Judith A. Muskett

Reflections on the Shop Windows of the Church of England: Anglican Cathedrals and Vicarious Religion

Abstract In order to shed light on the role of modern Anglican cathedrals in England, this article refines Grace Davie’s concept of vicarious religion. Building on Peter Rowe’s thesis that cathedrals are well placed to perform the ‘prior work’ of Ann Morisy’s foundational domain of mission, the article constructs a model which predicts that cathedrals, widely known as the ‘shop windows of the Church of England’, are one dimension of the mechanism by which the passive majority becomes acquainted with and approves of the vicarious religion performed by the active minority. The model may facilitate empirical research around vicarious religion, which has presented methodological challenges, and may have resonance not only for cathedrals but also for the cathedral-like ‘Greater Churches’.

Deferential or Dazzled? Rural Cathedral Friends’ Associations and Their Royal Patronage, Past and Present

Abstract Significant funding is required to underpin the complex role that Anglican cathedrals perform in English dioceses and as national assets. In part, they rely on their ‘Friends’ for financial support. Many of these Friends’ Associations were founded in the 1920s and 1930s, when the philanthropic role of the monarchy was growing. Adding to new literature where analyses of the monarchy and philanthropy coalesce, the article examines the motivations and benefits of royal patronage for Friends’ Associations and the monarchy alike. Through surveys of sources in the public domain, it is established that (i) deans in rural dioceses of the Midlands and Southern England arranged conspicuous royal support to launch their new Friends’ Societies; (ii) dazzling new Friends or appealing to the deferential in this manner was not appropriate everywhere, especially under different social conditions in the North; and (iii) this north/south divide in royal patronage of Cathedral Friends’ Groups is perpetuated today.

‘Friends’ of Anglican cathedrals: norms and values. Befriending, friending or misnomer?

Loyal supporters of Anglican cathedrals first subscribed to ‘Friends’ associations in the late 1920s. Yet, in 1937, a journalist in The Times portrayed cathedrals as a ‘queer thing to be a friend of.’ Drawing on theories of friendship from a range of disciplines, and surveys of what has been proclaimed in the public domain about cathedral Friends, then and now, this article assesses the aptness of the ‘Friends’ nomenclature, given the inherent norms and values of the relationship as portrayed. Context has a bearing upon how the concept is manifested, and behaviours in the cathedral-Friend dyad follow many rules of person–person friendships. Empirical research probing the motivations and actions of cathedral Friends may reveal whether other norms also apply. The challenge for Friends is to preserve for future generations not only cathedral fabric but also key norms and values of friendship, against the prevailing trends of an apparently increasingly individuated culture.

From Sixpenny Entry to Five Shilling Subscription: Charting Cathedral Outreach and Friends’ Associations in the 1920s and 1930s

All Anglican cathedrals in England have formal associations of Friends (like other institutions in the heritage sector). The majority arose in the 1920s/30s, a period that coincided with the gradual development of a focused outreach strategy by cathedrals, and the abandonment of sixpenny entrance fees. By analysing Letters to the Editor and news reports in The Times , this article explores the origins of cathedral Friends’ associations. The sources illustrate the benefits of Friendship for both sides of the dyad: for the cathedrals, primarily the five shilling subscriptions and the creation of an informed supporter base; and for the members, mainly esoteric benefits. It is also demonstrated that, in the north, Friends’ gifts directly replaced cathedral/diocesan resources being deployed for social welfare. A particular value in focusing on the history of the cathedral Friends’ movement is that it highlights the history of the cathedrals themselves in this difficult inter-war period.

From Action Learning to Bonding Social Capital? The Potential of Action Learning Sets Among Isolated Rural Clergy

Clergy often struggle with the sense of isolation associated with the unique demands of parish ministry. This sense can be heightened when serving in rural communities, where the burden of isolation may include working with small numbers, experiencing social isolation, and lacking colleagues for daily prayers and sharing ideas. A mechanism that can address structural issues and promote peer support could go some way to managing isolation. This article examines recognised theory and practice of one potential solution: action learning (AL). Reflecting New Testament leadership dynamics, AL sets are utilised increasingly within Church leadership development programmes. It is argued that the potential benefits of a stand-alone AL intervention for isolated rural clergy are two-fold: this pedagogical approach enables set members to engage with and reflect on real-life problems in collaboration with colleagues, and can also generate enduring social capital through the valuable networks set members build in the process.

Created to be guardians? Psychological type profiles of members of cathedral Friends associations in England

A sample of 1356 members of the Friends associations of six English cathedrals (775 women and 581 men) completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. Compared with psychological type profiles published for the Church of England laity, both male and female Friends showed greater preferences for introversion over extraversion, for sensing over intuition, and for judging over perceiving. Female Friends showed less preference for feeling over thinking than other female Anglican churchgoers or women in the general population. Overall, the most frequent psychological profile was the Epimethean (SJ) temperament, which was significantly more frequent than among Anglicans generally in the Church of England. This is a profile expected from people who have a strong desire to maintain tradition and heritage and who have been called “guardians” of the church.

Measuring religious social capital: scale properties of the modified Williams Religious Social Capital Index among Friends of cathedrals

This article evaluates a new version of the Williams Religious Social Capital Index (WRSCI), for use within Friends’ associations of Church of England cathedrals. Like the WRSCI, the modified measure (WRSCIM) takes into consideration four distinct elements: trust, and bonding, bridging and linking social capital. As part of a larger project, 923 Friends from six cathedrals responded to the 12 items concerning religious social capital. The modified index achieved satisfactory levels of internal consistency reliability; and construct validity was supported by a clear relationship between Friends’ activity and levels of religious social capital. However, in contrast to the demands on cathedral congregants (among whom the original WRSCI was developed), there is no expectation that cathedral Friends will have regular face-to-face contact with fellow members; so, a measure of social networks in the association would complement the WRSCIM to provide a more complete picture of Friends’ religious social capital.

Flagships in a sea of unbelief? Christian affiliation around big church buildings in England

Abstract Census data have prompted research on why there is so much local variation in religious identity. This study uses the key statistics of the 2011 UK National Census, aggregated by electoral wards, to investigate whether the presence of an important church building (a ‘flagship’ cathedral or cathedral-like parish/abbey church) correlates with higher Christian affiliation than would be expected if there were no such church building nearby. Using all 6,712 English wards within 30 km of a large church, those within 3 km had about 5%–7% fewer self-identified Christians than those further away. However, when social demography is controlled for, wards closest to large churches had around 1% more Christian affiliates than expected. Greater than expected levels of affiliation persisted when the analysis was restricted to buildings outside urban conurbations or just to Anglican or just to Roman Catholic cathedrals. Reasons for this ‘proximity’ effect are discussed, including the possibility that the sheer physical presence of such a building may heighten the chance of individuals self-identifying as Christian.

Mobilizing cathedral metaphors: The case of 'sacred space, common ground'

A range of metaphors has been mobilized to enliven the discourse of cathedral scholarship. Such imaginative terms can also stimulate theory and empirical investigation around the function of iconic cathedral buildings. Against the background of the emerging field of Cathedral Studies, this article reflects on a relatively new metaphor: ‘sacred space, common ground’. The study takes inspiration from the adventures of Lewis Carrolls Alice; and the reflection on the metaphor is conducted through the lens of the ‘Looking-glass room’. It is shown that the new metaphor highlights rich opportunities for mission yet also inherent tensions in two faces of cathedral life. The article concludes by offering suggestions for future empirical research within Cathedral Studies.

Action learning sets and social capital. Ameliorating the burden of clergy isolation in one rural diocese

ABSTRACT Rural clergy often lack colleagues and may struggle with isolation, especially if over-extended in multi-parish benefices. Theory suggests that this sense of isolation could be addressed by launching clergy action learning sets, which have the potential to establish a peer support network through the formation of social capital as a by-product of the pedagogical process. This case study looks at the effect of action learning set membership upon clergy involved in a new ministry development programme in one rural Church of England diocese. Markers of social capital (networks, norms and social trust) were found among set members, some of whom were prepared to draw on the new resource for assistance with problems, while others were ready to support such colleagues. Pre-existing support networks were one reason for clergy not intending to capitalize on the new links; another was the geographically dispersed set memberships. Geography may militate against exploiting social capital, but a distance of many miles between priest and trusted confidant can be advantageous. The study demonstrates that the notion that social capital formed through action learning will ameliorate isolation among some geographically scattered clergy is grounded not only in theory but also in practice.