Give Love and Receive the Kingdom: Essential People and Themes of English Spirituality by Benedicta Ward

Give Love and Receive the Kingdom: Essential People and Themes of English Spirituality Reviews

• 
  Evan Hays

  This is my first read by Benedicta Ward (thanks Dad and Lori for getting this for me!). When I found out about her work, I knew it was for me, because I am looking to increase my knowledge of early English spirituality, Celtic spirituality, and then Anglican spirituality. From that, I am attempting to evaluate the question of whether one can truly talk about some sort of thread of unique English Christianity that was there whether during Catholic times or during Anglican times. This book also was perfect for me to bolster my knowledge about some of my personal heroes of the faith like Bede, Cuthbert (my patron saint), or Lancelot Andrewes.
  
  It is important to note that this is not one connected work, but rather a series of previously published articles connected together essentially chronologically. In that way, it ends up creating at least some sort of narrative, but not too much, and that is perfectly ok. Because of this format, it was also probably good for someone like me who has studied theology somewhat seriously but only at the college level and then who has also studied history at the graduate level. It was a good introduction to Ward's work without getting overly technical or detailed. There was nothing in this that I couldn't understand or had to look up, but there was plenty that it made me want to look into further.
  
  Overall, the book encouraged my faith during a time when I don't have much time to really pour into it because of the demands of teaching and parenting. It encourages me to keep pursuing a deeper knowledge of and relationship with God, and I see the phrase "Give Love and Receive The Kingdom" (Anselm of Canterbury) as a kind of personal motto for this time in which I need to give so much to those younger and more vulnerable than myself.
  
  As to my question of a thread of English Christianity, I don't think she really answers that question in these chapters. I think if anything, though, she would talk about the true thread of Christian faith and spirituality in any time or place, and I kind of doubt she would find too much unique in England that couldn't also be found at Cluny, Constantinople, Rome, or in the deserts of Egypt.
  
  I'll just say something brief about each of the chapters below:
  
  1. The Spirituality of St. Cuthbert--Probably the best summation of St. Cuthbert I have yet read. His devotion to his flock as well as to being alone with God were constantly at odds, but he gave himself fully to both when the time was right. The story of the otters bringing him food remains one of my favorite stories that presages the coming of Christ's Kingdom.
  
  2. Bede and the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons--Caused me to realize that my undertaking of reading all of Ecclesiastical History of the English People is too much for me at this stage, but also made me respect him all the more as a monk and as a scholar.
  
  3. Bede and the Psalter--Fascinating to learn about the differing uses and interpretations of the Psalms through Christian history, but also reassuring to feel connected to Christians in the past who also used the Psalms as their prayer book more or less. I will share this with my friend Dr. Travis Bott who specializes in the Psalms and worked on the Psalter for the new ACNA prayer book.
  
  4. A True Easter the Synod of Whitby--This was the most corrective chapter for me in terms of convincing me that previous ideas I had had from other reading about it was wrong. If you read things like the Celtic Prayer Book or other works of so-called Celtic Christianity, you will probably wind up thinking like I did that this was a very political clash over identity and that it sort of marked the beginning of the end of Celtic Christianity in Northumbria. She dispels that idea as sort of a modern fiction by getting into the details that show that Christians on different sides of the debate were actually very polite and irenic toward each other. Really, the Synod is a model for us of how we Christians should resolve our differences--in humility. As someone who has Eastern Orthodox family, the discussion of the dating of Easter was also very interesting.
  
  5. Anselm of Canterbury a Monastic Scholar--I only really knew him as an example of a brilliant philosopher, so hearing him set more in context as someone who started a whole trend of personal devotion and prayer was enlightening.
  
  6. Twelfth Century English Hermits--Pretty fascinating that the definition of hermit has changed so much over the years, including meaning people separate from others as well as essentially meaning ascetic. I think this chapter re-affirmed my belief that no Christian is truly a hermit, but that they always must come back at certain times and places to be with others and that they must be open to helping those who might seek out their help. What an interesting paradox of "corporate solitude".
  
  7. Faith Seeking Understanding Anselm of Canterbury and Julian of Norwich--probably the most challenging chapter for me to really understand. Mostly, I took away the enduring power of Christ's love to change us all despite our gender, century, or context.
  
  8. Three Preachers Andrewes, Taylor, and Frank-- I only knew some about Andrewes and nothing of the others, so this chapter probably piqued my interest the most in terms of doing further reading. What a genius Andrewes was--as in right up there with anyone else in history you might mention. Anglicanism went through an awful lot from the mid 16th century to after the Glorious Revolution, and many of the things we might read from Anglican scholars of that time would either seem slightly offensive or just opaque, but she draws out useful points for us to glean.
  
  9. Pilgrimage of the Heart Lancelot Andrewes and John Bunyan--This was a fascinating chapter on what pilgrimage truly is. I think it is more relevant than ever with the newfound popularity of pilgrimages like El Camino de Santiago. Whether at home or traveling, we can each "go" on pilgrimage in the right way for the right reasons, or in the wrong way for the wrong reasons. I will revisit this one should I ever have the chance to pilgrimage to Canterbury or Durham, as I would dearly love to.