Revd Professor Andrew Village

Teaching

My teaching is now confined mainly to Postgraduate Researchers on the PhD or Professional Doctorate programmes.

I am currently supervising the following doctoral theses:

• Can an Appreciative Inquiry approach to collaborative Theological Action Research develop a theological understanding of secular work as part of equipping the scattered church in UK Independent Pentecostal Churches? (DMin from 2020, main supervisor)
• Exploring the religious experiences, beliefs, attitudes and practices of fringe members of the Church of England (PhD from 2021, main supervisor)
• An investigation into the impact of same sex relationships and same sex marriage with the Elim Pentecostal Movement on the practice of church discipline (PhD from 2021, main supervisor)
• Enacting Pioneer Network’s values in relation to mission (DMin from 2022, main supervisor)
• A case for Interstitial Ministry (IM) Ministering in rural Lincolnshire in the UK and rural Western Kenya (DMin from 2022, main supervisor)
• Optimising ministry for women in the Church of England (DMin from 2022, main supervisor)
• A Qualitative Inquiry into the disparity between Christian Faith and Church attendance in an East Riding Market Town (DMin from 2023, main supervisor)
• A practical theology of design practice (PhD from 2022, co supervisor)

Recent completions:

• An exploration into ordained and accredited Baptist ministry in the Baptist Union of Great Britain (PhD 2023)
• Theological Poverty or a Richness of Beliefs? Congregational Baptism seen through the lens of Ordinary Theology (PhD 2023)

Research

My research is in several different areas related to theology (practical theology, empirical theology, hermeneutics and ministry studies) and the scientific study of religion (psychology of religion and sociology of religion). Current and recently completed projects include:

COVID-19 and Churches

I have worked on 2 major surveys during the Coronavirus pandemic: the Coronavirus, Church and You survey, which collected nearly 10,000 responses in 2020, and the Covid-19, Church-21 Survey, which collected over 9,000 responses in 2021.

The Church Times survey

In 2013 I helped to organise a survey published in the Church Times, the main weekly newspaper of the Church of England. The questionnaire included a wide range of items related to beliefs, attitudes and opinions, including opinions of homosexuality and the ordination of women as bishops. The Church of England in the first decade of the 21st Century (Palgrave, 2018) compares the results with a similar survey in 2001 to see how attitudes among clergy and lay people have changed in recent years.

I plan to run a third survey in 2024 to follow changes in since 2013 and to gather information on new issues such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and assisted dying.

Research for the Church of England

In 2022 to 2023 I worked on two projects commissioned by the Church of England. The first was collecting information on same-sex blessings and same-sex marriages across the Anglican Communion ahead of the synod vote in February 2023 which allowed same-sex blessings in church. The second was research to facilitate a review of ministry and ministry training in the dioceses of Exeter and Truro. Reports produced will be the basis for forthcoming peer-review articles.

Australian NCLS data analysis

The Australian National Church Life Survey collects data for a large sample of people attending a wide range of churches across Australia. I have worked with NCLS Research in Sydney on papers exploring the role of churches in helping migrants integrate into Australian society. I am currently working on the 2022 survey data looking at religious socialisation among migrants in Australian churches.

Developing instruments to assess psychological type

Working with our visiting Professor, Leslie J. Francis, I have helped to revise and shorten the Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales. These scales have been widely used among various religious groups, and the improved reliability helps to make for better personality profiling.

Publications

Books

Village, A. (2018). The Church of England in the first decade of the 21st century: The Church Times Surveys. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.

Village, A. (2016). Encountering the Bible. London: SCM Press.

Some journal articles published in the last 5 years

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). The effects of spiritual wellbeing on self-perceived health changes among members of the Church of England during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Journal of Religion and Health, 62, 2899-2915. doi: 10.1007/s10943-023-01790-y

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). Revising the Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales (FPTETS). Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1-10. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2023.2232330

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). Predictors of spiritual wellbeing in The Episcopal Church during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Anglican Studies. Under review

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). Lockdown worship in the Church of England: Predicting affect responses to leading or accessing online and in-church services. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 44(2), 280-296. doi: 10.1080/13617672.2022.2101087

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). Introducing the Scale of Perceived Affect Response to Online Worship (SPAROW): a psychometric assessment of ritual innovation during the pandemic. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 26(6), 581-590. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2022.2081317

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). Introducing the Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales (FPTETS): A study among church leaders and church members. Religion, Brain & Behavior, 1-21. doi: 10.1080/2153599x.2022.2160800

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2023). God is in his heaven, all’s right with the world: Psychological wellbeing and belief in divine control during the third Covid-19 lockdown among Anglican clergy and laity in England. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 51(2), 141–173. doi: 10.1177/00916471221149027

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2022). Psychological wellbeing and sources of support for Church of England clergy and laity during the third national COVID-19 lockdown. Rural Theology, 20(2), 72-90. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2022.2120972

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2022). Psychological type and the three major dimensions of personality: Mapping the relationship between the FPTS and the EPQR-A among clergy and churchgoers. Mental Health Religion & Culture, 1-9. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1999400

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2022). How did psychological wellbeing of Church of England clergy and laity change from the first to the third national COVID-19 lockdowns? Pastoral Psychology, 71, 653-666. doi: 10.1007/s11089-022-01017-z

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2022). Giving up on the Church of England? Responses of non-ministering members to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Journal of Anglican Studies, 1-20. doi: 10.1017/S1740355322000195

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2022). Factorial structure and validity of the Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales (FPTETS). Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(9), 897-909. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2022.2026311

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2021). Wellbeing and perceptions of receiving support among Church of England clergy during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Mental Health Religion & Culture, 24(5), 463-477. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1906214

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2021). Shaping attitudes toward church in a time of Coronavirus: Exploring the effects of personal, psychological, social, and theological factors among Church of England clergy and laity. Journal of Empirical Theology, 34(1), 102-128. doi: 10.1163/15709256-12341423

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2021). Exploring affect balance: Psychological wellbeing of Church of England clergy and laity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Religion & Health, 60, 1556–1575. doi: 10.1007/s10943-021-01225-6

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2021). Churches and faith: Attitude towards church buildings during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown among churchgoers in England. Ecclesial Practices, 8(2), 216-232. doi: 10.1163/22144417-bja10025

Village, A., & Francis, L. J. (2020). Faith in lockdown: Experiences of rural Church of England clergy and laity during the covid-19 pandemic. Rural Theology, 18(2), 79-86. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2020.1818385

Village, A. (submitted 8.11.23). A survey of provinces in the Anglican Communion that have allowed same-sex blessings or same-sex marriages. Journal of Anglican Studies. 

Village, A. (2023). The psychological-type profile of cathedral worshippers. Journal of Beleifs and Values. 

Village, A. (2023 ). Debated issues in the Church of England: The roles of theology and psychology Journal of Empirical Theology, online, 1-23. doi: 10.1163/15709256-20231170

Village, A. (2022). Attitude toward virtual communion in relation to church tradition during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Journal of Empirical Theology, 35, 95-117. doi: 10.1163/15709256-20221430

Village, A. (2021). Testing the factor structure of the Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS): A replication among Church of England clergy and laity. Mental Health Religion & Culture, 24, 336-346. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2020.1780575

Village, A. (2021). Stewardship: Solution or problem? Rural Theology, 1-10. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2021.1968643

Village, A. (2020). Rural Lockdown. Rural Theology, 18(2), 120-121. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2020.1818387

Village, A. (2020). Psychological and theological predictors of environmental attitudes among a sample of UK churchgoers. Journal of Empirical Theology, 33(2), 220-244. doi: 10.1163/15709256-12341411

Village, A. (2019). Liberalism and conservatism in relation to psychological type among Church of England  clergy. Journal of Empirical Theology, 32(1), 1-17. doi: 10.1163/15709256-12341384

Village, A. (2019). Does higher education change the faith of Anglicans and Methodists preparing for church ministries through a course validated by a UK university? Practical Theology, 12(4), 389-401. doi: 10.1080/1756073X.2019.1635310

Publications as co-author

Journal articles and book chapters: co- author

Francis, Leslie J., Jones, Susan H., & Village, Andrew. (2021). Psychological type and psychological temperament among Readers within the Church of England: a complementary ministry? Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 24(4), 389-403. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2020.1764517

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2021). Introducing The Index of Balanced Affect Change (TIBACh): A study among Church of England clergy and laity. Mental Health Religion & Culture, 24(8), 770-779. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1923679

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2021). The pandemic and the feminisation of the Church? How male and female churchgoers experienced the Church of England’s response to Covid-19. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 1-10. doi: 10.1080/13617672.2021.1933304

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2021). Reading the Church of England’s response to the Covid-19 crisis: The diverging views of Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical clergy. Journal of Anglican Studies, 1-13. doi: 10.1017/S1740355321000267

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2021). This blessed sacrament of unity? Holy Communion, the pandemic, and the Church of England. Journal of Empirical Theology, 34(1), 87–101. doi: 10.1163/15709256-12341420

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2021). Viewing the impact of Covid-19 through the eyes of retired clergy. Theology, 124(1), 24-31. doi: 10.1177/0040571X20985698

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Anne Lawson, S. (2021). Increasingly Fragile? Assessing the Cumulative Impact of the Pandemic on Rural Anglican Churches. Rural Theology, 19(2), 72-78. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2021.1980656

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Lewis, Christopher Alan. (2021). Spiritual awakening among Anglican clergy during the pandemic: Exploring the effects of personal factors, personality, church orientation, and religious practice. Духовність особистості: методологія, теорія і практика (Spirituality of Personality: Methodology, Theory and Practice) 101(2(Ч.1)), 234-257. doi: 10.33216/2220-6310-2021-101-2_1-234-257

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Payne, V. John. (2021). Introducing the Francis Owl-Lark Indices (FOLI): assessing the implications of diurnal activity patterns for clergy work-related psychological health. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 24(8), 780-795. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1871595

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Payne, V. John. (2021). Introducing the Francis Owl-Lark Indices (FOLI): assessing the implications of diurnal activity patterns for clergy work-related psychological health. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 24(8), 780-795. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1871595

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Lawson, S. Anne. (2020). Impact of covid-19 on fragile churches: Is the rural situation really different? Rural Theology, 18(2), 72-78. doi: 10.1080/14704994.2020.1818391

Francis, Leslie J., Powell, Ruth, & Village, Andrew. (2020). Mystical experience and emotional wellbeing: a study among Australian church leaders. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 1-5. doi: 10.1080/13617672.2020.1762397

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Voas, David. (2020). Psychological type theory, femininity and the appeal of Anglo-Catholicism: A study among Anglican clergymen in England. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 24(4), 352-365. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2020.1767557

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2019). Christian ethos secondary schools, parental church attendance and student attitude towards Christianity: Exploring connections in England and Wales. British Journal of Religious Education, Online, 1-15. doi: 10.1080/01416200.2019.1580562

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Voas, David. (2019). The turn toward extraversion: The changing psychological profile of Anglican clergy. Journal of Empirical Theology, 32(1), 89-104. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-12341383

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew  , & Powell, Ruth (2019). Quest-religious orientation among church leaders in Australia: A function of psychological predisposition or openness to mystical experience? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 11(2), 123-130. doi: 10.1037/rel0000125

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Voas, David. (2018). Stress levels among Anglican clergy: The beneficial effects of feeling supported. Journal of Empirical Theology, 31(2), 265-287. doi: 10.1163/15709256-12341374

Francis, Leslie J., & Village, Andrew. (2017). Psychological type and reported religious experience: an empirical enquiry among Anglican clergy and laity. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 20(4), 367-383. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2017.1328404

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, McKenna, Ursula, & Penny, Gemma. (2017). Freedom of religion and freedom of religious clothing and symbols in school : exploring the impact of church schools in a religiously diverse society. In H.-G. Ziebertz & C. Sterkens (Eds.), The legitimization of civil human rights on the grounds of human dignity and religious considerations: empirical research and theoretical reflections  (pp. in Press). Leiden: Brill.

Francis, Leslie J., Village, Andrew, & Parker, Stephen G. (2017). Exploring the trajectory of personal, moral and spiritual values of 16- to 18-year-old students taking religious studies at A level in the UK. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 38(1), 18-31. doi: 10.1080/13617672.2016.1232567

Professional activity

Professional memberships

• Religious Research Association (RRA)
• Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR)

Editorships

• Editor, Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (until 2018)
• Editorial Board: Rural Theology, Journal of Beliefs and Values

Conferences (where presentations delivered)

SSSR/RRA annual conference, Las Vegas, October 2018

SSSR/RRA annual conference, Washington DC, October 2017

ISSR Biennial conference, Lausanne, 3 to 7 July 2017

New Perspectives on Science and Religion in Society (Manchester 29 June to 1 July 2017)

ISERT Biennial conference, Amsterdam June 2016

SSSR/RRA annual conference, Atlanta 28 to 30 October 2016