Barney Hawkins Addresses Challenges of Priesthood in Book on Episcopal Etiquette

5/29/2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Susan Shillinglaw
Tel: 703-461-1764
Email: sshillinglaw@vts.edu

Alexandria, VA – What is the appropriate attire for an Episcopal priest at the events associated with the service in the Book of Common Prayer, the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage? What does it mean to be an icon of Christ at a cocktail party? How does one live with sensitive confidential information from a parishioner? These questions and more are addressed in Episcopal Etiquette and Ethics: Living the Craft of Priesthood in the Episcopal Church (Morehouse Publishing), a new book by the Rev. J. Barney Hawkins IV, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary.

These questions might seem almost trivial yet are deeply serious. The Episcopal Church is a distinctive culture: effective ministry needs an understanding of the distinctive Episcopal culture. At one level, this is a book that introduces and explains the Episcopal faith to a potential priest who wants to be effective in this world. At another level, this book is a reflection on the meaning and nature of the holy mystery of priesthood. Drawing upon his rich parish experience in the Episcopal Church, Hawkins distils a wealth of practical experience and tips to enhance the training of seminarians and the ministries of established priests. Hawkins takes the reader through the pastoral offices with theological reflection and vignettes in order to encourage good priestly habits. Episcopal Etiquette is ideal reading for anyone wishing to serve the Episcopal Church in an ordained capacity.

“Episcopal Etiquetteis a delightful exploration of the demands and challenges of priesthood,” said the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of Virginia Seminary. “Written with warmth, humor, and wisdom, the craft of priesthood is described and investigated from the practical to the theologically complex.”

The Rev. Dr. James Barney Hawkins IV is vice president of institutional advancement, associate dean for the Center of Anglican Communion Studies, and professor of pastoral Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary. He is also an Episcopal priest with over 30 years of parish ministry. He is the editor of two books with Church Publishing: Christ and Culture: Communion after Lambeth (Canterbury Studies in Anglicanism) and Living with a Divided Mind. All three of these books can be found at the Cokesbury Bookstore on campus or online.

Founded in 1823, Virginia Theological Seminary is the largest of the 11 accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church. The school prepares men and women for service in the Church worldwide, both as ordained and lay ministers, and offers a number of professional degree programs and diplomas. Currently, the Seminary represents more than 42 different dioceses and five different countries, for service in the Church.