Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons^™

This chapter examines how thinking about the nature of embodiment might inform an understanding of how this metaphor is used to describe the Church. It begins by looking at two important metaphorical uses of the body in the New Testament (the Last Supper and the Church as the Body of Christ) and then employs ideas from the writings of Mark Johnson, John O’Neil, Philip A. Mellor and Chris Shilling to see how they could inform theological notions of embodied unity, diversity, contingency and dialectic. It concludes by arguing that the Church is an embodiment of consensus and conflict.

This paper was written before the introduction of Common Worship by the Church of England and explores the effects of earlier liturgical changes upon that Church, in particular the move from non-Eucharist forms of worship (such as Mattins and Evensong) to more Eucharistically centred liturgy and argues for affirmation and encouragement of diversity in parish worship.