Percy: Shaping the Church
In his book, Shaping the Church, Martyn Percy introduces us to the concept of “implicit theology,” the idea that hidden, often unreflected practices, habits, and culture are not simply “benign and innocent,” but offer a great deal of value to understanding the ecclesiology of a particular expression of the church (both local congregations and broader denominations, and even, I imagine, para-church and mission organizations). [1] The idea of implicit theology is not simply an extension of folk or popular religion or even a portrayal of the “excluded middle” popularized by anthropologist Paul Hiebert,[2] but a reflection on how the practices and identities of a particular community of believers reveal their theology. In other words, we can ask the question, “What does ‘x’ imply about how we understand God, the church, and the world?” with ‘x’ representing all manner of things, concepts, and practices, beyond the explicit theologies expressed in doctrines, statements of faith, etc.
For example, we might notice that a congregation has a coffee time between two services, allowing participants of both services to interact and chat casually with each other over coffee and snacks. What does this practice say about how that church understands God, the church (themselves) and the world? As they reflect on this practice, they might realize that they value time spent informally with one another and recognize it as a spiritual practice. Upon deeper reflection, they may recognize that they haven’t done all they can to honor God’s creation and God’s people, as the coffee is served in disposable Styrofoam cups and bought as cheap as possible. Because they are a church who reflects on their being and doing, they may decide through this process to switch to washable mugs and fair-trade coffee, which costs more but allows them to better honor the people who source the coffee. As Percy recommends, a church that seeks to be vibrant and growing should adopt a strategy to make “the implicit far more explicit, and [learn] to celebrate varieties of growth and transformation.”[3]
This practice of reflecting on our implicit theology is an outgrowth of a community that seeks to ask the question, “What are the ways God uses to shape us for being and doing?” Percy states it this way, “If action flows from identity, then a community with a close-knit sense of itself may find its religious expression more ‘productive’ than a more disparate community.”[4]
In many ways, I’ve found Dr Percy’s text to be a companion book to Dr Emma Percy’s book, What Clergy Do: Especially When it Looks Like Nothing, almost as if the two of them have had long conversations together on these themes. Like Martyn’s exploration of implicit theology, Emma recognizes that “being and doing are interwoven. There are plenty of tasks to be done but a list of tasks cannot adequately define the role. Both mothering and ministry are relationships and activities: the relationship shapes the activity and the activity enhances the relationship.”[5] And while Martyn challenges churches to reflect more on how implicit practices shape our theology, Emma contends that, like in mothering, “reflective thinking is developed and honed through conversations: through the kind of chatting that may well be dismissed as idle talk.”[6] It is what happens in the spaces that shape us.
I see this discussion on implicit theology connecting, as well, with what I’ve been looking at for my research problem, the connection between the communion table and the kitchen table as places of sacred hospitality. Martyn Percy suggests that the importance of implicit theology lies in “a conviction; namely that what is natural, given and ordinary is also imbued with meaning and value that is a form of theological currency.”[7] In other words, implicit theology is a “quotidian mystery,” ordinary yet holy.[8]
[1] Martyn Percy, Shaping the Church: The Promise of Implicit Theology (Surrey: Ashgate, 2010), 2.
[2] http://hiebertglobalcenter.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/29.-1999.-The-Flaw-of-the-Excluded-Middle.pdf
[3] Martyn Percy, 91.
[4] Ibid., 96.
[5] Emma Percy, What Clergy Do: Especially When it Looks Like Nothing (London: SPCK, 2014), 22.
[6] Ibid., 56.
[7] Martyn Percy, 3.
[8] cf. Kathleen Norris, Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and “Women’s Work” (Paulist Press, 1998). I’d add some delightful quotes from this, one of my favorite books, if it weren’t packed. You’ll have to imagine them, instead.
About the Author
Katy Drage Lines
In God’s good Kingdom, some minister like trees, long-standing, rooted in a community. They embody words of Wendell Berry, “stay years if you would know the genius of the place.” Others, however, are called to go. Katy is one of those pilgrims. A global nomad, Katy grew up as a fifth generation Colorado native, attended college & seminary and was ordained in Tennessee, married a guy from Pennsylvania, ministered for ten years in Kenya, worked as a children’s pastor in a small church in Kentucky, and served college students in a university library in Orange County, California. She recently moved to the heart of America, Indianapolis, and has joined the Englewood Christian Church community, serving with them as Pastor of Spiritual Formation. She & her husband Kip, have two delightful boys, a college junior and high school junior.7 responses to “Percy: Shaping the Church”
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What a wonderful interplay between Martyn and Emma Percy you pointed out, Katy. I like the way you connect things. And how great that you and Lynda both found material for your dissertations!
Dr. Percy’s book had so much to think about – You have a great ability to bring understanding with your examples. Delightful as always!!!!
“It is what happens in the spaces that shape us.” Yes I agree. The ministry of small talk. The importance of companionship – the breaking of bread together. The markers and the mass of non-verbal communication that takes place among us. Our church only serves really good (Fairtrade!) coffee – never instant! It means we are closer to God and heaven.
I’d visit a Pentecostal church if they served fair trade coffee. Is it also spirit-filled coffee? 😉
Katy, maybe you should write a book called CASSEROLES, COFFEE, AND CHRIST: A THEOLOGY OF CHURCH FELLOWSHIPS.
Would you read it? 😉
[Great title– maybe I’ll use it for my dissertation!]
Katy, I will never look at “donut” time at church the same again. I appreciated your perspective (evidence of “deep work” in your life) on the church fellowship time. Respecting the people who have provided the snacks by honoring fair trade items and such. Great thoughts for your research problem too.
I had the same thoughts about Martin and Emma discussing the maternal aspects of theology and God. So funny that you said that because I also pictured them having deep discussions on the character of God, what makes a successful clergy, how to properly handle your anger as a clergy….etc. Looking forward to reading your dissertation. Sounds interesting and needed.
I love your thoughts on the coffee fellowship time, Katy. We were part of a church whose informal motto was, “First we love you, then we get to know you.” When we started working there, I noticed some little things that said maybe we don’t love you as well as we thought. The friendliness of the church was beyond anything I have every seen, but there were no signs telling people where the bathrooms are, the coffee was sort of set back in a corner so people had to wait in a line to get to it, the greeters stood at the sanctuary doors but not the outside doors, and the people in the overflow section of the Sanctuary couldn’t see what was projected on the screen. These little things deterred from a true sense of welcome. When we made adjustments, people noticed and we had more people come a 2nd or 3rd time. These are the intangibles of implicit theology that we miss and they are actually pretty important.
Thank you also for bringing Emma Percy’s “being and doing” into the conversation. I think this is the reason small groups and home churches are so popular. Sermons and classes are important, but informal conversations where ideas can be tested and discussed are crucial.