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Resources Diana Butler Bass The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church
Resources Diana Butler Bass The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church
| The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church |
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Diana Butler Bass Diana Butler Bass wrote this book during her time as Director of the Project on Congregations of Intentional Practice, based at Virginia Theological Seminary. This three year across denominations study focussed on “the role of Christian practices in fostering congregational vitality, as experienced in churches of the historic mainline” across the United States. The book attempts to track some of the changes that have been occurring, and argues that because of these changes a new kind of mainline congregation has been born. This she terms the practicing congregation. She argues that these practicing congregations are weaving together Christian practices – activities drawn from the long Christian tradition – “into a pattern of being church that forms an intentional way of life in community.” The book is American in its focus and orientation, but nevertheless many of the issues she raises are and will be of relevance to Australian “mainline” churches such as the UCA. I found her chapter on tradition both helpful and insightful, particularly the sections where she discusses the relationship between tradition and change, and how congregations might “retradition.” She draws on the work of sociologist Roger Finke, who suggests that a congregation’s stance toward tradition and innovation is foundational to its vitality. “Religious organisations must simultaneously preserve core teaching and generate innovative adaptations” to foster vitality. Many mainline churches, Finke argues, did just the opposite ! The other particularly helpful chapter is the one where Bass describes intentional churchgoing and intentional congregations, as distinct from “accidental churchgoing.” Too many of those who make up UCA congregations in SA fit her description of the latter. The Christian practices central to the book are listed – activities such as hospitality, healing, stewardship, doing justice, silence, and contemplation – but nowhere are they described or detailed. Such description would have been helpful – but maybe that is for another book. In the end this book left me unconvinced. There are too many other significant issues that she hasn’t grappled with. However, there are many who will find this book stimulating and helpful. Alan Dutton |
