William H. Willimon

"We clergy ought not to flatter ourselves, as if our clerical vocation somehow placed a greater burden upon our backs than the challenge that taking up the cross and following Jesus holds for any disciple" (9)/

These words, from the first paragraph of the introduction, indicate the unconventional wisdom of William H. Willimon. He turns many of the common perspectives about the life of the pastor on their head. For another example, consider his thoughts on burnout:

"The great ethical danger for show more clergy is not that we might "burn out," to use a metaphor that is popular in our time, not that we might lose the energy required to do ministry. Our danger is that we might "black out," that is lose consciousness of why we are here and who we are called to be for Christ and his church" (21).

In every page of Calling and Character, Willimon reminds clergy of "why we are here and who we are called to be" (21). The call to ministry is a high calling. Rather than waste time lamenting the "pedestal" we're sometimes placed upon, clergy should buck up and wear the mantle. To nuance that metaphor, it is incumbent upon clergy to develop a virtuous character so the mantle actually fits.

Richard B. Hays used three biblical images to frame his ethics: community, cross, and new creation. Willimon uses this threefold framework to develop his ministerial ethics. Clergy are those people "who embody Christian community, cross, and new creation in their lives" (59).

You may agree wholeheartedly with everything Willimon has to say—or not. Regardless of your position on the various issues, Willimon will challenge you to examine your life and practice in light of a high clerical vision. show less

Quite a disappointing book given the level of fanfare it produced.

It's unfortunate that the arbitrary assumptions Hauerwas and Willimon make about secular Western culture are based such a weak interpretation of our context. They are right about the changing role of the church through the last century and the need for the church to present a real politic for our culture. But instead of theological or scriptural roots for that polis, and while ignoring the Christian development of ideas they show more don't like, they allow their antipathy for liberal democracy and capitalism to suffice in its stead, meaning they rather unquestioningly do little more than repeat the tired old secular leftist complaints about Western culture which have drifted about for two centuries. For example, their articulation of individualism in the West presents a mere caricature of the philosophical and historical reality of the nuanced ideas in question: ideas clearly rooted in Christian faith and history; ideas which have lead to relative relief from poverty, tyranny and war in the West. Their call for church and clergy to regain their rightful task in truth telling, in a similar fashion, sounds so noble and invigorating until one discovers that the political truth they expect to be told is just nonsense.

Christian communities are indeed aliens in the West, but not for the reasons Hauerwas and Willimon would like us to believe. show less

NCLA Review -United Methodist Bishop William Willimon is a bold man to speak of salvation in today’s religious climate, much less attempt to answer such a fiercely controversial question. He does not hesitate to say what many quietly think, and he proactively responds to questions and arguments that others might voice. Willimon’s illustrations whether scriptural or metaphoric are irresistibly insightful. Willimon’s mind and heart are steeped in the Bible, and his creative understanding show more of scripture often sent me to my Bible to check his references—where I found words and phrases that I’d overlooked previously. He’s fond of reminding the reader that God’s ways and our ways are not the same, and that Jesus’ teaching was as extreme as his behavior. In his discussion of salvation, Willimon shifts the focus from what a person does to what God does. He provides much to ponder. I was sorry to reach the last page, but I will not be leaving the thoughts he engendered. Rating: 4 —DKW 155p, paper, Abingdon 2008, 978-0-687-65119-1, $16.00 [234] show less

Assigned reading for seminary. There some big positives about this book. The author writes likes he’s preaching. While this means the grammar isn’t always perfect, the reader can almost feel is pacing as if you were hearing it. I love that. He uses Barth as his spring board throughout and gave me a lot of things to consider. Ultimately, I came away with a deeper appreciation for the place of the preacher (within a church context or not) and that’s work worth the read in my opinion.