Anglican covenant seeks to address disputes on sex and the Bible
-01/06/06
Affirming Ca
Anglican covenant seeks to address disputes on sex and the Bible
-01/06/06
Affirming Catholicism, the movement of progressive catholics within the Church of England, has given a cautious welcome to the proposal for a Covenant for the Anglican Communion, which would to address moral and doctrinal tensions and divisions within the 77 million strong world-wide fellowship of Churches.
Last week the Anglican Communion Office published a proposal for consultation. The idea of a Covenant (an agreement before God) to be signed by all Anglican provinces was suggested in the Windsor Report, chaired by Archbishop Eames, which tried to chart a way forward on the argument within the worldwide Communion about homosexuality.
Affirming Catholicism has members across the Communion. In 2005, its response to the Windsor Report accepted that there might be some de facto loosening in the bonds within the worldwide family of Anglicanism, but called for ways to be found to keep the Communion together even where provinces disagreed strongly on particular issues.
The issues will be explored in depth at a day conference ëUnity, the limits of diversity and the Anglican Covenantí to be held by the network later this year.
The director of Affirming Catholicism, the Rev Richard Jenkins, said: ìWe particularly wish to see how [this proposal] can function in a dynamic way, giving legitimacy to appropriate developments and not simply acting as a bar. Would the proposal, for example, have helped or hindered the ordination of women?î
He added: ìDevelopment and diversity are core to our Anglican experience. We want to look at how a Covenant can nurture solidarity without stifling our mission in very different contexts.î
Churches in different parts of the world understand their culture, the Bible, and the encounter between the two in very different ways.
Anglicans of an open persuasion say that there needs to be space for disagreement and dialogue. But groups like Anglican Mainstream and Reform insist that their viewpoint is the only legitimate Christian one, and worry that a Covenant will condone ìfalse teachingî.
Canon Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream said this week that the test for any development of doctrine must be whether it helps the Church to be more faithful to the words and teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
Pro-gay Christians point out that Jesus was silent on the question of homosexuality, that the few biblical texts on the subject are hotly disputed, and that the central dynamic of the Gospel is towards breaking down barriers and creating a new people of God not based on human distinctions.
Meanwhile an Anglican working party examining the possibility of a Covenant says it could take up to nine years to come into being.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has constantly called on both sides in the argument to moderate their disagreements, to refrain from trading insults, and to seek to listen to one another in a conversation about faithfulness amid disagreement.
Those who oppose an accepting stance towards homosexuality say he is too conciliatory to opponents they characterise as ëliberalsí, while advocates of lesbian and gay inclusion are disappointed that Dr Williams has declined to push his own theological view that an affirmative stance is compatible with scripture and tradition ñ a perspective forcefully advocated this week by the retiring Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries.
Affirming Catholicism describes itself as ìthe new Catholic movement for the Anglican Church today and tomorrow, called to serve the world and witness to the generosity of the Kingdom of God.î
[Also on Ekklesia: Seeking a better way forward by Oxford New Testament professor Chris Rowland; Archbishop’s envoy sent to quell Kenyan gay row; Bible supports gay partnerships, says leading Anglican bishop; Bible is used as a political tool says us professor; ‘False polarisation’ over homosexuality challenged; English bishop rejected in Kenya over gay row; Archbishop questions traditional interpretation of homosexuality; Catholic minister for equality in trouble over views on homosexuality; US and Canadians kicked off Anglican body in gay row; Cliff Richard asks the churches to go easy on gays; Pro-gay Anglicans say Nigerian Church ‘obsessed’ with gays; Affirming Catholicism and two bishops back civil partnerships; Anglican leaders called to transcend differences; Affirming Catholics challenge C of E on same-sex unions; Christians urged to welcome civil partnerships; Groups agree ‘non-negotiable’ plans for women bishops; Civil partnerships are ‘opportunity’ for the church; Scottish Anglicans seek new way forward on gay row]
Anglican covenant seeks to address disputes on sex and the Bible
-01/06/06
Affirming Catholicism, the movement of progressive catholics within the Church of England, has given a cautious welcome to the proposal for a Covenant for the Anglican Communion, which would to address moral and doctrinal tensions and divisions within the 77 million strong world-wide fellowship of Churches.
Last week the Anglican Communion Office published a proposal for consultation. The idea of a Covenant (an agreement before God) to be signed by all Anglican provinces was suggested in the Windsor Report, chaired by Archbishop Eames, which tried to chart a way forward on the argument within the worldwide Communion about homosexuality.
Affirming Catholicism has members across the Communion. In 2005, its response to the Windsor Report accepted that there might be some de facto loosening in the bonds within the worldwide family of Anglicanism, but called for ways to be found to keep the Communion together even where provinces disagreed strongly on particular issues.
The issues will be explored in depth at a day conference ëUnity, the limits of diversity and the Anglican Covenantí to be held by the network later this year.
The director of Affirming Catholicism, the Rev Richard Jenkins, said: ìWe particularly wish to see how [this proposal] can function in a dynamic way, giving legitimacy to appropriate developments and not simply acting as a bar. Would the proposal, for example, have helped or hindered the ordination of women?î
He added: ìDevelopment and diversity are core to our Anglican experience. We want to look at how a Covenant can nurture solidarity without stifling our mission in very different contexts.î
Churches in different parts of the world understand their culture, the Bible, and the encounter between the two in very different ways.
Anglicans of an open persuasion say that there needs to be space for disagreement and dialogue. But groups like Anglican Mainstream and Reform insist that their viewpoint is the only legitimate Christian one, and worry that a Covenant will condone ìfalse teachingî.
Canon Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream said this week that the test for any development of doctrine must be whether it helps the Church to be more faithful to the words and teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
Pro-gay Christians point out that Jesus was silent on the question of homosexuality, that the few biblical texts on the subject are hotly disputed, and that the central dynamic of the Gospel is towards breaking down barriers and creating a new people of God not based on human distinctions.
Meanwhile an Anglican working party examining the possibility of a Covenant says it could take up to nine years to come into being.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has constantly called on both sides in the argument to moderate their disagreements, to refrain from trading insults, and to seek to listen to one another in a conversation about faithfulness amid disagreement.
Those who oppose an accepting stance towards homosexuality say he is too conciliatory to opponents they characterise as ëliberalsí, while advocates of lesbian and gay inclusion are disappointed that Dr Williams has declined to push his own theological view that an affirmative stance is compatible with scripture and tradition ñ a perspective forcefully advocated this week by the retiring Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries.
Affirming Catholicism describes itself as ìthe new Catholic movement for the Anglican Church today and tomorrow, called to serve the world and witness to the generosity of the Kingdom of God.î
[Also on Ekklesia: Seeking a better way forward by Oxford New Testament professor Chris Rowland; Archbishop’s envoy sent to quell Kenyan gay row; Bible supports gay partnerships, says leading Anglican bishop; Bible is used as a political tool says us professor; ‘False polarisation’ over homosexuality challenged; English bishop rejected in Kenya over gay row; Archbishop questions traditional interpretation of homosexuality; Catholic minister for equality in trouble over views on homosexuality; US and Canadians kicked off Anglican body in gay row; Cliff Richard asks the churches to go easy on gays; Pro-gay Anglicans say Nigerian Church ‘obsessed’ with gays; Affirming Catholicism and two bishops back civil partnerships; Anglican leaders called to transcend differences; Affirming Catholics challenge C of E on same-sex unions; Christians urged to welcome civil partnerships; Groups agree ‘non-negotiable’ plans for women bishops; Civil partnerships are ‘opportunity’ for the church; Scottish Anglicans seek new way forward on gay row]