Bangor University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY The views of Church in Wales clergy on Christian initiation : 1993-2003 Littler, Keith Award date: 2005 Awarding institution: Bangor University Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 06. Oct. 2021 THE VIEWS OF CHURCH IN WALES CLERGY ON CHRISTIAN INITIATION: 1993 - 2003 Revd Dr Keith Trevor Littler Master of Theology (with Distinction) University of Oxford, 1999 THE VIEWS OF CHURCH IN WALES CLERGY ON CHRISTIAN INITIATION: 1993 - 2003 SUMMARY In 2003, Church in Wales clergy were surveyed in order to ascertain their views on Christian initiation. The resulting data are compared with data collected from a fifty percent sample of Church in Wales clergy carried out in 1993. Analysis shows that significant changes have taken place in respect of some of the views of clergy on initiation over the decade. In particular, the evidence suggests that while a high percentage of clergy supported an open baptismal policy in 1993, an even higher percentage support such a policy in 2003. The data also suggest that a higher percentage of clergy in 2003 are supportive of both children and adults being admitted to Holy Communion without prior confirmation but not without preparation. There is little evidence to suggest that these views are either age-related or sex-related. There is, however, evidence to suggest that the views of clergy are influenced by their rural or urban location while many of the views of clerics would appear to differ according to their church orientation and/or theological persuasion. Most notably, evangelical clergy tend to express many significant points of difference in viewpoint to catholic clergy and the differences between evangelical and catholic clergy have widened between 1993 and 2003. These changes may be indicative of a fragmentation taking place in the Church in Wales but they could be evidence of God speaking to his Church at a time of change. Either way, they need to be monitored and examined. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Summary Acknowledgements iv Declaration v List of Tables vi Chapter One Introduction and Rationale 1 Chapter Two Background and Literature Review 4 Chapter Three Getting to Know the Respondents 49 Chapter Four Church in Wales Clergy's Understanding 71 of Baptism Chapter Five Church in Wales Clergy's Understanding 99 of Confirmation Chapter Six Church in Wales Clergy's Understanding 136 of Initiation, cross-tabulated by Sex, Age, Parish Location, Church Orientation and Theological Persuasion Chapter Seven Conclusions 159 Appendices Appendix One 171 The Questionnaire Appendix Two 181 Comparative Data Relating to the Present Survey (2003), Thomas' Survey (1993) and Figures provided by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales (2004) Appendix Three 182 Pre-confirmation Communicants Appendix Four 183 A Note on Rural/Urban Comparisons of Confirmation Statistics Appendix Five 191 Age Profile of Church in Wales Ordinands in Training at December 2003 Appendix Six 192 Age Structure of all Active Church in Wales Clerics at December 2003 Appendix Seven 193 Tables showing all Statements by Respondents on aspects of Baptism and Confirmation in respect of which the differences between Catholics and Evangelicals and between Liberals and Conservatives are Statistically Significant at <0.01 References 199 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly indebted to my supervisor, the Reverend. Professor Leslie J. Francis, MA, MTh, MSc, BD, PhD, ScD, DD, CPsychol, FBPsS, PGCE, Director of the Welsh National Centre for Religious Education, University of Wales, Bangor, whose expert direction, guidance and example are matched by his caring support and kindness. I also wish to thank Dr Mandy Robbins, Teaching and Research Fellow, Theology and Religious Studies, University of Wales, Bangor, for her much appreciated help and encouragement. These two persons have most admirably combined a demand for rigorous empirical study with the cultivation of enjoyment in academic pursuit. I must also thank all the Church in Wales clerics who returned a completed questionnaire and especially those who took the trouble to include additional information and expressed good wishes for the completion of this research undertaking. iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 3.1 Sex of respondents 50 3.2 Age of respondents 51 3.3 Marital status of respondents 52 3.4 Length of time engaged in stipendiary ministry 52 3.5 Order of deacon or priest 53 3.6 Status of respondents 54 3.7 Length of service in present parish 55 3.8 Population of parish 55 3.9 Classification of parish 56 3.10 Catholic/Evangelical disposition of respondents 57 3.11 Liberal/Conservative disposition of respondents 57 3.12 Diocese of respondents 58 3.13 Infant baptisms carried out by respondents in preceding year 60 3.14 Under eleven year old baptisms carried out by respondents in preceding year 60 3.15 Adult baptisms carried out by respondents in preceding year 60 3.16 Services of thanksgiving carried out by respondents in preceding year 62 3.17 Whether parish admits children to Communion 63 4.1 Importance attributed to an open policy on baptism 74 4.2 Importance attributed to symbolism in baptism 78 4.3 Importance attributed to revision of the baptismal liturgy 80 4.4 Importance attributed to the Church's teaching on baptism 84 4.5 Importance attributed to views on baptism that conflict with the Church's teaching 87 4.6 Importance attributed to popular beliefs about baptism 91 4.7 Importance attributed to safeguards and checks on open baptism policy 95 5.1 Importance attributed to the admission of children to Communion 104 5.2 Importance attributed to the admission of adults to Communion 109 5.3 Importance attributed to the purpose of confirmation 118 5.4 Importance attributed to the component parts of the confirmation service 122 5.5 Importance attributed to the requirements placed on confirmees 127 5.6 Importance attributed to the correct age for confirmation 132 6.1 Sex related differences in the views of respondents at <0.01 140 6.2 Age related differences in the views of respondents at <0.01 143 6.3 Urban/rural related differences in the views of respondents at <0.01 148 6.4 Catholic/Evangelical differences in the views of respondents at <0.00001 152 6.5 Liberal/Conservative differences in the views of respondents at <0.001 155 vi Tables in Appendices Page A2.1 Comparison of 1993 and 2003 data relating to 181 respondents and information provided by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales in 2004 A3.1 Church in Wales pre-confirmation Communicants, 2001- 182 2003 A4.1 Population averages of Church in Wales parishes, 2002 183 A4.2 Confirmations per Church in Wales Diocese, 1993 and 184 2003 compared A4.3 Confirmations as a percentage of Easter 185 Communicants, 1993 and 2003 compared A4.4 Confirmations, baptisms and Easter Communicants, 186 2003 data as a percentage of 1993 data A4.5 Easter Communicants as a percentage of the population 187 per Diocese, 1993 and 2003 compared A4.6 Confirmations as a percentage of the population of 187 Church in Wales Dioceses, 1993 and 2003 compared A4.7 Confirmations as a percentage of Electoral Roll 187 Members per Diocese, 1993 and 2003 compared A4.8 Baptisms as a percentage of the population of Church in 189 Wales Dioceses, 1993 and 2003 compared A5.1 Age profile of Church in Wales ordinands, 2003 191 A6.1 Age structure of all active Church in Wales clerics, 2003 192 A7.1 Catholic/Evangelical differences in the views of 193 respondents on initiation at <0.01 A7.2 Liberal/Conservative differences in the views of 197 respondents on initiation at <0.01 vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE The prime directive of the present research project is to complement and bring up to date, previous studies of initiation into the Christian Church, especially as witnessed by ordained clergy of the Church in Wales. In 1993, a sample of 224 stipendiary parochial clergy from the Church in Wales were surveyed regarding their views on baptism and confirmation (Thomas, 1994). Views about baptism were requested in respect of open baptism policy, restrictive baptism policy, infant and adult baptism, baptism and pastoral care, baptism liturgy and baptism theology. Views about confirmation were requested concerning the admission of children to Communion prior to confirmation and a number of related matters. The sample were also requested to complete the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with an index of mystical orientation and the Francis Psychological Type. Scales. Subsequent discussion of Thomas' work concluded that the findings were sufficiently important, and initiation so vital to the life of the Church, that practical benefit would accrue from the study being replicated after a delay of a decade (Francis, Littler and Thomas, 2000). The present study is a faithful response to this recommendation. At the same time, an opportunity is provided to consider the views of Church in Wales parochial stipendiary clergy on initiation into the Christian Church against a backcloth of change in many aspects of the life of the Christian Church.