Is it the working classes that we should be focusing on?

Steve Kneale has also written about the book on Class that I recently reviewed.  Steve deals more with the reaction. Why does the book seem to have received such a gushing response from some quarters but causes a negative reaction among working class Christians and those he refers to as “practitioners” who are engaged in pastoral ministry in working class contexts?

He rightly argues that the issues that cause this aren’t really the fault of the author.  I agree to some extent although I didn’t give the book a favourable review.  However, I think there is a sense in which the author and the publishers have to take some responsibility.  I think there are two clues as to where that responsibility lies. First, the Kirsten Birkett recognises in the book that she isn’t offering anything original herself.  Secondly, she includes a chapter on posh evangelicalism and at the end comments that there are a lack of footnotes because little serious analysis seems to have been done here.

So, here’s my critique/challenge.  I think that my disappointment is that the book doesn’t really take us any further, it doesn’t move the conversation on when I do believe that there is more to say and discover about the challenge of how we reach all of the UK not just some classes. We don’t want books that regurgitate much of what has been said but simply in an acceptable voice.

Then there is the elephant in the room.  So much of the discourse puts the focus on working class/inner city people and specialist “cross-cultural mission” to them as though they are the abnormality.  Yet, in truth, its those who fall broadly under the umbrella of either being working class or having working class roots that are the normal population. What we see is a situation where one small minority controls the narrative and shapes the culture of church, mission and discipleship in conservative evangelicalism.

Where the debate could be moved forward and where, as it happens, I think Kirsten has the skills to help unlock that debate and help is would be in understanding more about why our we have found ourselves In that situation.  We need the analysis of upper class and upper working class Christianity.

And the issues raised by Steve are wrapped up in this.  Why is it that some voices are heard and others are not?  I note that it isn’t only working class voices that aren’t heard, also dare I say it, we might observe that some working class voices are heard.  Rather, its that the voices heard are those that suit the narrative of there being this hard to reach unreached, exotic culture and that it is for heroes to endeavour in unique cross cultural mission to reach them.

Meanwhile, whether or not you fit all the tight definitions of working class, if you don’t fit intp the system if you haven’t accommodated to the culture of the true minority/eleite, then you don’t fit in, your voice isn’t heard.  I suspect that this is true across wider culture and across other issues such as gender and race too.  It was possible for a woman to become prime minister because she was the heroic figure and learnt to work the system to her advantage.  Similarly we have had an Asian Prime Minister and in fact a quite diverse cabinet under the last government but I’m not convinced that those things are evidence that we’ve dealt with the problem of race and gender.  Similarly, you could have John Major, from a working class background become a Troy Prime Minister without higher education qualifications, yet he was the stand along representative from what is the majority British culture.  The office of Prime Minister is still dominated by the Public Schoolboy/Oxbridge class.

Back to the church.  I think that the issues arise because we focused on a trickle down strategy, aping the world of the early 20th century in attempting to reach a perceived elite.  Secondly, because the reasoning was that those people would be the leaders, it reinforced the view that they were to be followed and mimicked.  If you are in the middle, as the middle classes are then you have to make a choice about which direction you are going to lean.  Is your priority on fitting in with the elite, the posh, the upper class or is it on reaching the working classes and contextualising/fitting in with them? Guess which way we as the Church in England jumped.

Now, some readers may not be too happy with what I’ve written here and yet, this is the conversation I believe we need to be having.  I’d love to engage further on this and so am opening up comments for your feedback. 

Do you think my initial analysis is fair/helpful?

How can we take the conversation further?

11 comments

    1. It’s a label reflecting social status as in upper class, middle class, working class. There are weaknesses with the labels but I think the general point is clear

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      1. Thank you for replying. The class systems are so burred today that that they are not fit for purpose. Should we be looking at people as belonging to such a such class? Should not Christian look at others as equals? Sinners in need of a Savour? Thank you for taking the time to reply. Colin. <><

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      2. Hi Colin, I think there are a few different points to separate out there. 1. Sure there’s challenges with attempts to define /describes economic/social systems and there have been more recent attempts to nuance/update classifications. Difficulty does not mean impossible or unhelpful as purely descriptive in a society where there are inequalities. To say there are people who have more power/wealth/connection, those who have a lot less and those who sit in the middle – in broad brush terms is surely uncontroversial? I speak as someone happy to acknowledge its complex and to have openly discussed the draw backs to “working class” as a classification. I say more in “Hope for the city” which is available as a free download from the publications page. 2. We can observe cultural differences from community to community across the UK. So surely at least a level of contextualisation is warranted? 3. To be sure, we want to treat Christians s equals. So why don’t we? Why did we take a trickle down approach from the early 20th century so that the focus was reaching an elite in order for them to lead others? Why is more attention given to student/graduate work than reaching estates? Why is ther eless likely to be a healthy evangelical church in a less prosperous community? Why is it that church culture feels alien and a barrier to many not because it is Christian culture but because it reflects the values and priorities of one small subset of British culture?

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      3. What does the scriptures say about the class system that you are talking about? In which “class” would you put say Peter, Paul, Moses etc.

        What “class” would you say that you in?

        I don’t want to be put in a box and be defined by the pigment in my skin, or how much money I have in the bank or the parents that I had.

        God knows me and loves me, so that is the only thing that really matters.

        Your brother in Christ.

        Colin. <><

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      4. I’m not sure I get your point in relation to the OP Colin. What do the scriptures say about my computers, nuclear physics, cancer treatment? That Scripture doesn’t use terms/describe details doesn’t mean it is silent on matters. I engage a bit more with these kinds of things elsewhere in the blog and in “Hope for the city” which you can download

        Re my own class – i recognize that our family income, work, education and connections place us in the middle classes. I also have talked about my working class roots. My dad was the first in his family to go to uni, my great grandfather’s family were Italian immigrants to London. My mum’s family were forces.. I don’t think those things define me or out me in a box but not are they irrelevant to who I am and the unique ingredients God put into making me me.

        But who has said anything about putting anyone in a box and defining them by those terms? To recognize cultures and circumstances is not to limit people.

        To be sure it is a joyful thing that God loves me and knows me but I’d that all that really matters when there care places that Tim Chester described in his book as “,unreached” on my door step. It is all well and good to announce ourselves colour blind or class blind unless that blindness is actually to people who are not hearing the Gospel or have barriers put up to them or are are not being loved in the church.
        Would you accept that where those things are happening that it is not good?

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      5. I am deeply hurt and disappointed at the sarcasm in your reply. If Evangelical Pastors teat people in the same manner, then I can understand why “working” people do not want to go to your churches. They will feel not welcome.

        All I was asking is, what is the Scripture basis of what you are saying? There was not any reference to what the Bible said in your article. Of course I know there was no computers in the days of The Lord Jesus. The Bible has much to say about the rich and the poor, so it isn’t a new subject.

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      6. Hi Colin, That got very personal very quickly! You will notice that I took time to give answers including about my own personal background, even though I’m not sure of the relevance. As I said though at the start of my response I genuinely didn’t quite get the point of your questions. My comment about Scripture speaks to contemporary issues was not intended as sarcasm but a genuine point and hopefully one we can agree on but necessary for setting out the terms of a conversation about “what does Scripture say about x”. Unfortunately though, I cannot always, in my experience assume that there will be the shared terms of reference for approaching and citing Scripture. In our case, my response came in the context of your request that I attempted to map Biblical characters onto the modern class system. For exactly the reasons given in my previous response that is a rather fruitless exercise. I think there is also a difference between a conversation which starts with “can we look at Scripture together” as an open discussion and one where the demand for Scriptural proof feels more like an accusation. If you are looking for the former then I’m happy toi engage. AS noted previously, this article is not my only comment on the subject. Hope for the City is my detailed engagement. I’ve also got some blog posts coming up over the next few weeks.

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      7. Dear brother in the Lord Jesus,

        Please forgive me for my outburst. I try to be at peace with everyone. I am truly sorry.

        I think I should tell you something about myself. I was born in 1937 and I have lived in the London area most of that time.

        The work force at that time was mostly manual workers, but now lot of the industry has gone. 

        I find myself in “Alice in wonder land” country where “Right” is “Wrong” and “Wrong” is “Right”. The meaning of words do not now mean the same as they did before.

        We don’t have two genders any more, but a long list which seem to be add to every day. And I cannot say I am British any more without add another word in front.

        It is a mad world.

        If I was to categorize people it would be as follows:

        Poor. — Those who are unable to support themselves without the help of others.

        Worker. — Those that can help themselves and others.

        Rich. — Those who have so much wealth that they don’t what next to spend their money on, yet they still want more. (This not true for some of them).

        From your brother in Christ.

        Colin. <><

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