Anglican priests on priesthood : from representative person to integrative symbol
The thesis is divided into three sections which are a review of literature concerned with the Anglican priesthood, a description of the research methodology, and an analysis of the data collected by interviewing 35 Anglican clergy. The literature review traces the stages of becoming a priest, from vocation through to selection, formation and ordination. At each stage it asks what a priest is expected to do, and what a priest is expected to be. As the review proceeds it will be seen that there are different opinions about these questions. The review concludes by showing how the literature divides into those who tend towards seeing the priest as functional, and those who tend towards a symbolic understanding of the ministry. The research methodology is grounded theory. In summary this involved interviewing priests, asking them about what they believe, what they do, and ways in which they understand both themselves and their priesthood. The data from these interviews provided a grounded base of personal experiences upon which to rest the analysis of priesthood. The data analysis begins with priests' descriptions of themselves as being representatives of God and the people. These descriptions lead to the construction
Hennessey, Roger
Clergy
Anglican priests on priesthood : from representative person to integrative symbol. The thesis is divided into three sections which are a review of literature concerned with the Anglican priesthood, a description of the research methodology, and an analysis of the data collected by interviewing 35 Anglican clergy. The literature review traces the stages of becoming a priest, from vocation through to selection, formation and ordination. At each stage it asks what a priest is expected to do, and what a priest is expected to be. As the review proceeds it will be seen that there are different opinions about these questions. The review concludes by showing how the literature divides into those who tend towards seeing the priest as functional, and those who tend towards a symbolic understanding of the ministry. The research methodology is grounded theory. In summary this involved interviewing priests, asking them about what they believe, what they do, and ways in which they understand both themselves and their priesthood. The data from these interviews provided a grounded base of personal experiences upon which to rest the analysis of priesthood. The data analysis begins with priests' descriptions of themselves as being representatives of God and the people. These descriptions lead to the construction
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