Pioneering Spirituality: Resources for reflection and
practice edited by Cathy Ross and Jonny Baker, published by Canterbury Press,
is the latest work from the CMS stable.
Whilst distinctly different from its predecessor last year ThePioneer Gift it still has the familiar format of having a range of chapters
from practitioners in a range of contexts. The work that Baker and Ross do
involves seeking to facilitate the hearing of voices which might not otherwise
be heard. This has primarily involved seeking to ensure that it is those who
would describe themselves as pioneers whose stories and theological reflections
are heard.
The scope of contributors to this book seems wider than in
previous texts of this kind. It seems that going beyond the traditionally
recognised type of fresh expressions and pioneering projects they are engaging
more widely with different types of pioneering. This includes hearing the voices
of Harvey Kwiyani who is one of a group of Malawian pastors living and working
in Nottingham and Berdine Van Den Toren-Lekkerkerker and Benno Van Den Toren
who are originally from the Netherlands but have worked in various parts of the
world. The former discusses African Spirituality in Western Contexts and the
latter From Missionary Incarnate to Incarnational Guest: A Critical Reflection
on Incarnation as a Model for Missionary Presence. There is also a chapter by
anti-FGM activist Ann-Marie Wilson, who started 28 Too Many, on An Active
Spirituality for Mission.
That said there are the familiar type of Pioneers in here
too such as Gavin Mart of Engedi Arts who is a Methodist Venture FX Pioneer.
Whilst Ross and Baker are careful not to speak with the voices of academics,
rather presenting their introductory chapter in a more conversational form the
academic voice is here too. Not only via Ross (and to a lesser extent Baker)
but also through Stephen Bevans of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Bevans chapter Dancing with the Missionary God: Towards a Mission Spirituality
seeks to identify six constant features of spirituality which provide a
template for those engaged in pioneer mission.
The Bevans chapter is one which seeks to invite the practitioner
to reflect on their own spirituality and seek to identify what both unpins it
but also what sustains it. This concept of ensuring the pioneers own
spirituality is sustained and the sharing of ideas and practices to help with
this is the focus of the first part of the book. The most powerful chapters on
this topic I believe are Kate Pearson’s on Angela of Foligno as a Model for
Pioneer Minstry and Beth Honey’s Pioneers as Pilgrims. Both of these chapters
were particularly useful to me personally as I seek to identify how to develop
my own spirituality having moved into a lay university chaplaincy role – a role
that in her chapter Pearson who is a chaplain at a different university describes
as having “been a space for pioneers for a long time.” (p80)
Other chapters particularly in the second half of the book
talk more about practice and how to help others develop their spirituality.
Johnny Sertin’s chapter on Getting Dirty talked about doing this within a Church
of England Parish Context whilst Tina Hodgett talked about it in relation to a
group for young mums in her chapter on Doors in the Air: Baby Spirituality. These
were interesting chapters telling the stories of what they were doing in a way
which readers of the Ancient Faith, Future Mission series will be familiar.
Overall though this is more of a book to help pioneers
themselves reflect rather than a book for those outside the system. It is a
text to help understanding between different groups and to facilitate a
conversation as illustrated by Kim Hartshorne’s We Are One Body Because We all
Share in One Bread: Pioneering and the Eucharist. This chapter was focused on
explaining to those from lower church backgrounds particularly why the
Eucharist is so important to many practitioners from an Anglican tradition. This
chapter articulated clearly why the rules matter to some people and why in
finding new ways of doing things respect needs to be given to existing
etiquettes. Again as somebody who doesn’t at times understand the need for the
rules and restraints this was something I found particularly useful.
Overall this is a book which I would highly recommend to
those who are seriously following developments in this area of pioneer ministry
and mission because it highlights how maturing is now occurring. There is also
more space being given to voices of those who have come from elsewhere to the
UK which is good. I would also recommend it to practitioners who wish to
reflect on their own practice and rootedness. Would I recommend it beyond that
readership? I am not sure. Whilst it is a very good book and very readable and
far less of a text book than some recent books I have read in this area it is still
I believe quite specialist reading. It is clearly seeking to support the
growing band of practitioners whilst developing some important conversations.
It is a book of sharing ideas and also asking important questions of pioneers
themselves.
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