Reflections
on the importance of academia in the Church
By
Will Lyon Tupman, Lay Pastoral Assistant at St. Michael's Croydon
In
addition to the many pastoral and sacramental aspects of being a Lay
Pastoral Assistant, there has been a distinctly academic flavour to
my placement at St. Michael's Croydon. Having studied theology at
university, this has been particularly appealing to me – and St.
Michael's has been one of the most academically-focused Churches I
have served in to date. Our studies each term have been focused on
three main themes; the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, and Saints
and Sacraments.
In
examining these doctrines and beliefs central to the Christian faith,
the priests at St. Michael's have run a course of guided reading,
using a variety of academic texts by some of today's most renowned
theologians. These include former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI with
his trilogy on Jesus
of Nazareth.
Crucially, these academic texts clearly radiate the faith of the
authors, which has been particularly pleasurable for me as a
Christian and a theologian, especially as I explore ways in how I can
use my theological learning and understanding to help myself and
other Christians on our journey.
Further
to our guided reading programme with the priests at St. Michael's, we
have attended seminars with the Venerable Dr. Edward Dowler,
Archdeacon of Hastings. In these sessions, we have examined the texts
On
The Incarnation by
St. Athanasius, On
Pascha by
Melito of Sardis, and The
Rule of St. Benedict. I
have both furthered and expanded my theological repertoire – and
attending these seminars have been very much like attending Cambridge
supervisions!
In
addition to our reading and seminars, we have visited the National
Gallery in London each term. One of the Senior Research Curators, Dr.
Susanna Avery-Quash, has kindly led us on a study of some of the most
beautiful and theologically significant images (many of which were
originally used in worship in Churches) relating to the Incarnation,
the Paschal Mystery and the Sacraments.
St.
Anselm's motto of “faith
seeking understanding”
underpins our Adult Catechesis programme, a series of Christian
learning sessions at St. Michael's open to all, which has
corresponded with our Pastoral Assistants' study scheme. Offering
presentations to parishioners in study groups gives us the perfect
chance to apply our studies and learning to assisting the learning –
and faith journeys – of others around us.
My
academic formation at St. Michael's has been both useful and helpful
for me, especially in how we have comprehensively examined some of
the most important Christian doctrines and beliefs from several
denominations – and in both textual and visual mediums. I believe
it is vitally important to attain a good balance of sacramental,
pastoral and academic aspects of the Church's life – and my
placement at St. Michael's excellently embodies this. Having a
greater understanding of my faith, through academic study, is both
helpful for me and for those around me, as I use my understanding and
theology to guide others in their Christian journey.
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