the Dave Walker Guide to the Church

This book is a collection of cartoons by Dave Walker making very Church-of-England jokes about the Church of England and those who are part of it. Though I am not one of those such people, most of the gags are either recognisable enough from watching shows like Vicar of Dibley or Rev or otherwise recognisable enough from general aspects of English church culture and organisation. It was mildly amusing; I would go so far as to say that perhaps a dozen or so did actually prompt me to emit an audible quasi-laughter-noise. But overall, to me the book highlighted (whether unintentionally or not is utterly indiscernable) the crushing depraved stiltedness of English culture, and how poorly this translates into the development of grace-abundant church environments that are properly outgoing, diverse, inclusive, engaging, and generally just good at facilitating basic human community. I mean, fortunately we have the gospel and that arguably offsets the Englishness to a considerable degree but still - I'm not gonna say it's no laughing matter, it just meant that the book doesn't read as particularly funny because lots of the things it's satirising are legitimately endemic cultural aspects of how organised Christianity in this country is clinging to institutions and traditions and whatnot that, bluntly, alienate the average majority in this our post-Christendom era.* The best use I can think of for this book is as a toilet book in a church office loo (tbh I read most of it on the loo anyway); it may bring one or two smiles and prompt three or four vague concerns about missional efficacy or entrenched legalism.

* I write this as one who is not a member of the Church of England,** and despite my devout faith, am strongly of the opinion that the church in this country should sever its historical-institutional ties to the state, for reasons which I can't be bothered to explicate in the asterisk-footnote to a post about a cartoon book even though I usually wouldn't hesitate at all before doing something like that but Giles Fraser basically makes the best case for it here, and links are easier.

** Although on the 24th I will start a job at the Church Army - which is kind of part of the Church of England, but yeh, whatever, dunno.