234::10) He was the only Church of England priest to work full-time as a clown. He once said, “That is the only sort of clowning I do: getting across the Christian message to different audiences in different ways.” He took his act to Europe, America, and Australia. He was partially supported by a non-profit organisation called The Faith and Foolishness Trust, which supports clown-priests. In 1982 he helped to set up Holy Fools, an organisation to support clown ministry. He was a member of both the College of Evangelists and Clowns International; at Clowns International he served as chaplain.
191:. So he took a clown's training and became a freelance clown-priest, presenting the Gospel message through jokes and pratfalls. He performed in churches, conference halls, hospitals, schools, football fields, and prisons. He would enter the venue on a unicycle, open with the invocation "Let us play!", and preach while balancing on (or falling from) a
199:, a clumsy character who is on the receiving end of water buckets and accidents, and who often works as a foil to the more clever and arrogant stage personality of the white-faced clown. According to Bain, the Auguste role allowed him to provide a mirror to everyday personalities, if it was not too exaggerated. He often took on the
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mentions Bain, adding that clown ministry is "an authentic way of doing theology" which offers unique insights into the nature of God and humanity, and as such has been accepted by mainline denominations. Sandra
Billington's 2015 book
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After serving as a parish priest, Bain decided to convey the
Christian message through a different route, inspired by his lifelong love of clowns. His father had written a biography of the famous clown
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describes the inspirational aspects of the clownerie and its spread of "a kind of mental oxygen". She draws parallels between Bain celebrating the
Christian
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Bain married Jane Smith in 1984; they separated in 2008. The couple had two sons, Jack and Samuel Bain. He died of cancer in 2016 at the age of 62.
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roles of the Jester and the
Vulnerable Lover. He performed routines like juggling and egg-smashing and blew
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His father was
Kenneth Bruce Findlater Bain, a theatre critic who wrote under the name
276:, called Bain the most prominent spiritual clown in England. The "Clown" entry in the
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This is
Improbable: Cheese String Theory, Magnetic Chickens and Other WTF Research
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396:"Let us play: The Reverend Roly Bain, clown-priest, died on August 11th, aged 62"
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289:(for example, in his 2001 book) and similar publications such as 1999's
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A 1996 German monograph by
Angelika Richter and Lori Zonner in the
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ten bishops, and "most were grateful – or at least happy to play".
253:, and in 1999 he received Clowns International's Slapstick prize.
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687:. Faber & Faber. pp. first page of the 2015 preface.
249:(2001), a memoir. In 1994 he was named Clown of the Year by
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priest in 1978. In 1990 he spent a year at
Fooltime (now
451:
How to Become a
Creative Church Leader: A MODEM Handbook
195:, a speciality of Bain. Like Coco, Bain performed as an
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Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A. (7 May 2015).
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Bain traced the origins of his clown ministry to the "
365:"The Reverend Roly Bain, priest and clown – obituary"
293:, which advocates "creative folly" in the workplace.
187:. As a young boy, Bain had loved the sad-faced clown
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107:(18 January 1954 – 11 August 2016) was an English
119:. He helped set up the organisation Holy Fools.
660:. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 302–303.
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766:People educated at St Paul's School, London
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311:Fools Rush in: A Call to Christian Clowning
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622:"Clowning for Christ – dos and don'ts"
566:"Obituary: Reverend David 'Roly' Bain"
424:Serious Play: Modern Clown Performance
142:. He was one of triplets. He attended
741:21st-century English Anglican priests
736:20th-century English Anglican priests
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681:Billington, Sandra (19 March 2015).
761:Alumni of the University of Bristol
657:Encyclopedia of Christian Education
454:. Canterbury Press. pp. 17ff.
278:Encyclopedia of Christian Education
230:saying "We are fools for Christ." (
207:. According to his website, he had
620:Abrahams, Marc (11 January 2010).
421:Peacock, Louise (1 January 2009).
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513:Bates, Stephen (21 August 2016).
448:Nelson, John (28 February 2008).
257:Mentions in academic publications
245:(1995, with Patrick Forbes), and
427:. Intellect Books. p. 161.
166:), a circus training college in
751:21st-century English memoirists
591:Abrahams, Marc (7 March 2013).
264:Journal of Religion and Health
115:who preached and performed as
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771:Deaths from cancer in England
540:"Playing the fool for Christ"
156:Cuddesdon Theological College
35:David Roualeyn Findlater Bain
746:20th-century English writers
684:A Social History of the Fool
515:"The Rev Roly Bain obituary"
283:A Social History of the Fool
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146:in West London, then read
599:. Oneworld Publications.
237:He wrote several books:
123:Early life and education
97:David Roualeyn Findlater
16:English priest and clown
479:"Why, What & Where"
158:. He was ordained an
339:The Dan Leno Project
251:Clowns International
335:"Richard Findlater"
489:on 21 October 2016
402:. 3 September 2016
291:The Corporate Fool
274:This Is Improbable
152:Bristol University
546:. 2 November 2006
483:Roly Bain website
144:St. Paul's School
131:. His mother was
129:Richard Findlater
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572:. 31 August 2016
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371:. 22 August 2016
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57:(aged 62)
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268:described by
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491:. Retrieved
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313:(1993, with
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287:court jester
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55:(2016-08-11)
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731:2016 deaths
726:1954 births
639:9 September
576:4 September
550:4 September
524:4 September
406:4 September
375:4 September
224:Middle Ages
133:Romany Bain
70:Occupations
62:Nationality
720:Categories
322:References
228:Saint Paul
216:holy fools
164:Circomedia
140:journalist
41:1954-01-18
634:0261-3077
222:" of the
193:slackrope
137:freelance
117:Holy Roly
25:Roly Bain
241:(1993),
172:Olveston
160:Anglican
148:theology
218:" and "
197:Auguste
168:Bristol
65:English
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493:8 June
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178:Career
109:priest
79:priest
344:5 May
113:clown
76:Clown
689:ISBN
662:ISBN
641:2016
630:ISSN
601:ISBN
578:2016
552:2016
526:2016
495:2017
456:ISBN
429:ISBN
408:2016
377:2016
346:2016
189:Coco
154:and
135:, a
111:and
105:Bain
101:Roly
50:Died
31:Born
150:at
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