Stephen Sykes is no stranger to positions of power in his various roles as an internationally renowned professor of theology, a diocesan bishop (of Ely), and college principal. It is of some interest, then, that he offers a mature reflection on power to both church and academy in his recent work Power and Christian Theology. In this work, Sykes argues for a ‘realistic’ approach to power, an approach that regards recent attempts to dissociate the Christian life and the role of the church from the existence of ‘powers’ to be impractical and dangerous.

Sykes’ task in this book is no small matter. Besides swimming against a current suspicion of power in much of recent theological opinion, he must also contend with the historical reality of the church’s complicity in the abuse of ‘worldly’ power and, in the opinion of many, the growing irrelevance of the church in Western culture. Still, Sykes believes that questions about power should concern theologians and church leaders alike. After all, ‘a faith in which God is worshipped as a “God of power and might” has every reason to think long and hard about the relationship of power and theology’ (i).

The book is divided into seven well-crafted chapters. Chapters one and two provide a ‘compass’ (in the form of a workable definition of power) and a ‘map’ (by way of a theological framework) to the book’s journey into the question of power and theology. With compass and map in hand, Sykes moves on to explore the two primary tendencies in which power has been handled in Christian theology. On the one hand, chapter three explores ‘the affirmation of power’, the celebration of divine power and the acceptance that humans and institutions embody this power. On the other hand, chapter four examines the ambivalent, if not outright antagonistic, treatment of power in what Sykes refers to as the rejection of power’. In these two chapters, Sykes argues that the history of theological attitudes towards power, much like the biblical tradition itself in both Old and New Testaments, presents not a uniform viewpoint, but one with diverging tendencies. In light of this, chapter five. ‘Sociology and Theology’ argues to the effect that the study of sociology enhances and deepens a theological understanding of power’ (81).

The final two chapters return to the theological question of power and, in my opinion, are the most riveting and illuminating in the whole book. They focus on the primacy of sacrifice, particularly Christ’s sacrifice, in relationship to the church’s public life (ch. 6) and the distribution and exercise of power inside the church (ch. 7). Sykes is quick to remind his readers that he is not offering an easy resolution or synthesis to the complex issues of power. Instead, he offers an argument that explicitly acknowledges ‘the plurality of powers in Christian theology’, but which are:

unified in the narrative drama of creation, redemption and last things, whose central pivotal event is the crucifixion. Sacrifice, especially the sacrifice of Christ is about these powers and their relationship (116)

By framing the argument this way around the death and resurrection of Christ, Sykes believes that the effects of the powers cease to be a trap for random meaningless and ‘their potential for good emerges, while (at least in the present life) their ambivalence never entirely vanishes’ (116).

Power and Christian Theology packs a lot into its slim 150 pages In it, Bishop Sykes roams broadly and deeply through history and scholarly disciplines. On its own terms, and with respect to the questions Sykes raises, the book offers several significant contributions. First, his call for a ‘realistic’ approach to power is theologically balanced and carefully nuanced. Secondly, his level-headed evaluation of what sociology can and cannot offer theological reflection is welcome. Thirdly, the final chapter with its modern appropriation of Gregory the Great’s classic work. Pastoral Care, is a gem for anyone occupying or aspiring to leadership in the church. For my part, the only question that may have benefited from more concrete illustration relates to Sykes’ discussion of the relationship between the church’s power and the public square in chapter six. It is my hope that Sykes’ appeal for a realistic approach to power in the church—that is, one that embraces the necessity of exercising power in the church and public life openly and aware of its temptations—will be of lasting service to students of theology and church leaders alike.

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