How the Church Lost its Pedestal
It’s fairly obvious to any objective observer that the Roman Church has lost its way. It often seems like a medieval anachronism here in the cyberpunk reality of the twenty-first century, and its solemn pronouncements sound from an age gone past.
Is it the stunning advances of science that are to blame? The deepening corruption of the surrounding society, perhaps? Or might it have anything to do with the headlong retreat from reform the Vatican has engaged in since John Paul II took office?
A surprisingly prophetic insight comes from, of all places, Madison Avenue.
In the early 1980s, not that long after the dust from the Second Vatican Council had settled, two top admen, Al Ries and Jack Trout, wrote a book that revolutionized advertising. It was called “Positioning: the Battle for Your Mind”, still available at amazon.com. This book boldy proclaimed the concept of positioning: that the way to success in the modern overcrowded marketplace was to find a unique single message, claim it for oneself, and stick to it.
Sounds deceptively simple, of course. But that was the point of it: to get back to the bedrock principles that an organization was based on and then strategically apply them to every aspect of that business. And unlike many advertising theories, this one actually seems to work.
Consider Apple Computers for one brilliant example. Its success is due in large part that it was able to capture the high-end home computer niche early on. It may not be as monstrously huge as the Microsoft monolith, which tries to be all things to everyone. But Macintosh has maintained an enthusiastic customer base in the face of overwhelming competition. Apple has even been able to extend that cachet into other markets, such as personal music players with the iPod.
The reason I mention this is because the book also relates an enlightening attempt to apply these principles to the Roman Catholic Church. Its failure over twenty years ago prophetically illustrates how the Roman Church lost its proud position on the pedestal, and how its been downhill ever since.
This is from “Chapter 22: Positioning the Catholic Church”
An identity crisis
Some years ago, positioning thinking was applied to the Catholic Church. In other words, communication problems of this enormous institution were treated as if they belonged to a major corporation.
This request did not come from the Pope or a committee of bishops. It came from a group of laity who were deeply concerned about what one renowned theologian dubbed a “certain crisis of identity” that had followed in the wake of the reforms of Vatican II.
It was quickly apparent that communication in the Catholic Church was haphazard at best…
A large measure of the problems could be traced to Vatican II.
Prior to that “opening of the windows,” the institutional Church had a dearly perceived position in the minds of the faithful. To most, the Church was the teacher of the law. Much emphasis was placed on rules, rewards, and punishment. The Church was consistent in its approach to old and young alike.
Vatican II moved the Catholic Church away from this posture of law and order. Many rules and regulations were dismissed as unnecessary. Changes in liturgy and style became commonplace. Flexibility took the place of rigidity.
Unfortunately, there was no advertising manager in Rome when these momentous changes were being made. No one to distill what had transpired and produce a program in simple language that explained the new directions.
After years of not needing a “corporate” communication program, it’s understandable that the Catholic Church failed to recognize the scope of the problem on its hands.
Losing its influence
What was painfully lacking was a dear presentation of what the new church was about.
The faithful quietly asked, “If you are not the teacher of the law, what are you?” In the years since Vatican II, there has been no simple answer forthcoming. No attempt to reposition the church in the minds of the laity. Even in the minds of the clergy, for that matter.
And with no answers, confusion walked in and many people walked out…
What role for the Church?
“What is the role of the Catholic Church in the modern world?” This question was asked of clergy, bishops, laity. Never was the same answer received twice…
Some say there is no simple answer. Some say there’s more than one answer…
The Church had to answer this unanswered question in simple, definitive terms. And it had to put this answer into a totally integrated communication program. Then it had to take this program to the flock in a new and dramatic way.
Working out an identity program for a corporation usually entails a retracing of steps until you discover the basic business of a company. This requires poring over old plans and programs. Seeing what worked and what didn’t.
In the case of the Catholic Church, you have to go back 2000 years and retrace the steps of the Church. Instead of old annual reports, you have to rely on Scripture.
In the search for a simple, direct expression of the role of the Church, two explicit statements in the Gospel could hold the answer.
First, during Christ’s ministry on earth, God, as reported in Matthew’s Gospel, instructed man to listen to the words of his Son, the Beloved (Matt. 17:23).
Then Christ, as he departed from earth, instructed his followers to go and teach all nations what they had heard from him (Matt. 28: 19).
Teacher of the word
It’s apparent from the Scriptures that Christ saw the role of the Church as “teacher of the word.” Because he was “the Son of God,” it must be assumed that his word is a word for all ages. Christ’s parables were not just for the people of his time, but also for now.
Hence they must have in their construction a universality which would never become dated. They are simple and deep.
In them Jesus gives to people of all ages food for thought and action.
So it can be assumed that those who proclaim the message today can and should transmit the old message in a new form in their own locality, in their own time, in their own way.
Thus the retracing of steps led to defining the role of the Church as that of keeping Christ alive in the minds of each new generation and relating his word to the problems of their time.
In many ways Vatican II seemed to point the Church backward rather than forward. From “teacher of the law” to “teacher of the word.”
This may seem like a very simplistic, almost obvious answer to a complicated problem.
And it is. Experience has shown that a positioning exercise is a search for the obvious. Those are the easiest concepts to communicate because they make the most sense to the recipient of a message.
Unfortunately, obvious concepts are also the most difficult to recognize and to sell…
What happened?
Nothing.
It has been very difficult to convince the management of the Catholic Church to implement this solution to their problems.
Not only do bishops resist having lay people tell them how to run their Church, but the solution appears to be much too obvious for them to accept. Simplicity is not as attractive as complexity.
And as with most big problems, they don’t go away… Will they at long last acknowledge the confusion problems?
Will they solve their “crisis of identity” and come up with a communications program that repositions the Church in the modern world? Will this program reconcile the widening gulf between liberal and conservative Catholics?
Don’t hold your breath.
From Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind
By Al Ries and Jack Trout
1st revised ed., 1986, Warner Books, NY pp. 187-192
Gee, I wonder what the latest edition says? To me, the most interesting question is why the Catholic Church could not embrace a position as “teacher of the word”.
Conservatism, institutional arrogance, fear of being bested by the Protestants; yes, of course, but the stresses of reclaiming an active apostolic position might threaten the very structure of the Roman Empire, er, Church. God forbid they should start taking the Gospel injunctions seriously.
To uphold the Law, however poorly, is much more preferable to them. First of all, they get to define the law, which is very convenient. Furthermore, basing it all on legal structure promotes an authoritarian, hierarchical, judgmental and patriarchal world-view, based on rules and power. How very Roman.
To teach the Word, as Vatican II sought, is to embrace diversity, collegiality, and an investigative and curious spirit. More freedom, in other words.
No wonder the pope and the cardinals couldn’t stomach it.