Managing Clergy Lives: Obedience, Sacrifice, Intimacy

Managing Clergy Lives gives a unique insight into the everyday lives of Church of England parish priests. It examines how men and women priests manage their many and everyday commitments to God, the Church and their personal relationships. In a fast-changing world, Managing Clergy Lives shows how the vocational commitment of priests to their ordinal vows remains steadfast. For today's clergy, the ordained life means obedience, sacrifice and a loss of intimacy, embodied in spiritual self-discipline and the ultimate dedication of body and soul to God. Written by an Anglican Bishop (Peyton) in Dundee and a Senior Lecturer from Lancaster University (Gatrell), Managing Clergy Lives opens a window onto clergy households in terms of personal relationships, spirituality and work-home balance. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 46 Area/Rural Deans, it reports their everyday experiences using their own words. The book reveals the stories behind the enduring commitment within the Church and gets behind the scenes in order to understand the staying power of men and women who are 'becoming priests' across a lifetime.