26
June 2024
by The Ven Peter Farley-Moore
Studying at Sarum was something proactive I embarked on to turn the midlife crisis I was facing into something positive! I’d been ordained over 20 years and was heading fast towards my 50th birthday. I wanted a way to go deeper in my faith and renew my sense of theology and perspective.
The MA in Christian Spirituality has been an incredibly positive experience and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity for study.
The programme has included the familiar content you might expect – learning about Benedictine and Franciscan spirituality, but also connected with my life and ministry in East London where race, gender and trauma are very much intersecting with everyday spiritualty.
The teaching weeks for each module have been very accessible, well presented and stretching with a good balance of teaching and student interaction. Sarum College is able to access gifted thinkers and leaders in a wide variety of theological and contemporary issues. Political issues and radical new directions in theology have often been the subject of reading and assignments and I have really appreciated the opportunity to step back from parish and explore these subjects that are so often heated and creating angst in church life.
A highlight for me was our study week on Franciscan spirituality, exploring the ancient texts and contemporary applications. The week concluded with a memorable and moving tour of the Francis exhibition at the National Gallery hosted by The Revd Dr Ayla Lepine who shared profound and transformative perspectives that will stay with me in my prayer routines and engagement with the climate crisis. Given that I live in one of the most densely populated places in England, the Franciscan interaction, care and joy in creation help me to get more out of walks with the dog along Regent’s canal and London’s green spaces.
It’s been a challenge to combine study with ministry, but tutors have been supportive, and the structure of the MA was flexible enough to allow me to take a break when moving house and jobs.
I’m now in the final weeks of a dissertation – a theological reflection on leadership and my role as archdeacon. Writing a dissertation is a somewhat extreme way to get to grips with a new job, but, the conversation, learning and analytical discipline has transformed my approach and helped me to be much more mindful of how to connect with people and the complexity of a big diocese. There’s been a tangible sense of solidarity as I’ve journeyed through the MA and found partners and tutors to help me learn and change my perspective.
The work of Philip Sheldrake helps to articulate that sense of solidarity:
Solidarity implies a great deal more than a purely political slogan. It is a moral imperative based on a belief in the fundamental unity of humanity rooted in the doctrines of the Trinity and the Communion of Saints and demanding a profound conversion of heart and conscious commitment to a quest for the ‘common good’ as an essential ethical virtue.*
I’m Incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be at Sarum – the space, sanctuary and solidarity has made a real difference and helped me to find a fresh path for the future. Thank you.
*Sheldrake, Philip F. Explorations in Spirituality: History, Theology, and Social Practice. New York: Paulist Press, 2010.
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The Ven Peter Farley-Moore is Archdeacon of Stepney and a student on the MA in Christian Spirituality programme run by Dr Michael Hahn
Think you might be interested in further study? Join our free online taster session on Monday 8 July from 7pm to 8pm, delivered via Zoom.
Free booking to online taster session 8 July
The Revd Dr Ayla Lepine is running a half-day online course on art and theology in December:
Art for Advent, The Four Last Things
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