Practicable Socialism, New SeriesBarnett, S. A. (Samuel Augustus)
Religion
Practicable Socialism, New Series
Barnett, S. A. (Samuel Augustus)
Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; Social problems; Working class
2. There are, as I have said, usually eight or ten clergy who form the
cathedral staff. Many of them are chosen for their distinction in some
form of spiritual service, and all have devoted themselves to that
service. They may be in other ways delivering themselves of their
duties, but they as spiritual teachers cannot as a rule be said to
identify themselves with the cathedral. They do not use all their powers
to make the building a centre of spiritual life.
I would suggest, therefore, that these clergy attached to the cathedral
should have classes or lectures on theological, social, and historic
subjects. They should give their teaching freely in one of the chapels
of the cathedral, and the teaching should be so thorough as to command
the attention of the neighbouring clergy and other thoughtful people.
They would also, on occasions, give lectures in the nave designed to
guide popular thought to the better understanding of the live questions
of the day, or of the past.
And inasmuch as many of the clergy have been chosen for their skill in
music, which often at great cost holds a high place in cathedral
worship, I would suggest that regular teaching be given in the relation
of music to worship. Words, we are often told, do not make music sacred,
and religion has probably suffered degradation from the attachment of
high words to low music. There is certainly no doubt that the music in
many churches is both bad in character and pretentious. If teaching were
freely given by qualified teachers in the cathedrals, if examples of the
best were freely offered, and if the place of music in worship were
clearly shown, then music might become a valuable agent in
spiritualizing life.
Perhaps, however, the clergy might urge that they could not by such
teaching deliver themselves of their obligation to do spiritual work.
They would rather wrestle with souls and unite in prayer. But surely
if their teaching has for its aim the opening of men’s minds to know
the truth--the enlistment of men’s hearts in others’ service and the
bringing of the understanding into worship, then their teaching will
end in the knowledge of others’ souls and in acts of common devotion.
The cathedral staff might, through the cathedral and the position it
holds in a city, do much to spiritualize life.
3. The great spiritual asset of the cathedral is, however, its
association with the past, and its living witness that the present is
the child of the past. This may be called a spiritual asset, because it
is this conception of the past which, as is evident among the Jews and
Japanese, is able to inspire and control action. The people who see as
in a vision their country boldly standing and suffering for some great
principles and hear the voices of the great dead calling them
“children,” have power and peace within their reach.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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