‘Friends’ of Anglican cathedrals: norms and values. Befriending, friending or misnomer?

Abstract

Loyal supporters of Anglican cathedrals first subscribed to ‘Friends’ associations in the late 1920s. Yet, in 1937, a journalist in The Times portrayed cathedrals as a ‘queer thing to be a friend of.’ Drawing on theories of friendship from a range of disciplines, and surveys of what has been proclaimed in the public domain about cathedral Friends, then and now, this article assesses the aptness of the ‘Friends’ nomenclature, given the inherent norms and values of the relationship as portrayed. Context has a bearing upon how the concept is manifested, and behaviours in the cathedral-Friend dyad follow many rules of person–person friendships. Empirical research probing the motivations and actions of cathedral Friends may reveal whether other norms also apply. The challenge for Friends is to preserve for future generations not only cathedral fabric but also key norms and values of friendship, against the prevailing trends of an apparently increasingly individuated culture.

Keywords:

• Anglican cathedrals
• Friends
• friendship
• members
• reciprocity
• social capital

Notes

1. On the theoretical role of information in the generation of ‘vicarious social capital’ for passive participants in voluntary associations, see Muskett (2012b).