Wesley Carr's ministry within the Church of England is renowned and distinguished. As Dean of Westminster Abbey he is often at the forefront of national religious ceremonies. His ministry, academic posts and widely acclaimed books have also established him as one of the leading pastoral theologians in recent times. The Character of Wisdom brings together leading writers, thinkers and broadcasters to reflect on Dr Carr's many and varied contributions to church and national life, and on particular aspects of his ministry and writings. The authors explore themes such as the nature of priestly ministry, the role of clergy and the church, the function of cathedrals, ministry and the media, church finance, discipleship and vocation, and New Testament theology. Presenting an invaluable guide to the present and future shape of pastoral theology, public theology, and ministry, this book shows how practising pastoral theology can hope to reveal something of the manifold wisdom of God. The contributors to this volume are: Paul Avis; Duncan B. Forrester; Robin Gill; Stephen Lowe; Christopher Moody; Anton Obholzer; Emma Percy; Martyn Percy; Alastair Redfern; Edward R. Shapiro; Angela Tilby; Francis Ward; and Tom Wright.

Contents: Part 1 Shaping the Church: The priest-like task: funding the ministry of the Church of England, Martyn Percy; The shaping of institutions, Anton Obholzer; The Church of England between memory and hope, Paul Avis; Task: a transcendent notion, Edward R. Shapiro. Part 2 Pastoral Theology and Christian Ministry: Revisiting teams, Stephen Lowe; Standing for something, Francis Ward; More tea, Vicar? Testing and tasting truth, Alastair Redfern; Occasional offices: natural sacraments of God's grace, Christopher Moody; Strong feelings in a polite church, Emma Percy and Martyn Percy. Part 3 Theology, Church and World: Spirituality and the mass media, Angela Tilby; Gospel values and modern bioethics, Robin Gill; God and Caesar, then and now, Tom Wright; Theology as queen or servant, Duncan B. Forrester. Part 4 Response: A response, Wesley Carr; Dr Wesley Carr: curriculum vitae; Index.