Press Releases
Latest Volumes of Braemor Series Published
Two new volumes of the Braemor Studies series are now available to purchase online from the Church of Ireland bookstore. Volumes 18 and 19 are: ‘The Spiritual Quotient of Leadership’ by Kyle Flanagan, who is attached to St Mary’s, Ballybeen, and ‘We Being Many are One Body – Fostering Autistic Belonging at the Holy Table’ by Jonathan Watson, curate in Ballyholme, both in the Diocese of Down.
The Braemor Studies series is an initiative of the General Synod’s Literature Committee to promote theological writing by publishing the best of the final year dissertations in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.
‘The Spiritual Quotient of Leadership’
Launching ‘The Spiritual Quotient of Leadership’ Dr Millie Bellew said the central idea of the book is that Christian leadership needs to be understood through the lens of spirituality. “At one point, Kyle describes the theological basis of the spiritual quotient as a triangle: leading with God, leading under God, and leading toward God. I thought there was tremendous theological richness in that,” she commented. “To that end, Kyle has described how Christian leadership is about partnership, posture, and purpose. Partnership, because we lead with God. Posture, because we lead under God. And purpose, because we lead toward God.”
She said Kyle explores what this type of leadership looked like in practice and highlights the qualities of humility, love, prayerfulness, hopefulness and God–awareness. He notes that there is nothing about platform or profile or performance. She adds that the leadership described in the book does not just refer to clergy.
She encouraged everyone to read the book as a reflective tool for their own discipleship. “It invites us to ask: how am I leading? Am I leading with God, or simply for God? Am I leading under God, or quietly trying to remain in control? Am I leading toward God, or am I tempted to make leadership about my own competence, or success?,” she said.
‘We being many are one body: Fostering autistic belonging at the Holy Table’
‘We being many are one body: Fostering autistic belonging at the Holy Table’ was launched by Dr Jacqui Wilkinson (DCU). She praised Jonny Watson for presenting rigorous and systematic research with a passionate attention to real practicable possibilities in Church of Ireland parishes.
“It is in effect a call to the Church of Ireland to consider how actually welcoming and inclusive they are for autistic individuals,” she said. “Jonny’s autobiography resounds through the book and all readers encounter the real life and personal issues that pertain to ensuring autistic individuals’ full belonging specifically in eucharistic worship. The strength of this publication is the care with which Jonny shows a sensitivity to ‘not mess with the sacredness, integrity or theological significance of the eucharist’ but to ensure that ‘we being many truly are one body’.”
Dr Wilkinson observed that the refreshing research concludes with a series of recommendations that allow for a flexible approach to meet the needs of autistic individuals, recommendations that parishes could embrace, involving not a draw on finances but a change of perspective, an openness to recognizing each autistic individual as unique and not a member of a one–size–fits–all homogenous group. She hoped that the research would be shared widely with the Church of Ireland.