Time For Play? – An exploration of the nature of play and its possible contribution to the mitigation of stress and promotion of well-being particularly in the ministry of the church.

I aim to study the concept and nature of play and particularly its value in ministry and in the life of clergy. Much has been written about play in a number of spheres but little from a primarily theological perspective. Berne takes a sociological approach and Huizinga a more anthropological viewpoint whilst Sutton-Smith approaches the subject from a mainly educationalist perspective. Many writers like Brighton and Moon, Willett, Richards, Marsh, Burn and Bishop begin with the child and study school and playground to draw out lessons for life. Suurmond takes a more theological approach in his link between play and worship. I plan to take a more radically ontological approach, examining my subject at a deeper level to seek to discover the answer to the question: can an understanding of play and how we engage with it enable more balanced and flourishing ministries? I aim to show that the long-undervalued activity of play has something profound to teach us in the long-overemphasised arena of work and goal-setting that will contribute to our understanding of church ministry. My objectives are: 1. To present Play as an experienced phenomenon, a building-block of reality, common to all nature, developing essential life-skills and necessary growth. 2. To explore the paradoxical nature of Play as something liminal which is both autotelic and vitally meaningful as a route to improved wellbeing. 3. To discover if Play can be an authentic response to acedia*, particularly in the ministry of the church, and if engaging in something that doesn’t matter can have any value in the modern world. “Time for Play?” aims to make an original contribution to the understanding of parish ministry and leadership by offering the long-undervalued phenomenon of play, recreation and fun as a possible remedy for stress and valuable contribution to flourishing in ministry. *a term meaning listlessness, often applied to the clergy and leading to pressure, stress and burnout

Name dc:type.qualificationname

dmin

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Guest, John A. K.

• BV Diwinyddiaeth Ymarferol

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:1994