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The Naked God: Wrestling for a Grace-ful Humanity Vincent Strudwick with Jane Shaw DLT 2017 £12. 99 Review by the Ven. Olivia Graham, The Archdeacon of Berkshire
The Naked God is a book which speaks clearly of those Christ-like attributes, and will be a tremendous source of encouragement to those who read it.
It is for all those who are wrestling with re-imagining the Church, and the question of what it is for.
It is book which is not easy to categorise, weaving the perspectives of autobiography, theology, history, the international Church and a personal faith journey.
It is a book which will engage and fascinate. The author, Vincent Strudwick, is a scholar, a historian, a thinker, a 'wrestler', and a loyal Anglican.
As a young man and a member of the Society of the Sacred Mission, he was deeply influenced by Herbert Kelly SSM, who wrote in 1917: "The worship of 'Religion' has become a great stumbling block in the way of the worship of God. " Kelly believed that religion is a greater obstacle to the search for God than atheism.
This notion is an illuminating one for our time. Over the past half century, Vincent has been closely involved in some of the key meetings and councils of the Anglican Church, and he argues engagingly and passionately for the future of the Church he loves.
The book had its origins in pub 'seminars' over a pint with fellow 'wrestlers'.
It is beautifully put together and easy to read, largely due to the creative partnership with Jane Shaw. The Naked God charts the tempestuous times of the past half century in the Church of England — a period which has seen the death of Christendom and during which society has changed more rapidly than at any other time in history.
As we wrestle together to understand the identity and purpose of the Church in the next generations, Vincent reminds us that it is not just about what we believe, but crucially, about Christianity as a way of being — a humanity full of grace. Vincent is convinced that the Church has a role as a catalyst in the task of kingdom-building, a task in which social action is key.
It is a task which must be undertaken in real partnership with others, those of all denominations and none, based on understanding and respect.
Strudwick argues that in order to be the Church, the Church needs the world.
He proposes a 'Trinity Model' of engagement - the three being a perceived community need; 'top' sponsorship with a joint top/bottom approach to planning and resourcing; and local delivery.
This is a model with much to commend it, and when the new strategic priorities of the Diocese emerge from the current consultative process, will I think be more and more in evidence. There are strong resonances in this book with the process called Partnership for Missional Church (PMC) which many churches in our diocese are currently engaging with.
PMC emphasises dwelling in the Word and other spiritual practices, understanding ourselves and our community.
We grow in awareness of what God is doing in the world, engaging with partners, 'people of peace', in order that together we may share in the task of building the kingdom. There is no doubt that the Church of England finds itself in turbulent times.
There are strong disagreements between those who hold that the Bible is inerrant; that the Church must keep itself pure and its teaching immutable amid the roaring waters of social change and those who hold that the Word of God lives only when it docks with the life and experience of real people; that Christians must seek new understandings of what it means to be human and that compassion is the highest value; grace the greatest gift. In the midst of this maelstrom, and the rising voices of those who believe that schism is inevitable, I found this book prophetic and strangely comforting.
This is not the first time that the Church of England has faced upheaval, and maybe each undulation has led us, via evolution or revolution, into something more honest.
Vincent faces the uncertain future of the Church with realism, grace, and tremendous hopefulness, and the reader will be rewarded with both inspiration and encouragement.