Bringing in the Sheaves by Rev Richard Coles - Reviewed

It took me a couple of chapters to work out that Richard Coles was going through the year in his book Bringing in the Sheaves: Wheat and Chaff from My Years as a Priest. To be honest I have to admit part of the reason it took the first three chapters was he starts with Petertide rather than advent or January. As with a lot of things in this book there is reason for this and explanation given, (for the strange churchy words as well as the structure). The structure of the book is this version of the liturgical year – with hatching, matching and dispatching, thrown in there too.

It also took me a few chapters to get a hang of what type of book this was. The style of writing is quite different to his first volume of his autobiography Fathomless Riches or How I Went from Pop to Pulpit. Where as that is based around anecdote and self-reflection with a bit of education mixed in this is a much more focused book. It has the clear purpose of raising religious literacy amongst its readers whilst giving the stories and titbits of gossip which keep it interesting for those whose tastes might generally be a bit more low brow.

Besides an unpacking of the meaning of different parts of the church year and the anecdotes there is also a rich seam of history running through this book. Coles looks at the lives of a range of saints too and demonstrates his pure passion for as well as in-depth knowledge for church history.

Having read the first books reflections on his time at Mirfield I was surprised that it got mentioned so often in this volume, as somewhere he had chosen to revisit.

He is still the wonderful camp guy making the point that he is determined to be open about his sexuality, yet he is also the happily “married” (legally civil partnered) guy who shares his life with the man he loves and their dogs.

The broadcasting career is in there but more interesting are his anecdotes relating to “ordinary” folk he comes across in the course of his ministry which has been to the very rich, the very poor and the standardly middle class.

So is it worth the read? Definitely but be prepared that this is much more Guardian Review than the Saturday Guardian Guide in style.

It is touching in places, particularly when he talks of his dad’s Parkinson’s, hilarious in others and overall enlightening. You learn lots without feeling that you are being hit over the head with it.

The overall feeling of this book is it is the one which Coles wanted to write. The one which enables him to write a theology book for the masses. Thus the biggest feeling I came away with was this guy has integrity. He’s not playing games, he’s writing the book he wants to. He is not worried it’s probably too faith based for some people outside the church and too honest for some in it. That’s what makes it so good, in my opinion – it’s an honest book written by a clever bloke who got famous through low culture but really has a heart for high culture.

 Note: I have also posted this on my Learning from Hagar blog

The Road to Little Dribbling - Bill Bryson Reviewed

Back in the day Bill Bryson wrote Notes from a SmallIsland. It was the tale of an American travelling around Britain and sharing his experiences. Twenty years on he has revisited the project in The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island.

As co-incidence had it I re-read Notes from a Small Island for a book group I am part of immediately before setting off on The Road for Little Dribbling.  I had enjoyed the first book but been had been forced to re-evaluate my opinion of Bryson a little when somebody pointed out he was a little bit rude and not always politically correct. I was a little taken back by this criticism of Bryson at first. After all I had been a post-grad at Durham and for part of that time Bryson had been chancellor and to suggest he was anything less than a minor deity was really not the done thing. It was probably a good thing I came to this book ready to more objectively examine the nature of what was being written a little more.

There are points when Bryson’s opinion is biting and put forward in a way which is close to cruel. There is also an honesty about his speech which is not curbed by concerns about what might be politically right to say. That said it is part of the fun of Bryson and he is now a fully-fledged grumpy old man I would argue plays up to that in this book.

However, I disagree with the Telegraph writer Clive Aslet who says this is a made up account of Britain. With regard to Durham Bryson does admit fully to having a knowledge of the city and he does not for a moment suggest that his knowledge of the cathedral, which he does say he has visited often, comes from this visit. I would also say as a frequent train traveller who holidays in the UK rather than abroad I recognised much of what he said as being true. That said I do agree with the Telegraph writer that Bryson feigns ignorance on occasion for the benefit of the laughs. One example being I have no doubt that he understands the role that the Aldeburgh festival and it’s long association with Benjamin Britain, together with its close proximity to London play in making it a sea-side destination that has thrived when others have struggled. It was where the arty types of the mid-twentieth century chose to escape to before the younger generation discovered Whitstable.

The distain he feels for British service is sometimes justified and sometimes not. I would say one only needs to watch the Mary Portas programmes where she goes in and teaches customer service as an example of why much of what he says is correct.

In terms of the changing nature of the country and the way in which some areas are being revitalised whilst others are decaying that is also not deniable. What I suspect the Telegraph writer dislikes is at various points, as when he discusses Birmingham, Bryson lays blame at the door of the government for forcing huge cuts onto local councils.

That is not to say Bryson is a rabid socialist, he is way too politically incorrect for that. No, he is quite simply a middle of the road bloke who is taking a look at what is going on and making the same kind of comments many are when they take the time to look at the impact of the policies being pursued at the moment.

One of the comforting things I found about this book is I could imagine my father, who is of a similar age to Bryson making many of the similar observations.

It is not all doom and gloom though. Bryson is very careful to give credit where it is due, on occasion naming specific individuals who have served him well. He also makes, I believe, a fair assessment of the National Trust which he does join on route.

So do I recommend the book? Yes, if you like grumpy old men mumbling on and if you want an accurate snap shot of part of Britain at the moment. No, if you are too easily offended by men of a certain age being at various points rude, transphobic and generally miserable.

On that last point and referring to page 313 of his book it did disappoint me that he displayed so much of a lack of understanding about trans issues. In the unlikely event that (a) he should ever read this & (b) he should not dismiss me as another one of those book reviewers he dislikes I should like to invite him to find out more about what it is like for transsexual people. Preferably by sitting down and just chatting to somebody who is trans and finding out why referring to “Bruce Jenner in drag” is not a cheap laugh but really deeply unhelpful and problematic. 

The Benefits of Passion by Catherine Fox Reviewed

There is a real talent in writing explicit sex scenes which are not overly graphic and in doing the same with violence. In The Benefits of Passion Catherine Fox very successfully manages to do both. This is just one of the reasons why I think this book show cases Fox’s work in a way her other novels don’t. It has a lightness which Angels and Men was missing and a depth which overall goes beyond what Acts and Omissions and Unseen Things Above, written in their weekly blog form initially did.

In this novel the reader who is familiar with her earlier work will find familiar characters and locations as well as ones. Johnny Whittaker and Mara make a reappearance for instance and the theme of course involves ecclesiastical life.

The central character Annie is an ordinand, (trainee vicar), at the fictional college of Coverdale. This location, as in Angels and Men, is a barely disguised location being clearly based upon Cramner Hall in Durham. One certainly doesn’t have to be acquainted with the North East to appreciate the book as the location detail is well written, but more than a passing acquaintance does bring this book to life in a way which is quite wonderful.

I find it interesting this novel includes one story within another as besides being a seminary student Annie is also a secret writer of a type of fiction not too dissimilar to Fox herself. That said, it is written in a way which seeks to make clear that the fictional character is newer to her craft than the author herself. This technique is well used and at times one wants the “real life” of Annie, Dr. Will and the others to subside so that you can get back to what is happening between Isabel and Barney, the fictional characters.

Whilst published by Marylebone House which is an imprint of SPCK if you are expecting a nice inoffensive Christian novel you will be sorely disappointed. If however, you are interested in reading a book which does not fall into the trap of so much Christian literature and music of being a bit crap because it tries too hard to be Christian you will enjoy this.

As with so much of what Fox writes it is rooted in the notion that clergy and others in the church are real people too complete with sex lives and family problems. She is also not afraid to identify and address some of the reasons why many people including and sometimes especially Christians end up messed up and the ways in which their dysfunction can manifest itself.

What I think makes her writing so good is that as part of the establishment she is not afraid of offending it and so she goes that step further than many secular writers would because she doesn’t have their fear.

The Minister as Entrepreneur - Reviewed

Entrepreneur is a word which people often find difficult when applied to religious organisations and this is something Michael Volland is well aware of. This ministerial trainer on mission and diocese missioner's latest book The Minister As Entrepreneur: Leading and Growing the Church in an Age of Rapid Change published by SPCK devotes some time and space dealing with this apparent problem.

One of the problems which is identified in this text, which is based largely around a piece of fairly small scale qualitative research he did amongst Anglican Clergy within the Diocese of Durham, is the association with the language of business and the market. He gives a quote from CMS head and Fresh Expressions expert Jonny Baker indicating why many within the church feel there are problems with this language; they link it with negative aspects of capitalism.

Whilst Volland clearly seeks to go beyond this business approach in his examination of the subject and use of the term it has to be recognised that this book feeds into wider debates within the CofE on theological education and training. The language and ethos of the business environment has been central to the GreenReport (Talent Management for Future Leaders and Leadership Development for Bishops and Deans: A New Approach). This small book I think would best be seen as part of this wider discussion around how we identify gifts and vocation and how we encourage those who might have specific gifts of leadership or callings into specific types of ministry, both lay and ordained.

 

Language and it’s use is the focus of the first part of the book which takes the familiar form of operationalising the terms being used and going through the literature review. Within the first few chapters Volland also engages in some interesting theology particularly in chapter three which is titled “An entrepreneurial God?

 

In this first part of the book Volland is clear to lay out the limitations of this text and the research sample it is based upon. The discussion questions around each chapter at the end of the book together with his initial comments show that this book is intended as a discussion starter. This is indeed how it should be viewed, being somewhat brief in nature.

 

Having read previous work by Volland, such as Through the Pilgrim Door, it is clear that writing in a less academic form is his preferred medium and this is why some parts of the book read better than others. In the preface he appears to be using his natural voice whilst later it reads slightly more awkwardly as he moves away from using the voice of the storyteller wrestling with complex academic questions and more into the more usual formal academic style. I much prefer the former style which has emerged from Volland, Baker and their pioneer contemporaries. The natural style they have developed is one which is clearly rooted in their experiences as practitioners who engage with academia and I think it is very readable. The sub-headings are a useful feature which are well used in this book, guiding the reader well and it is notable that these disappear during the second half of the book.

 

The first 65 pages are distinctly different in tone to the second where he presents his research findings and conclusions as I have indicated. This is perhaps because he identifies the two halves of the book being written for different audiences. The first half is focused on and addresses a broader audience than the latter which not only focuses on his ordained Anglican sample but seems to be addressed those living within a similar occupational bubble. It is clear from his comments that time has led to this restriction but it is a shame as because it means one feels as if they have walked into local debate around resources and recognition.

 

Of course there is wider application or this book would have not been published and that needs to be taken into account. Pages 101 – 103 in chapter 8 are perhaps the most central within this second half of the book because within them Volland outlines what his respondents felt aided the exercise of entrepreneurship in their ministry. These 19 points not only relate to entrepreneurship, I would argue, but what is central to healthy churches, mission and ministry more broadly. I believe they form the basis of what our discussions on the future should be.

 

As I say this is a useful, easy to read, short text which should be taken as a discussion opener or way into engaging with a number of difficult questions which need to be grappled with more widely than just within the CofE. 

 

The Minister as Entrepreneur by Michael Volland published by SPCK. ISBN: 9780281071821

(apologies, not sure why text has gone funny in 2nd half of this post)

The Mistresses of Cliveden - Reviewed

The Mistresses of Cliveden by Natalie Livingstone is a historical journey through the history of a building which gives a peek into the lives of the aristocracy and royalty who at various points lived there.

It is an easy read and it took just three days to work my way through to page 436, where the volume’s text ends. The end notes which show the historical research which went into this book continue for another 49 pages.

The reason I think it maintains attention is that within what appears to be a weighty tome are actually five smaller sections and each is like a book within its own right. Collectively they take you through from 1642 to 1964 on a journey which on the surface appears to be full of intrigue, scandal and indiscretion.

Yet this is not a scandalous book, the writer is a regular contributor to titles such as Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar as well as being the wife of the current owner of the building. Thus, this is a measured volume which exposes only what is generally known and on occasion seeks to reinforce the positive aspects of British aristocracy and royal family, almost excusing away or minimising their misdemeanours.

The key point the author appears to be making is that these women’s stories have to be seen in the contexts of the times they were living in.

Firstly, there is Anna Maria, who lived in the aftermath of the Civil War and puritan Commonwealth. In Restoration Britain duels and women living as mistresses of men they were not married to was more normal than we would perhaps like to think. Anna Maria was a woman living in a hedonist environment where there were double standards enshrined in the higher echelons of national life. Livingstone’s tale of her life shows how the lives of wives and mistresses in this set up differed and how they also at points overlapped.

As with most of the stories in the book the description of Anna Maria’s life also explains clearly how the system of royal patronage works. This is perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the book because we tend to think of this system as more important in Tudor times and before. Yet, we see through a range of precarious financial situations and personal relationships how important this system was to the highest echelons of society.

Next we have the story of Elizabeth Villiers, a woman whose story is most interesting as a result of her ongoing competition with Sarah, wife of the Duke of Marlborough. The competition between the women who had much to do with designing and building two of the most well known stately homes of the time is fascinating as it shows how power dynamics worked. This chapter is also interesting because it starts to give an insight into the way in which the death of a child had a devastating impact on many of these women.

Then we get to Augusta whose life from 1719 to 1772 gives us a fascinating into the rifts within the Georgian royal family. Augusta was the Princess of Wales and by the time we get to her mistress has very much changed meaning in this book. She is clearly the head of the household and a woman of integrity but not beyond working politically when needed. Indeed the political understanding and operating of these women is an interesting subtext within the book.

Of all the women in the book Augusta is perhaps my favourite, although her story is not the most interesting.

Next we get to Harriet whose story was, for me, the most engaging and the most disturbing. Being more recent and a close confidant of Queen Victoria there appears to be more material on Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland. Her story is one which is infused with politics, particularly through her friendship with Gladstone and links with royalty through her professional and personal links to Queen Victoria.

Indeed the most moving part of the book is when both Harriet and Victoria’s bereavements take place close to each other and their impacts are discussed.

What I found perhaps most difficult with this section of the book was reading so soon after watching the recent BBC Two programme Britain’sForgotten Slave Owners. This programme gave a picture of wealth at this time which often came from compensation claims. Whilst Harriet was shown to be an abolitionist advocate with regards to slavery in the USA I was conscious of the complex world in which she lived in. It is a world which history has often sought to sanitise somewhat and with that  in mind I had a mixture of feelings about this women. This uncomfortable aspect of nineteenth century history is picked up through reference to another chapter of British History which we may like to sweep under the carpet, the Highland Clearances. To be fair to the author she does pick this up but comes to no conclusion on the matter. Rather it comes across as an unfortunate aspect of history which needs to be acknowledged but not dwelt upon.

Finally we pick up on the story of Nancy Astor, first female MP to sit in the House of Commons. The anecdotes about her seem to come from a range of sources and as throughout this book material is taken from achieves and published sources but somehow there is a different feel to this part of the book. It seems that this is more sanitised and that there were less surprises found amongst the archives when it came to Astor. Perhaps this is not surprising, after all this was a media owning family who sought to control their image, at some times more successfully than at others. The key point within this chapter appears to be scorching the myth that there was a Cliveden set which was linked to Nazi Germany and the ideology of that regime. On one hand Livingstone does this successfully but on the other she highlights how the relationship between the upper echelons of society and Germany at that time was more complex than we might like to think in post-war society. As the recent pictures of the Queen from 1933 illustrate the picture was much more complex.

There is at the end of the book a description of the Profumo  Affair which involved the house and Nancy’s son.

What is missing is the writer herself. We know from the book something of her religious identity but beyond that nothing. Yet as current mistress of the house her story needs to be included, even if there was a gap between her Astor and her occupancy. I hope any revised version will include that.

Overall a book I would recommend but I would probably say wait until it comes out in paperback as £25 is somewhat high a price for this tale of five remarkable women. That said the hardback has one of the most beautiful book jackets I’ve seen. It looks and feels wonderful.

What I would add about this book is I hope BBC 4 pick it up and do a six part series (I say six part as I would like the author and current incarnation of the house included). Each woman does deserve her own programme and visually this would make a fascinating work.

I also now have somewhere else I hope to visit as this book is very much about place as much as people.

The Mistresses of Cliveden Three Centuries of Scandal, Power and Intrigue by Natalie Livingstone is published by Hutchinson. ISBN – 978-0 091-95452-9