CRuC
Christian Rural Concern
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About us
Christian Rural Concern arose from a burning desire by country clergy, farmers and church people to earth a relevant ministry in current rural realities. The CRuC Rural Centre at Calton in the Staffordshire Peak District pioneered local research, Field Days, and a Christian Rural Studies Course, through Rev. Tony Hodgson, co-author of The Rural Church towards 2000 (1989) RTA and Seasonal Worship from the Countryside (2003) SPCK.In the 1990's collaboration with Keele University and later with the newly-founded John Ray Initiative led to the Certificate Course in Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES). Since 2006 CRES has been based at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, an Anglican Training College near Oxford.
Membership of CRuC is open to all Christians and others with a concern for the rural situation, subscription £10 a year. CRuC publishes a Journal Countrywide Care in spring and autumn. You can read extracts from recent issues on this site.
Our Aim
is to spread a Christian understanding of rural and environmental issues, based on the belief that God cares about us and the way in which we live on the earth which He created.We focus especially on the situation in rural Britain today, but take into account our history and contemporary developments worldwide. We encourage people to become aware, in the light of the Gospel, of what is happening in our rural areas through a course of study, essays and projects.
Course in Christian Rural and Environmental Studies
The course is for adults, by correspondence, and lasts for 2 years. There
are eight modules from which you choose six (details below) and
see the CRES web site.
- The Living World
- Food and Farming
- Economics
- Christians as Salt and Light
- The Physical Environment
- The Biological Environment
- Rural Communities
- The Church in the Countryside
This course provides an opportunity to study rural and environmental issues from a Christian viewpoint. It will be of interest to all with a personal and professional concern for the environment and countryside, rural communities and churches. There are no entry requirements.
Under the guidance of personal tutors, students work through 6 of the 8 modules below. Modules 1 to 4 are obligatory, but you select 2 out of Modules 5 to 8. Each module represents about 40 hours of activity and study.
Students are examined on Study Papers, one per module, and a written Project presented at a Residential Consultation, the topic being chosen with the tutor and co-directors.
Cost - Two annual instalments of £295, which includes two residential weekends.
(£250 repayable for early withdrawal)
Bursaries - We encourage students to seek support from their church or denomination
or government provision. CRuC has a small bursary fund. Send our
enquiry form for
further details.
Staff and students at a residential weekend
Module 1: The Living World
Starting with first-hand experiences of nature, this module looks at how the living world testifies to the glory of the Creator. It considers the Biblical relationships between God and the whole creation, a Christian understanding of humanity's role, and Jesus' 'earthing' of heaven in the life of the Church.
Module 2: Food and Farming
This module concerns the production, distribution and consumption of food. Students are
required to compare different modes and contexts, including the contemporary global
market, and to evaluate them in the light of a Christian ethic and practice.
Module 3: Christians as Salt and Light
This module explores Christians' callings across various traditions, influencing
social, school, work and political contexts, where faith is related to ecological
and environmantal issues.
Module 4: Economics
This module considers rural communities from a Biblical viewpoint, from the 'grass
roots', contrasting with the modern, secular money economy. It goes on to examine
work and income, and local lifestyles which are socially, economically and
environmentally viable.
Module 5: The Physical Environment
This module describes the physical systems underpinning life on earth. Threats of
atmospheric pollution and climate change lead to an assessment of adaptation and
mitigation. marine and freshwater systems and soil are considered in the contexts
of pollution and erosion.
Module 6: The Biological Environment
This module describes the dynamics of ecological systems. An historic view that
the natural world is infinitely bountiful is modified by the knowledge that some
ecosystems may be approaching their limits. It outlines human and non-humanfactors
that change or damage biological environments.
Module 7: Rural Communities
Rural communities have become more diverse. This module invites local research,
and urges students to explore the values underlying their activities, the
historical background and to consider some current initiatives.
Module 8: The Church in the Countryside
This module looks at Christian work and worship in the countryside, including
Celtic spirituality, monastic communities, and church structures. It studies
the function of holy places, rites of passage and the role of ministers - both
ordained and lay volunteers, facing difficult challenges of finances and deployment.
Farm day for students
How the course can help you
The uniqueness of the course lies in its innovative approach combining the academic expertise of JRI with the practical experience of CRuC.
- Teachers in school, college or church -
it provides background knowledge and materials on rural and environmental concerns. - Environmental practitioners -
it enables the work situation to be related to Christian faith and commitment. - Any concerned person -
it connects Christian thinking to the rural context and offers stimulation, resources, and the potential for renewed vision.
Watching Red Kites in the Chilterns
Student Projects
Students choose their own topic of study for their project and study papers with the help
of staff. Projects may include a practical element, like photography, video or
artwork. Projects produced in the past cover all aspects of country life, secular
and sacred; subjects chosen include:
- A Guide to Rural Evangelism - Augustine or Columba?
- New Farm Enterprises in the Parish of Clophill.
- "Let all the World in Every Corner Sing" - an organist's view of worship in rural churches.
- The Role of the Church and the Local Community in Conserving Trees.
- Village School Closures - Counting the Cost. (video)
- The Role of the Lay Person in the Rural Church.
- The Development of some Rural Ecumenical Partnerships.
- Being a Christian in the countryside.
- The role of a village school.
- The history of a local farm.
- The village shop at risk.
- Women's roles in a rural area.
- Many parishes - one vicar.
- The effects of a new out of town supermarket on a market town in Shropshire
- The Living Churchyard - a comparison of suburban and country churchyard conservation projects
- A Liturgy for Conservation Sunday
- Rural Church Buildings and the Decade of Evangelism
- Sheep Farming in Cumbria
- Sermons in Stone
- Pastoral Reorganisation in Rural Areas
- The Village as Community (this included some very challenging poems)
- Mining and its effects - working and when abandoned - on the environment
- A Quiet Place - Retreat Houses in the country and the city
- New Farm Enterprises in the Parish of Clophill
- Can the Rural Church survive without the car ?
- Celtic Christianity - A Unit of Curriculum for Religious Education in a mixed comprehensive school, and resource booklet.
- Future Rural Evangelism - Augustine or Columba?
- The Development of Some Rural Ecumenical Partnerships
- Rural Travel and the Church
- "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing" - an Organist's View of Worship in Rural Churches
- Rural Care in Cornwall
- Rural Parishes in the St.Alban's Diocese
- The Role of the Church and of Local Communities in Conserving Trees
- The Environmental Effects of Waste Disposal
- Village School Closures - Counting the Cost (Video)
- Transfer of the Ottenden Estate to an Educational Trust
- Rural Evangelism - One Village's Experience
- Spiritual Growth in the Rural Church
- The Secret of Bramble Island, Essex - more than just Dynamite
- Princetown - a Pilgrim Community: Past, Present and Future
- The Role of the Lay Person in the Rural Church
- The Future for Methodists in South Shropshire
- Growing Young People Through Xchange
Diploma in Christian Rural and Environmental Studies
This course consists of a research project linking theological principles and the economic, social and environmental concerns of rural communities.If you have completed the Certificate Course successfully and have enjoyed it so much that you suffer from withdrawal symptoms, why not try the Diploma Course? The next one is due to start in September. Send our enquiry form for further details.
While doing the Certificate Course, there will have been
subjects which you would like to study in more depth. The Diploma gives
you the opportunity of producing a project on a subject of your choice. You
start by submitting a project outline for approval to the Director of Studies.