What New and Useful Understanding Of
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WHAT NEW AND USEFUL UNDERSTANDING OF INTERRELIGIOUS RELATIONS CAN BE OPENED UP BY ENGAGING IN REGULAR SIKH WORSHIP WHILE CONTINUING AS A PRACTISING CHRISTIAN? by JOHN RAYMOND BARNETT A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PRACTICAL THEOLOGY Department of Theology and Religion School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham October 2018 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT A professional doctoral study by an Anglican priest using qualitative research, this is an autoethnographic description of multiple religious participation based on fieldwork in a Sikh gurdwara and a Christian church, partnered reflection, interviews, focus groups, and a self-survey. The thesis contributes to practical theology by using continuous narrative to unite description, reflection and theory. It shows the subtlety of religious belonging and identity for communities and the individual, examines how conflict of belief is addressed, and demonstrates difficulties with but overall growth in dual engagement. Focus groups show mixed views on multiple religious participation from clergy, but that Christian interreligious workers do find themselves participating in non-Christian worship despite being anxious about the response from other Christians. The thesis contributes to practice by encouraging them in reflective cross-boundary activity, calling on the church to support this and learn from their experiences. A growing awareness of divine friendliness during meditation led to exploration of friendship in both religions, and contributes to theology of religions by introducing ‘amicism’, an approach that is discerning, open, peaceable, joyful, vulnerable, and attentive. The unique fieldwork of the thesis also contributes to the growing discussion in religious studies on the complexity of religious belonging. DEDICATION Dedicated to grandchildren Reuben, Arthur and Esme. ‘… Is it not strange, that an infant should be heir of the whole World, and see those mysteries which the books of the learned never unfold?’ (Thomas Traherne, Centuries of Meditations, Chapter 3 section 2.) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are a few people who have asked that the details of their assistance not be identified, and this has led me to some circumspection in the main text. My thanks as well to local clerical colleagues and individuals in the sangat and church whose names I have not had agreement to make public and so who are not acknowledged elsewhere. I have been helped by many people over the time of this research, and offer thanks to all of them now. Some may be surprised to find their material not included here; such omission is no reflection on the fascinating insights they shared with me, it just reflects the direction in which this piece has developed. Those forty people listed in the printed version include interviewees, members of focus groups, readers of the drafts, providers of photographs, and others who have helped me over specific aspects of the research. Their names have been redacted for the electronic version. My thanks also go to the committee at Guru Ka Niwas gurdwara and the church council at Beacon Church Pheasey for their permission to engage in the research and to write about it, and their encouragement while doing so. I have also greatly appreciated the wisdom and camaraderie of my DPT colleagues in Birmingham over the years and the staff who have supported us (named in the printed version). Those who have taken particularly significant parts in the research are my enthusiastic Christian collocutors and my Sikh collocutor, Bhajan Singh Devsi, who not only filled that role but also acted as my advocate with the gurdwara committee and informant on all things Sikh, talking things over with me most weeks, being unstinting in his guidance and even acting as photographer on occasion. My spiritual adviser, took on the role of reflection partner, helpfully clarifying some issues and – equally helpfully – confusing others. Other names are given in the printed edition. And so to those at the apex of this platform of support and assistance, starting with the Bishop of Wolverhampton, who supported me throughout the length of this course despite the potential for controversy the thesis represents, and arranged for assistance with the cost of the course for which I also give thanks. My supervisor, Stephen Pattison, has throughout shown that blend of erudition, experience, judgement and kindness for which he is well-known across the community of Practical Theology, and I am very grateful to him, especially for accommodating my desire to try a more narrative approach. The most heart-felt thanks are reserved for Janice, my wife, who has supported me throughout this long endeavour. I have found many ways to test her patience over the years, but spending the first year of our retirement – including the warmest summer for years - stuck up in the attic tapping away on the computer has been greeted only with encouragement and affectionate support. As I thank everyone, so it should be made clear that errors and strange opinions should not be attributed to any of the many people who have helped me. In particular I should say that Bhajan is not responsible for any erroneous or contentious views expressed on Sikhi. There would have been many more without his treasured guidance. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PRELUDE ................................................................................................................ 1 A) Fieldwork ............................................................................................................. 1 B) Personal reflections ............................................................................................. 3 C) Theological reflections ......................................................................................... 4 D) Why start here? ................................................................................................... 4 E) Findings at this stage ........................................................................................... 5 i) Mutuality………………...……………………………………………………………….5 ii) Factions………………………………………………………………………...……….5 iii) Lack of awareness………………………………………………………...…………..5 iv) Intersecting identities………………………………………………………………….5 2. STRUCTURE OF THESIS ....................................................................................... 6 A) An overview of the thesis ..................................................................................... 6 B) Explanation and justification of use of narrative ................................................... 8 C) Problems with narrative ..................................................................................... 11 i) Reader beware ................................................................................................ 11 ii) Plot and its limits ............................................................................................. 12 3. NEED FOR RESEARCH ........................................................................................ 14 A) Multiple religious participation (MRP) ................................................................. 14 i) MRP and associated issues ............................................................................. 14 ii) A taxonomy of MRP ........................................................................................ 15 iii) Placing my own research ............................................................................... 19 B) Reasons for my interest ..................................................................................... 19 i) Personal background ....................................................................................... 19 ii) Professional background. ................................................................................ 19 iii) Engagement with MRP ................................................................................... 22 C) Cultural and Christian context ............................................................................ 24 i) Culture conducive to mixed belief .................................................................... 24 ii) Differing Christian reactions to interreligious complexity .................................. 25 iii) Growing Christian acknowledgement of MRP ................................................. 25 iv) MRP: an ecclesiological challenge ................................................................. 28 D) A problem with the question ............................................................................... 31 4. METHODOLOGY AND METHOD .......................................................................... 33 A) PT and interreligious engagement. .................................................................... 33 B) Choice and justification of methodology ............................................................. 35 i) Qualitative