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 PrintableVersion Beneath the CassockThe Real-Life Vicar of DibleyEffeminate clergyBENEATH THE CASSOCK: Beneath the Cassock is the very readable autobiography of Joy Carroll, the vicar who inspired Dawn French in the TV sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. Most of the book is about Joy's own life, her childhood as the daughter of a vicar in inner London, her decision to be ordained, her role in General Synod (especially during the decision to ordain women), and the inner city ministries she has been involved in. She has an incredible vision and understanding of the needs of those marginalised by society and the church. Her compassion and passion to demonstrate the love of Christ to those she ministered amongst is extraordinary and a challenge. But my concern is she describes her ministry as helping those in physical and emotional need with little mention of their spiritual needs. The death of the Lord Jesus and the eternal hope of the gospel was hardly mentioned. My second concern: understandably the book contains much about the role of women in the church. The prologue describes Joy's delight at the Church of England's decision to ordain women as presbyters. The epilogue praises the American woman bishop Joy now works for and ends with the challenge that women should be given 'every chance to be the best that they can be' in church leadership. 'Anything less mars the image of God in humanity'! She argues that equality demands identical roles for men and women in the church and chastises those who disagree. But the Bible's teaching is that God has created men and women equal but different and complementary, which means that God's design for women to be 'the best that they can be' is to submit to male headship in the church family. Sadly this is never really engaged with. Caroline West, Basingstoke© Evangelicals Now - February 2003 |
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