Martyn Percy has written a challenging, polemical but perceptive and significant book. The ecclesiological context he presents draws from the insights of social theory applied to the nature of leadership and institutional/organizational polarities. Though focused on the Church of England, Percy argues that the trends observed within his own church are being mirrored elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.
Percy’s chief concern is that the church’s mission is too pragmatically focused and conservatively conceived, theologically and ecclesially, and therefore socially. The leadership of the Church of England, but also the Anglican Communion, has succumbed to the culture of managerialism, and its socially conservative attitudes and shallow sense of mission that is the result of panic at falling membership. He argues that a deeper theology is needed to envision ecclesial leadership and management.
The book is written in three sections. In the first section, Percy outlines the culture and contours of the present Church of England which he argues is dominated by an ever-thickening culture of management and organisation. Percy references as examples recent Church of England reports reflecting ‘high-levels of anxiety-inspired activism’ (p. 154), largely depending on ‘functionalist, corporate-business language for describing church and ministry’ (p. 155), and ‘uncritical use of executive management speak’ (p. 34).
That these cultural forces have been given sway, the book argues, reflects the need for a deeper understanding of theology and ecclesiology by leadership generally but, more specifically, by the episcopate. By way of example, Percy cites the way Archbishop Justin Welby in his first months in office sought to develop personal relationships around the Communion. However, this has meant the diminishment of the relatedness which ‘requires the whole institution’; episcopacy, while personal, is a charism of the church as institution (p. 60). Leadership when it works from the more pragmatic and personal style, while not without its place, reflects a failure to appreciate the difference between institution and organization. As a theological institution, the church needs leaders who can promote and protect its values, and give ‘moral leadership’. Ecclesiologies which envision and develop rich and deep involvement with the complexities and challenges of human life are found within Anglican practice and tradition. Percy argues, however, that Anglican theology and ecclesiology is being hijacked by shallower, more conservative models of mission that reflect an uncritical enculturation by leadership who are inclined to ‘eschew the poetic, pastoral and prophetic in favour of numbers and apparent results’ (p. 49).
In the second section of the book, Percy focuses on examples of the church’s ‘uncritical enculturation’. Current Anglican ecclesiology, Percy claims, is too often influenced by ‘fiscal narratives’ rather than a deeper theological framework grounded in the gospel. He argues that ‘money is an issue for the orthopraxis of the congregation or denomination; its use is value-laden’ and this, he says, raises questions about the correlation of our superabundance as ‘a sign of spiritual fecundity’ and our lack ‘correlated with the loss of power and membership’ (p. 75). What is needed, claims Percy, is a church leadership that reimagines and integrates the theological narrative of grace with a confidence that invites and enables human community to live out God’s plan of salvation in the face of funding shortfalls and growing diversity.
Percy also applies his critical eye to matters of human sexuality and issues of power and abuse, and observes that in such matters, the church lacks ‘deeper ecclesial comprehension’. He claims that the church has poured resources into ‘specious missiological schema’ called ‘fresh expressions’ or ‘emerging church’ which have turned out ‘to be ways of manouvering faithful Christians into lighter forms of spiritual organisation that do not carry heavy institutional responsibilities or broader based ministerial burdens’ (p. 96). This limits the church’s ability to engage critically and reflectively with social issues. For Percy, there is a theological need for ‘deeper literacy’ in the theologizing that will help our membership ‘to be aware of the far from innocent forces which can shape lives and institutions’ (p. 105).
The heart of the argument presented by Percy in The Future Shapes of Anglicanism, is both theological and ecclesiological. It is concerned with how Christians view God’s presence and activity in world and church. It relates to questions rising from the notion of horizon, as writers like Lewis Mudge and Gerard Mannion amongst others have outlined. To what extent do we believe God to be present to and speaking from the wider world? Does life within the church map the primary setting for the faithful life? Which horizon ought we to focus on for our formation as faithful disciples of Jesus and for the mission of God – the horizon of the church or of the world?
This theological tension between the horizons of church and world form the basis of the third section of the book. Percy suggests a ‘re-charting’ of present Anglican ecclesiology in an attempt at ecclesial repair that allows more effective theological, pastoral, spiritual and prophetic visionary leadership in the Anglican Communion. Percy claims that the Anglican Communion’s future lies in its ability to develop leaders who have a deeper theology and ecclesiology but who are also more ecclesially, socially and culturally aware. Episcopacy, and leadership more generally, needs to follow an ‘eco-leadership’ model that leads from the middle and builds collegiality (p. 48).
Ecclesial repair, Percy argues, requires that we attend to the riches of the ‘broad’ Anglican tradition that is most true to itself as a ‘generous’ incarnational ecclesiology that is theologically orthodox’ (p. 151). Here is a way of being church that does not so much seek agreement or purity but ‘relational discourse and practice that is born of hybridity’ (p. 11). Such an ecclesiology embraces complexity but also views diversity and dynamic tensions as creative, valued and cherished (p. 65). In The Future Shapes of Anglicanism, Percy envisions a growing Anglican Communion of diverse shape and mission. This sits in deep contrast to ecclesial visions that fail to truly engage with depth listening and theologizing. ‘Pioneer Ministries, “Fresh Expressions”, Missional Congregations’, though not without their place, tend to reflect ‘a niche-based tribal proclivity’ (p. 7), and ‘increase the gap between church and world’ (p. 159). For Percy ‘narrow Anglicanism is also a contradiction in terms. It is the breadth that defines Anglican polity and it is its breadth that will save it’ (p. 196).
The Future Shapes of Anglicanism will not be universally welcomed, not least because of its argument for a ‘broad’ Anglican ecclesiology, though on this I am in full agreement with Percy. Not all will agree, however, that the church’s current episcopal leadership lack theological depth although the English church appears to be unusual in its history of scholarly theologians within the episcopate when compared to the wider Anglican Communion.
Percy is not the first within the Anglican Communion or the wider Church, to argue the case against the trend of growing managerialism within its ecclesial practice. His claim that the Anglican Communion needs leaders who can engage deeply with theology, and with the church and society is a vital one for the church today. The church desperately needs women and men who can, as Percy argues, understand and help connect church membership with the deeper incarnational or ‘theo-social’ Christian vision. This vision, Anglican theologian Daniel Hardy has argued, is particular to Anglican polity, but it is a vision broad and deep enough to be of benefit to the wider church, as indeed is this book from Martyn Percy.
There are places within The Future Shapes of Anglicanism when Percy’s polemic is perhaps overstated. Percy’s description of ‘institution’ is a worthy ideal, and one that I too want to help shape in its theological and ecclesial best. However, as the Royal Commission into Sexual Abuse in Australia has evidenced with devastating effect, we also need an institution run with clear and open consultative, collaborative and accountable practice. We need a church that is well organized and managed while recognizing its messiness and failures. This, I think, is what Percy is claiming: we need leadership with theological depth and the ability to engage theologically with the world alongside good management and organizational frameworks. It is, however, the former – episcopal leadership with theological depth – that offers the vision and hope for the church as people held and nurtured in God’s salvic story. It is a rare bishop or leader who can do both, but, as Percy argues, we as church need to continue to ask ourselves, ‘Which narratives are shaping our congregations, dioceses or national churches’? Are we offering the space to develop deep theological vision and ecclesiology? Where have we too easily given in to the culture(s) of our day?
This book is written with a great sense of love for the virtues and values of Anglican ecclesiology and the Anglican Communion. Percy’s voice is offered as a dissonant but loyal one; a voice that contains ‘essential truths that a culture of uncritical consent misses’ (p. 119). Many Anglican leaders, episcopal and managerial, will no doubt have pondered prayerfully, long and often, many of the issues raised by Percy. This is not an easy time for the Anglican Communion, nor indeed for any church if it wants to engage with the fullness of the theological and ecclesial vision of God in Christ.
