The Telegraph added another article, this one by George Pitcher and headlined Archbishop of Canterbury upbeat after Lambeth Conference.
The New York Times which sent a war correspondent rather than a religion correspondent to cover the conference has Anglicans to Seek Pact to Prevent a Schism by John F Burns.
Rachel Zoll of Associated Press filed this from New York: Anglican Leader Seeks Moratorium On Gay Bishops.
The Washington Post filed this from London: Gay Bishop Dispute Dominates Conference by Karla Adam who concludes with:
Diarmaid MacCulloch, a professor of the history of the church at Oxford University, said many of Williams’s efforts to “prevent some from grandstanding,” like meeting in small groups, were “sensible in trying to keep the temperature as low as possible.”
MacCulloch predicted that the controversy about homosexuality would “rumble on because it can’t be resolved with two great cultural gaps” but that in time, the factions might learn to live with their differences.
“Overall, the conference did less damage than it could have,” he said, “and that’s something to be thankful for.”
Comment is free has an article by Theo Hobson titled The death of liberal Anglicanism.
“Archbishop Williams, a bearded, Welsh-born theologian with liberal views on gay and lesbian issues.”
“With liberal views on gay and lesbian issues”? Say WHAT, now? Downhill all the way since Jeffrey John, though apparently RW still had residual guilt back then. Is ANYONE, save, it seems, the occasional NYT war correspondent, still buying this crock?
Posted yesterday at another blog: “Rowan Williams is to homophobes as Cardinal Law is to pedophiles”.
Theo Hobson needs to lift his eyes beyond “this sceptred isle, this England” to see (as nearby as Wales and Scotland, as distant as South Africa and Brazil and Melanesia) that LIBERAL ANGLICANISM IS ALIVE AND WELL!!! Alleluia! 😀
I pray that Theo Hobson’s evaluation of the outcome of Lambeth is much too gloomy (“The death of liberal Anglicanism”.) I have some trenchant criticisms of my own to offer. Hobson is altogether right that the liberal bishops have failed to take a principled stand since Lambeth 1998. I think that I will not be able to stand another bishop’s report of the “graced conversation” between the bishops, or the new levels of understanding that they acheived about the awful circumstances under which their “brother” bishops have to labor. The facts are that +Gene was excluded and the voices of… Read more »
It would be a fascinating topic for a PHd..how the Scottish Episcopal Chyrch transformed from a conservative Anglo-catholic denomination to a liberal one.
Theo Hobson’s view, in so far as it is accurate, is accurate for some thirty seconds of ecclesiastical time.
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/08/thirty-seconds.html
I think that Theo is wrong. He’s just too pessimistic. Liberal Anglicans do have to organize, however. We have to make our presence felt, not only in the bastions of liberalism (such as they are), but also in places like Nigeria, Sydney, and the Middle East. These conservative, evo areas must have at least some disaffected liberals who can be organized, aided and supported. So, let’s do it! Rowan Williams has Lambeth, the evos and right-wing catholics have GAFCON. One thing that we liberals should do, I think, is to have our own international network focusing on liberal Anglicanism. Perhaps… Read more »
“Of course, we are aided by the best friends we could have, the GAFCON primates, who will kill this compromise before we even have chance to vote on it.” karen mcqueen
Really? I’d have thought this represents a victory for them. I suspect they’ll give lip service to the moratorium on border crossings and then when they’ve gathered even more into their newly purified fold, will proceed toward the next Lambeth where they’ll have an AbC more to their liking.
Part of the problem, of course, is that the logical consequence of a truly liberal position is to to allow the other “side” to express themselves. Despite the delusions and the outright lies of “conservatives” crying persecution, they have largely been left to advocate, organize and agitate.
“Conservatives,” who believe that they and only they have the truth, feel no such polite obligation towards anyone else. Thus, any inkling of a less than arch-conservative outlook gets one deposed in Uganda, prevents one’s confirmation as a bishop in Central Africa, has one’s wife threatened with violence in Nigeria.
Well said, Malcolm+. It IS “the Liberal Conundrum”…
…which is the conundrum of The Gospel. Come, Lord Christ!
Kurt wrote: “One thing that we liberals should do, I think, is to have our own international network focusing on liberal Anglicanism. Perhaps call our own international conference. A good place to have it would be in South Africa. Canada, the USA, Japan, most of Latin America (except for the Cone), Scotland, New Zealand, Australia (minus Sydney) etc. would probably make a good showing that there is a liberal Anglicanism that is accepting of all people.” I feel that this is a reasonable suggestion, but Kurt has forgotten two of the more important provinces which have demonstrated their discontentment with… Read more »
The liberal elements of the bible are often overlooked, dismissed or discounted. According to the puritans, God would have removed this world, extermininated the “others”, completely subdued women, and tranted one theology complete and total world domination. None of those things have happened, and there have been surprising ruptures in history where great empires have simply collapsed and disappeared. There are two books. The book of life and the book of death. God’s Will is for this planet to exist, in its diversity and multiplicity. The liberals have always taken the stand Life, which entails diversity, inclusion, faith, forgiveness and… Read more »
Surely the natural place for a liberal Anglican “GAFCON” would be Jerusalem.
Only we’d show some manners and ask the Bishop first.
Kurt Wrote “One thing that we liberals should do, I think, is to have our own international network focusing on liberal Anglicanism. Perhaps call our own international conference. A good place to have it would be in South Africa. Canada, the USA, Japan, most of Latin America (except for the Cone), Scotland, New Zealand, Australia (minus Sydney) etc. would probably make a good showing that there is a liberal Anglicanism that is accepting of all people.”
It already exists – or at least the UK element
http://www.inclusivechurch2.net/
Simon
And it was in the embrace of that ‘UK element’, Simon, that I, with more than a hundred other people, met recently – prior to Lambeth – to meet up with Bishop Gene Robinson, at Saint Mary’s Putney. It was there where I – a NZ Anglican retired priest – was priveleged to witness at first hand the grace and charism of Gene’s episcopal ministry. His obvious grasp of the Gospel, in all it’s inclusive generosity, was displayed in the way in which he was able to incorporate humour, as well as seriousness into his discourse. The openness and honesty… Read more »