From one degree of imperfection to another: A consideration of gathering in different ways
Main Article Content
Abstract
This conversation between Ruth Gouldbourne and Steve Holmes, both ordained Baptist ministers, focuses on issues raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular the theological as well as practical questions around gathering for worship when gathering together in church buildings was not possible. Exploring a theology of ‘gathering’, they find themselves wanting to distinguish between ideal and ‘adequate’ ways of being church: the significance and different expressions of people seeing each other ‘face to face’, the experience of virtual gatherings around the Lord’s Table, and the anticipatory, provisional nature of any church expression. In this perspective, celebrating the Communion while being separated physically is not only possible, but an essential expression of the creative nature of a gathering community in continuation with the Church across the ages. They also note the communicative power carried by physical spaces and objects used in the life of the church, as well as all other nonverbal cues.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in the journal grant to Theology in Scotland, St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews (“the Publisher”), the following:1. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to reproduce, republish, transmit, sell, distribute, and otherwise use the Work in electronic and print editions of the Journal and in derivative works throughout the world, in all languages, and in all media now known or later developed.
2. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to create and store electronic archival copies of the Work, including the right to deposit the Work in open access digital repositories.
3. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to license others to reproduce, republish, transmit, and distribute the Work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial [CC-BY-NC] 4.0 licence.
Copyright in the Work remains with the author and the author retains the right to reuse the article (e.g., in institutional repositories, on their website or published in a book).
Warranties
The Author represents and warrants that the Work is the Author’s original work and that it does not violate or infringe the law or the rights of any third party and, specifically, that the Work contains no matter that is defamatory or that infringes any literary or proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, or any rights of privacy. It is the author's responsibility to obtain written permission to reproduce copyright-protected material in her/his article.
The Author also warrants that he or she has the full power to make this agreement, and if the Work was prepared jointly, the Author agrees to inform the co-Authors of the terms of this Agreement and to obtain their signature to this Agreement or their written permission to sign on their behalf. The Author indemnifies the Publisher against any losses and other expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, after final judgment of any claim or action against any or all of these warranties.