Clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
The concept of 'folk-religion' has functioned as both a mission interface, and as a clerical category of self-absolution in the face of secularisation and marginalisation. The attitudes that clergy bring to'folk-religion', its beliefs and praxis and the effects of longitudinal change within the religious Zeitgeist, are the main concern of this study. Data on clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' from the 1988-1990 Rural Church Project (RCP) provide an empirical basis for replication and extension of the RCP questions on 'f olkreligion' to the Diocese of Bath & Wells. The latter takes the form of sixtyone in depth semi-structured interviews, together with a small sub-sample of Anglican and other mainstream clergy working in Glastonbury. Chapter One critiques the RCP, introduces the concept of 'folk-religion', and proposes a descriptive attitudinal taxonomy, the strong-negative - non-differentiator continuum. This both defines the range of clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' and provides a heuristic model which, in conjunction with a quantitative instrument (the Clergy Attitude Scale) is elaborated in Part Two when the Somerset data are subjected to in-depth analysis. The latter is approached through the concept
Walker, Philip Geoffrey
Self-absolution ; Mission ; Anglican ; Pastoral
Clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The concept of 'folk-religion' has functioned as both a mission interface, and as a clerical category of self-absolution in the face of secularisation and marginalisation. The attitudes that clergy bring to'folk-religion', its beliefs and praxis and the effects of longitudinal change within the religious Zeitgeist, are the main concern of this study. Data on clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' from the 1988-1990 Rural Church Project (RCP) provide an empirical basis for replication and extension of the RCP questions on 'f olkreligion' to the Diocese of Bath & Wells. The latter takes the form of sixtyone in depth semi-structured interviews, together with a small sub-sample of Anglican and other mainstream clergy working in Glastonbury. Chapter One critiques the RCP, introduces the concept of 'folk-religion', and proposes a descriptive attitudinal taxonomy, the strong-negative - non-differentiator continuum. This both defines the range of clergy attitudes to 'folk-religion' and provides a heuristic model which, in conjunction with a quantitative instrument (the Clergy Attitude Scale) is elaborated in Part Two when the Somerset data are subjected to in-depth analysis. The latter is approached through the concept
clergy attitudes folk religion diocese bath wells concept folk religion function mission interface clerical category self face secularisation marginalisation attitude clergy bring folk religion belief praxis effect longitudinal change within religious main_concern study data clergy attitude folk religion rural church project provide_empirical basis replication extension question diocese bath wells latter take_form depth semi_structured_interview together small sub sample anglican mainstream clergy work critique introduce concept folk religion propose descriptive attitudinal taxonomy strong negative non continuum defines range clergy attitude folk religion provide heuristic model conjunction quantitative instrument clergy attitude scale elaborate part_two somerset data subject depth_analysis latter approach concept