does my bum look big in this?

AKMA (a fellow priest-academic) has put up a good post about why he wears clerical gear regularly. A year or more ago, Si Johnston was agonising over whether or not to do likewise, and I posted some random nonsense on the subject. AKMA has answered clearly and well on the misunderstandings about clerical dress; why they are sad, and why there may still be cast iron reasons for wearing clergy dress.

Undeniably, what you wear to work is not merely an issue of shallowness; clothes and appearance carry meaning which will be  understood by some and misinterpreted by others (and if it's misinterpreted more often than not perhaps that in itself merits a reassessment of what the "meaning" has become).

What thoughts? Do you prefer to see the clergy in their clergy clothes? What does it "say" to you?

I don't think there's a "right" answer to this, but I think it's an interesting question.

Comments

[Karen]

I'm with AKMA on this, and after ordination I plan on wearing clerical attire when I'm working in ministry. I used to be strongly anti-clericals for all the reasons AKMA listed in his posting, but on a retreat last year I met a Roman Catholic sister who had begun wearing her habit again after years of wearing only "civilian clothes." When I asked her the reason for her decision she replied that when she entered religious life she did so because she was deeply committed to intercessory prayer, and by wearing the habit she had finally opened herself up fully to that ministry by being so visible to others. Her response made a deep impression on me, and I realized that part of my anti-priest clothes ideology was fear. For me to do ministry effectively I think I need to face and embrace that fear of vulnerability.

[Kyle (Captain Sacrament)]

In my context (rural and suburban Kentucky, United States), I hear it spoken against primarily because clerical gard is associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Because so many folks around here consider them guilty of the gravest priestcraft (or clericalism, as AKMA prefers to say), all of thsoe things are painstakingly avoided.

But as he pointed out, ordained people are going to bear the projections of the public at large anyway.

So I would shrug my shoulders, make the choice that helps me best serve the folks I am supposed to serve and be with on a regular basis, and forget about it.

[Kevin Powell]

I wear clericals more often than I used to. I found that I had more opportunties for ministry when I donned my dog collar. I think my congregation prefers to see me visible in the community. The collar helps facilitate such visibility.

kgp

[dave paisley]

Interesting point in one of the comments about not being able to tell a Roman Catholic priest from an Anglican one.

The commenter fails to note that this is not a problem for female priests...

[Kathryn]

lol...yes indeed, Dav :-)
This time last year, I was plunged into gloom by my soon-to-be training vicar telling me that the parish would expect me to wear a collar all the time I was working, though (a huge concession) he didn't think they insisted on black. One year on, I put the thing on without thinking every working day, and have found it opens far more doors than I would ever have imagined. The children tell me off for doing the "smiley curate bit" if we're out and about and I'm not collared, and I guess I'm now so used to being known when in uniform, I forget just how invisible you can be without it. All in all, an interesting process. Just wish I could find a reasonable source of women's clergy shirts...I don't really like pink poly cotton :-/

[Kathryn]

Sorry...deprived Dave of an "e"...this'll never do.

[connie]

I have mixed feeling about the whole thing. Growing up in the Southern Baptist church the whole collar thing just felt creepy to me when I was a kid, I didn't understand it and I thought it looked funny. Then as I was in college, I figured out that it was not just a catholic church thing for and it was not so creepy but I still didn't get it... Now I go to a Lutheran church were half the pastors go collar and the other half go no collar. It does not seem so strange any more and I can see how it could act as an invitation to someone to say...pray for me but for others it could put them off and shut down communication in a time of need. Which brings me to another thought. We say you can please everyone and we know this is true but then in the New Testament we have Paul talking about being all things to all people...it just does not seem possible for an individual to do this in todays world. What do you think?

[connie]

Opps, I meant to type "You CAN'T please everyone" I knew I should have previewed the post!
Connie

[gavin]

is it okay to wear flip-flops with clerical gear? i'd be more apt to wear regularly if i can still wear my flops.

[rowan]

As long as your flip-flops are black, Gavin, it's fine :)
Being about to move back into clerical uniform after a break of two years since I used to wear a brown franciscan habit, I can sympathise with all sides on this question (how anglican of me!) In my experience, people do respond both positively and negatively to religious garb. In the end, my decision to wear it as often as possible comes down to an encounter I had once at greenbelt while i was in my habit- a complete stranger stopped me to say that she was dying of cancer, that she had given up on church a very long time ago but wanted to make peace with it before she died, and that she wanted to use me as a way back in. If I'd been in my rugby shirt, she wouldn't have done that.

[Dayzeee]

What a large number of comments on this subject. I have been wondering why. Has anyone any ideas about it?

[dave paisley]

Dayzeee (so that's where my "e" went ;), I think this is one issue most people have an opinion on, even multiple opinions in Rowan's case :O

I think Rowan's story (and Kathryn's and also AKMA's original post) show that there are definite positives to being identifiably religious in public. It seems that the balance to strike is to be noticeable, but also somehow approachable. Some clergy can make that work, others not so much.

[Diana]

I don't know what you are all worried about take a look at the church army uniform. It really does make all womens bums look big!!! and does nothing for credibility in contemporary culture. Surprisingly enough I only wear it in Church for occasions when I would otherwise have to wear some sort of robe

[Caroline]

I think that you're all dead lucky having one uniform

I have

jeans for the times when I'm working with students at their pace to their agenda

smart professional/casual when I'm trying to peruade students I'm a professional, but still approachable

smart trousers for above, openplan office and visits to factories (you never know when you'll have to go up a ladder)

power dressing for when I'm trying to get somebody to part with some money

oh for the simplicity of a dog collar ..

but then I don't have a differen colour frock for the whole of particular seasons!

[Karen]

I draw the line at cassocks. I own one for for Office liturgies, but when I have it on I bear a startling resemblance to the Vicar of Dibley.

[Fernando Gros]

Power, pretension and pomposity are the three words that come to mind when thinking of clerical dress. OK, maybe that is a bit OTT. Having worked as a chaplain, I can see merit for the arguments in favour of clerical dress in that sort of context. On rare occasions, such as genuinely high days of worship or ceremonial functions such as weddings and funerals I will concede it has it's place in certain cultures.

But for me, clerical dress as a day to day and week to week thing just smacks of an ecclesiology and view of ordainied power that I do not feel inclinded to befriend.

[hopefulamphibian]

When it comes to clerical wear - robes in services or collar in all sorts of places - and especially those times I feel self-conscious or a bit of a prat, it helps me to remember Timothy, who was circumcised (at Paul's behest) for the sake of the gospel... suddenly wearing a collar or robes at appropriate times does not seem so bad.

However, I would say that whilst a collar does open some doors, in some contexts it shuts others. My old training incumbent and I used to play a clerical version of paper-scissors-stone - who'd turn up at an event wearing a collar.

[Kathryn]

lol...Oh Mark, that's it exactly! Both of us do wear them most of the time, which makes the "do we/don't we" occasions all the more unpredictable. We've yet to achieve a match, I think :-)

[Frank Durkee]

I'm retired and my views are mixed. I rember walking down the street one day in a major Northeastern American city in the downtown area, watching on comming faces. Some said "hello" or "welcome". others curiosity, and most just 'blanked' me out. I had been stripped of existence and cast aside. to say the least the last was a source of interest and bemusement to me.

[Jane R]

I'm with Fernando.

I disagree with AKMA. For heavens' sake, everyone at the seminar knows he's a seminary professor!

In some cases a collar can be an important witness --peace demonstrations-- or a kind of entrance card or symbol --prisons, hospitals-- or a necessary piece of clothing to make a not so subliminal point (woman in room full of men, black clergy in room full of whites). And then, of course, there's Going To See The Bishop and various other auspicious occasions.

But in general, one should be self-critical and think hard about symbolism, ecclesiology, power, and clericalism.

[Cindy]

I'm a United Methodist in the U.S. who occasionally wears a round collar (it seems the right choice, since we fell out of the Anglican branch of the tree...) I must say, wearing it seems to inspire introspection about pastoral authority, not the other way around. Am I of more or less value to the family of the deceased than the female funeral home employee, from whom I wish to distinguish myself by wearing the collar? I hope I wear it most often when someone else needs to know who is the pastor, and not when I need them to know...