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I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have been a Church of England clergyman in 19th Century England. Vicars and Rectors filled an important social role and were extremely well paid comparative to other professionals in Victorian England. The majority were educated at one of the two Universities (Oxford or Cambridge), and most came from the leisured country classes. That last fact makes my daydreaming immaterial: in the 19th Century poor families did not normally consider the church as a career for their sons!
I have been fascinated for some time by the education of 19th Century clergy. Though Oxbridge graduates, they normally did not study theology or divinity: more likely, their studies were in geology, botany, entomology or one of the other fashionable sciences. Because of the Anglican foundation of the University Colleges, many of their teachers were in holy orders which were a pre-requisite for election as a Fellow of a College. These academics often mentored potential clergy, guiding their scientific studies and nurturing their priestly vocations.
This system produced a peculiar species of clergyman: what Patrick Armstrong calls the parson-naturalist. Nineteenth century clergy, particularly in the country, were not burdened with heavy pastoral duties. They were paid to fulfil a social role and could keep to a minimum the actual work of pastoral visitation and parish management. In any case, their inclinations were often much more towards field studies in natural history than towards evangelism and pastoral care as the 21st Century church understands them.
Dr Armstrong, senior lecturer in UWA’s Geography Department, is a parishioner of Christ Church Anglican, Claremont, and the son of a parson-naturalist. He is an enthusiast for his subject, searching out and classifying 19th Century clergy with the same spellbound joy as his subjects searched for un-named beetles or interesting land-forms. This enthusiasm has resulted in an enjoyable and fascinating volume.
The initial basis for Armstrong’s classification of the parson-naturalist is their field of study. The book is full of captivating portraits of priest-geologists searching for the Flood, priest-botanists (flowers of the field), priest-ornithologists, priest entomologists going to the ant, and others hauling a “draught of fishes … and beasts and creeping things”. The slightly whimsical tone of the Contents list re-surfaces in surprising places in the book adding a distinct charm to the mini-biographies.
A second measure for classifying parson-naturalists is their perspective on the Bible. Patrick Armstrong claims that his book contains only “back-pew” theology. Nonetheless, the close reading of the science and the influence of priests’ liberal or literal theologies provides insights into a fascinating way of looking at Christianity through the Creation. Armstrong quotes Erasmus Darwin’s verse to sum up helpful speculation on why parson-naturalists tended to be Anglican and were normally English. The elder Darwin wrote:
Dull atheist, could a giddy dance
Of atoms lawlessly hurl’d
Construct as wonderful, so wise,
So harmonised a world?
Patrick traces the influence of the parson-naturalist into contemporary ecotheology. Parson-naturalists are all but extinct, because of possible “feeling that it is no more difficult for the amateur to make an impact on serious research in the scientific subjects”. However, Armstrong points to new theological voices at the end of the 20th Century providing a theological lens for scientific research: he names Ian Bradley (God is Green) and, Sean McDonagh (The Greening of the Church) as hopeful signs of a resurgence of the species parson-naturalist.
The connection between mysticism and the proper scientific contemplation of things is explored as an issue at various points. I had the feeling that Patrick was not as comfortable writing on this topic, but rightly signals it as an important matter – perhaps for another book?
An imposing collection of photographs sits at the centre of the book. These portraits are carefully chosen to complement Armstrong’s written accounts of the personalities of the parson-naturalists, and add to the general appeal of the book. A helpful glossary for those of us who are not scientists (and who miss the significance of 19th Century jargon), and an index of names invites the reader to study further.
Dr Armstrong’s book is a hopeful book. Its constant themes of the humanity and curiosity of the researcher, and the wondrous Creation they research are brought to light from their 19th Century obscurity to inform our current discussions on science, prayer, ethics and religion.
First published in the Anglican Messenger 2001
© Ted Witham 2001