“The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. While certainly not the only institution which evangelizes, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be ‘the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters.’”Footnote 1 So says Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Evangelii Gaudium about the continued strength of the parish today, a view embraced by Clark in his book A Theology of the Parish. At a time when the challenges facing parishes seem insurmountable, including those of changing demographics, COVID-19, culture, and scandal to name just a few, this text provides an insightful and long overdue ecclesiology of the parish. Grounded in the theology of Vatican II and the work of Pope Francis, Clark provides a fresh look at the role of the community of the parish in light of the life of the church. Systematically organized, addressing contemporary issues, and drawing on the primary documents of the Second Vatican Council, the writings of Francis and the theologians that influenced him as well as the synod on synodality now in progress, this book provides a comprehensive and accessible theology of the parish accessible to theologian and pastoral minister alike.
Who is a parish? It is the people of God, the baptized, the community, paroikia (sojourners) who respond to the gospel, who live out the mission, in a concrete place and time. William Clark, SJ, carefully delineates each of these theological definitions while providing a pastoral perspective and context. Each chapter begins with a story that brings insight and situates the theology being presented, which the text then opens pastorally into the theological arguments, connecting the two seamlessly. Clark draws on the insights of John Zizioulas, the renowned Greek Orthodox theologian whose work on communion ecclesiology lends itself perfectly to the understandings of the parish presented here. In this text we have a cohesive theology of the modern parish community accessible to academic and general audiences alike. The joy of this book is found in its contribution to the ongoing conversations found throughout the church today, among parishioners, with theologians and pastoral ministers.
This text is an excellent addition both pastorally and theologically to parish and academic discourse and thus can serve different audiences. Pastorally, it speaks to the ongoing conversations and lived experiences of parish communities who seek to understand their evolving place in a changing church. Because of the clarity of the writing, it can be of value for pastoral ministers and parishioners, as part of adult faith formation, pastoral conversations, and so on. For theologians, this text easily fits into course syllabi at the undergraduate level in the areas of ecclesiology, pastoral ministry, culture, and church to name just a few possibilities. The text is clearly written with depth and detail, with attention to historical specificity and systematic presentation of material. This is an area of critical importance to the life of the church, and the material here points us to conversations that need to still be had far and wide. With this foundation now laid, how exciting it would be to have the author now expand these concepts even further!
