a range of evangelical Protestant groups. Her chapter, perhaps more than any other, moves away from the traditional discourse which has tended to link sacramentality in these groups primarily with new monastic movements or see pioneering as beyond traditional institutional settings. Rather what Allaway does is examine the possibilities for community which being rooted in an existing institutional setting gives. As somebody who has struggled getting my head around what others see as the gift of sacramentality I was grateful for this chapter. It helped me understand how others have experienced freedom and healing through the Eucharist. There is also some beautiful poetry and liturgy in this chapter.

Jim Barker who works for CMS, but has a background in the NGO sector writes on communities of practice and how learning occurs within them. The diagrams and language within this chapter perhaps make it the most academic. However, this does not mean it is inaccessible. It is a thoughtful and interesting chapter which raises important questions. As with many of the latter chapters of this book it includes the findings of small scale research. Due to the subject matter and overall size of the population the small sample isn't a problem with this chapter although I would suggest in other chapters the sample size is too small to make them definitive.

Beth Keith, focuses on Jeremiah and the idea of pulling down and building up. Her use of the categories of modal pioneers (based in fresh expressions within existing church structures) and sodal pioneers (those working outside existing church structures) was interesting and useful.

Gerald A. Arbuckle is an anthropologist now working in a research ministry in Australia. He wrote a really interesting chapter on the place of myth in narrative. Within this chapter there is an interesting discussion of Vatican-II and the current papacy of Pope Francis and the changes he is making. Arbuckle makes the point that both cultures and structures need to change if conservatism is not to re-emerge and become a powerful force once more.   

Simon Sutcliffe is a Methodist Venture FX pioneer. His chapter discusses the nature and importance of contextual theology and role of the pioneer in this. What I find interesting is that nowhere within his chapter does Sutcliffe link contextual theology to the more established discipline of practical or applied theology which contextual theology grows out of.

Andrea Campanale has produced a very important chapter which needs to be taken seriously and developed. In her discussion of shame and the implications for missional communities she draws heavily on Alan Mann's work but develops it to ask important questions relevant not only to pioneering and fresh expressions but also to more traditional forms of church. This theme is further developed in Emma Nash's chapter on redefining sin. Both chapters deal with shame and guilt and the consequences of certain understandings of language used within the church and beyond.

I think that these chapters have important issues to raise for those working with LGBT people and those groups which are in there own way pioneering but which may not be described as fresh expressions. This is an area which I would like to explore further and I was grateful for the mini literature reviews at the beginning of each of their chapters.

Kim Hartshorne's chapter on the Upper Room is again a more descriptive chapter. However, it rounds off the book well by looking at inclusion and vulnerability as well as liturgy. Hartshorne draws heavily on Brueggemann, as others do and it is clear he has been one of the influential theorists discussed on their course along with David Bosch. The writings by the students, particularly, therefore reflect their ideas.

Overall as I say a useful and interesting book which I would highly recommend to anybody who seriously wants to engage with the theology emerging from and underpinning the pioneer movement. I would also recommend to those who wish to be challenged to reflect theologically on their own context as this is an easy to read book which raises important issues which go beyond pioneer communities.

The Pioneer Gift Explorations in Mission, Edited by Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross, ISBN 978-1-84825-651-4

A New Monastic Handbook by Ian Mobsby and Mark Berry - Reviewed

A New Monastic Handbook From Vision to Practice by Ian Mobsby and Mark Berry has been out a few months now. This book has been a collaboration project that I've heard mention on and off for a few years now in odd public spaces including virtual ones. If I were being cynical I might suggest this and The Pioneer Gift edited by Cathy Ross and Jonny Baker (which I also picked up at Greenbelt is next on my list to read and review) have both come out now because the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training needs some good text books to recommend, and the people have involved have realised they are the best people to write them, (Berry, Baker, Ross are all teach on the course). Even if it is a cynical view it raises an important point pioneer ministry and new monasticism are now being taken much more seriously within theological education courses, and not just within the CMS course - which has been the leader in pioneer training. That means quality text books are required and these are the best people to be writing the texts because they have been the key practitioners who have built the movement.

The book gives a good outline of what new monasticism is and using a lot of their own experience. Mobsby leads the Moot community and has also contributed to a range of books on similar subjects including a couple in the Ancient Faith Future Mission series; Fresh Expressions of Church and theKingdom of God, (which I reviewed on my old blog) and Fresh Expressions in theSacramental Tradition. Berry has led safespace in Telford in addition to contributing to the CMS course. The book also uses examples from other established new monastic groups including the Northumbria Community and 24-7Boiler Rooms amongst others to reflect upon. Thus, examples from beyond the Anglican tradition are included which is positive.

One really positive aspect of this book compared to the Ancient Faith Future Mission series is that rather than being an edited edition with a series of chapters by practioners describing and reflecting on their own experiences is this has a coherent thread which goes all the way through. This allows the book to build over time and ebb and flow between examples and deeper theological reflection. There are three main sections: Roots and Shoots, Intentionally Prayerful and Spiritual and Focused on Mission.

From the introduction onwards this book in Roots and Shoots it is careful not to fall into romanticism rather the authors emphasise the struggle and hard work which is involved in these movements not just for leaders but also for those who join them who enter a world with values which are largely counter cultural.

Whilst this book provides interesting and useful reading for those of us who are not pioneers it is essentially a guide for those who are engaging with building these types of community. Whilst not a "build your own" manual because pioneer mission and new monastic movements don't operate like that it does provide some underlying principles which are central to all movements of this type before moving on to giving a wider range of examples of such groups.

The nature of the book and of the groups the authors are involved in mean the role of these groups in developing mission which engages with the unchurched and dechurched is rightly emphasised. The discussions around formation and discipleship are framed in this context. Yet, new monasticism has also had a role in developing the spirituality of the churched too either directly through dispersed communities like the Northumbria Community or indirectly through contact with new monasticism on line or at conferences events or through it's general influence which has started to seep beyond these communities into the wider church as aspects of practice are shared. This could perhaps be further explored.

After reading this book I looked back at a post on my old blog I put up after attending a new monasticism conference in Coventry in 2008. Reflecting on this six years later some of my initial criticisms stand, particularly the emphasis on the voices of men in discussions of this topic. Yet following my reading of the Church Growth Study data on Fresh Expressions I know this is simply because many of those involved in leading this type of Fresh Expression in the UK are men.

Some criticisms no longer stand. The language is more naturally inclusive and less cringe worthy. Having read the explanation at the end of the Mobsby and Berry book on Recognised and Acknowledged communities and listened to somebody who is linked to a local new monastic community talk I also now understand the reason the emphasis on celibacy remains important.

There are other criticisms I have with this book which I didn't have then which do worry me now. The key one is back in 2008 there appeared to be a wider denominational spread of influence when looking at this topic. Because of the influence of Anglicanism on the Fresh Expressions movement I do worry that this may be something else where the Anglican voice comes to dominate, particularly since the Archbishop of Canterbury has this week announced the formation of a community at Lambeth Palace for a small group of 20-35 year olds. That said I do understand a key strength of this book was that it was rooted in Mobsby and Berry's own experience and that experience is Anglican. They did move beyond Anglicanism in some of the examples given.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, it provides a deceptively easy read which actually makes you think hard about a range of things within and more importantly beyond you.

A New Monastic Handbook From Vision to Practice by Ian Mobsby and Mark Berry, published by Canterbury Press, ISBN 978-1-84825-458-9

Every Good Endeavour Review

Every Good Endeavour Connecting Your Work to God's Plan For the World by Timothy Keller,(pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church) and Katherine Leary Alsdorf (founder and former executive director of Redeemer’s Center for Faith & Work) is a book which seeks to do exactly what the title indicates. It's a book which attempts to take different aspects of practical theology; Christian ethics, contemporary culture and the link between traditional theological texts and today's society and combine them into a book focused on one area of our lives, in this case work. It also aims to transmit the gospel to people who might not be Christians who happen to pick up the book.

The book is split into three main sections: God's Plan for Work, Our Problems with Work and The Gospel and Work and these are placed between a clear introduction and epilogue. Within each section are three or four separate chapters addressing different yet inter-connected aspects of the theme. Some of these chapters, and indeed sections are stronger than others. The final section is stronger than the preceding ones perhaps because this is the one which contains most practical application.

The more theological section on Our Problems with Work is at points a more problematic read. This is, in part, because of the difference in style which can be seen in some of the writing. This second section of the book has the feel of a set of lecture or sermon notes which are slotted in here, but which have not been specifically produced for this purpose. It is also less nuanced than other parts of the book which seek to take a more complex approach to both theology and contemporary society.

Is it worth reading?

Yes, because if you want to start thinking about how faith and work relate to each other and about the ethics around our attitudes to work how that shapes our education system it provides a lot of helpful material. It also goes back to the early reformers, particularly Calvin and Luther, and reflects on their writings. In doing so one might argue that it seeks to restate what the 'Protestant Ethic' and indeed the 'Spirit of Capitalism' should look like for us today, as Christians in the digital age.

It is also worth reading because Keller and the Redeemer brand, (because that what the book clearly identifies it is in its description - although it seeks to remove the language of the marketplace from the church), provide an interesting insight into a particular type of evangelical church which is emerging which is both similar to and distinct from the more reformed and conservative churches which have largely dominated the evangelical right. The similarities come in the their use of Augustine, Luther and Calvin as the main theological influences and their understanding of sin and the fall. These are most clearly reflected in the second part of the book. Yet in the third part they make it clear they have no time for those who have sought to engage in fundamentalism and culture wars and seek to isolate themselves into a Christian ghetto to give protection from the polluting influence of the world. Rather in this part of the book they have more in common with the more theologically radical progressive evangelicals.

Below is a You Tube clip of a lecture Alsdorf has given explaining Redeemer and their approach.

 

Can it easily be applied?

On one level yes. The principals within the book about how to engage in a more holistic and Christian approach to work can be understood and applied. For example the importance of taking a Sabbath, (which is something Charlotte Norton has recently blogged about very articulately), is well discussed and theoretically easy to apply.

There is, however, only limited practical advice given on what application may look like and whilst seeking to be an inclusive book most of the examples focus on industries like finance. This is unsurprising bearing in mind Redeemer's Manhattan base and the recognition that this is one of the sectors which many young professionals find themselves working in. Whilst appearing a drawback this is not necessarily a problem. What it encourages the reader to do is either individually or more helpfully working with others in similar occupations is to work through what being a Christian in their specific industry and context would look like.

Are there any shortcomings with this book?  

A few, some of which were things I found niggles and some were more fundamental.

The first niggle I had was with the front cover and the acknowledgement of authorship. This book was by Timothy Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf who assisted him with the book. It may be to reflect different levels of contribution that Alsdorf's name will be smaller but the size of font with her name was tiny. This is a problem for me because as somebody who has read reports such as Guest, Sharma and Song's report on Gender and CareerProgression in Theology and Religious Studies and Maggi Dawn's post on "There are no women on my theology bookshelf" I understand the importance of female role models and the visibility of women's involvement in work such as this.

The second niggle I had was with some of the language. It was a book which was clearly seeking to be accessible and in large part was but words such as sin and grace were used with an implicit understanding that the reader would understand what these meant. Whilst I don't think these parts of the text should have been dumbed down and acknowledging the majority of the reader would be Christian, American and familiar with these terms, I still think that there were assumptions about biblical literacy being made which are problematic.

One big problem I had with the book was the way in which the gospel and Christianity as narratives were put forward as different to other philosophical and economic approaches without any acknowledgement of how Christianity and our interpretation of the bible is shaped in part by our understandings of those other stories and approaches. This was particularly relevant to a discussion of The Gospel and Other Worldviews in chapter nine, A New Story for Work which sought to position the gospel and faith as something unique and isolated which had one interpretation. Reading this book it was clear that there was an interplay going on between Functionalist sociological understandings of the world and broadly reformed evangelical theological understandings of The Word. Now, don't get me wrong I am not saying these interpretations are wrong but I am saying they are particular understandings and readings. To say there is one Christian reading and approach is I think, on one level, problematic.

Related to this problem was the subtext of some of the examples used in the first part of the book which were seeking to underline and promote a particular reading of Genesis and thus to feed in to non-related debates going on within and beyond the church. Pages 87-88 underlined the basic sub-text being promoted when it said, "Genesis 3 shows how sin warps every part of our nature, every aspect of human living. It begins by distorting the areas of sex, gender, love and marriage."

The most problematic thing for me though was how the very real problems people face of not being able to find work, or finding unfulfilling work or having to work several jobs for low wages to make ends meet were not given practical discussion. They were referred to and it was, rightly, acknowledged that they are one product of us living in a sinful world. However, there was no practical advice to given to help those living in this reality.

For me it would have been useful if there had been additional material on our role as consumers, purchasing goods and services and the impact we have upon other people's work. A chapter on a Christian approach to economics and a discussion of our approaches to taxation and wages may also have been one positive area which could have been looked at.

Final conclusions

Whilst I have underlined some of the things which for me were short comings in this book I did think it was a useful book. I doubt anybody could read it without being challenged in some way and that is always a good thing. It also provides some sound thinking and is clearly based on an excellent understanding of theology, sociology, philosophy and cultural studies. It is a book which seeks to develop practical discipleship and to motivate people to go back to the gospel in developing a holistic approach to life, and work within that. Most of the book is written in a clear, contemporary style which is easy and enjoyable to read. Thus, I would recommend it to anybody BUT I would say if you expect it to provide you with easy answers you may be disappointed.

ISBN: 978-1-444-70260-6