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Encountering New Age spirituality: opportunities and challenges for the
rural church
John Drane
Abstract
This article reviews the rise of New Age spirituality, locating its origins in
widespread disillusionment with the western cultural paradigm and difficulties
faced by the Church in offering relevant answers to new questions. At the same
time, it argues that the Church has resources, particularly in its rural
manifestations, that can begin to address the concerns of today’s spiritual
searchers.
Rural Theology 2(1), 15-27, 2004
What is a funeral for?
J Hugh A James
Abstract
A funeral is an important event for a rural church. Little research has been
done on the effect funerals have on those who attend, and little training is
given to the clergy who conduct them. This article will look at the nature of a
funeral, considering seven aspects which have been considered its main purpose.
It attempts to establish the necessary components of a funeral which works well
and satisfies the needs of the various participants. The conclusion is that the
following elements are all needed: disposal of a corpse, marking of a death,
affirmation of the deceased’s life, commendation of the deceased, proclaiming
faith, grieving, and cultural mirroring. Not all participants will welcome every
aspect of this, but the argument is that all are necessary, in varying degrees,
for a funeral to be perceived as successful.
Rural Theology 2(1), 29-40, 2004
The rural idyll and the kingdom of Christ
Anne Richards
Abstract
What we call the rural idyll and what we call the kingdom of Christ are often
simply constructions which tend to reflect the over-riding self-interest of
human beings. What is required is a correcting vision which allows us to recover
a vision of the world as God sees it in order more clearly to discern God’s
will. This requires theological reflection on the creation stories and also the
lessons of the book of Job. We must also address the question of our own
creatureliness in the context of our purpose under God and what light this
throws on our behaviour as Christians. Lastly, we must remake our ideas of
kingdom in accordance with what Jesus has taught us and to make it possible for
others to discover and respond to God. It is particularly important to the
Church that we provide this theological reflection in the context of how we
live, work, and express Christian community in the countryside.
Rural Theology 2(1), 41-51, 2004
Blackshawhead: a local case history in rural church categorisation
Lewis Burton
Abstract
A number of studies have sought to categorise churches according to their
location in situations which can be said to be rural or urban, or some mix of
each of these two types of settlement patterns. Such categorisation has
uncertainties, and the attempts to refine systems sometimes give rise to debate
about the criteria to be used, and to contradictions between the resulting
scales suggested by different studies. This article seeks to question existing
criteria and systems of categorisation by using a local church’s experience as a
case history, and also to point up other issues related to small church
experience in an isolated situation. It also seeks to draw attention to the
value of the study of the local church for more general issues in rural
theology.
Rural Theology 2(1), 53-60, 2004
RESEARCH REPORT: I was glad: listening to visitors to country churches
Keith Littler
Leslie J Francis
and Jeremy Martineau
Abstract
A major national visitors’ survey asked visitors and tourists to rural churches
to rate on a five-point scale how much they liked to find certain features when
they visit churches. Of the 12,757 individuals who completed the rating scales,
765 took the additional effort to add further personal comment. The qualitative
data arising from these personal comments have not previously been evaluated.
The present analysis of these data provides a valuable guide to visitors’ views
about the provisions churches should make for visitors and tourists.