Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley I Have Measured Out My Life in Hallelujahs
Terry Louden ViaMedia.News No Sex, Please? Remembering the Higton Debate
Susannah Clark Dialogue between an evangelical Christian leader and a person who has transitioned
Canon Louden’s article reminds me of the ubiquity of Tony Higton – the prophet of Hawkwell – in the mid/late 1980s and early 1990s. There were times when he seemed to dominate Synod, or at least that was how it appeared in the national press at the time. He first burst on the scene in the wake of David Jenkins’ expression of doubts (March 1985) about the literal resurrection of Jesus. Higton had been one of the founders of Action for Biblical Witness to Our Nation (Abwon), which had polled individual members of the bench about its views of the… Read more »
Tony was a big enough person (and open enough to the Spirit as a good charismatic) to admit he’d been wrong and to change his mind. The ‘crystals’ speech was a remarkable example of this – as a new GS member I sat transfixed when he delivered it, as did many others. He moved from Hawkwell to direct CMJ and be Rector of Christ Church Jerusalem and then to be Rector of the Woottons near King’s Lynn. I was in one of the Wootton churches recently and Tony is remembered fondly – and the church there is thriving (and sanely… Read more »
In the 1980s, growing up in the CofE, I struggled with same-sex feelings. Being of conservative disposition, living in a rural county, and with people telling me this was wrong, I heard about ABWON and I found Tony Higton’s address and wrote to him personally, asking for help. I had no idea what to do. To be fair he did reply, but he didn’t have a way forward as he was in Essex and I was too far away to attend his church. He put me in touch with someone locally, but as it turned they didn’t have a way… Read more »
I’m certainly not seeking to defend or justify Tony Higton’s views and absolutely not his Synod track record on issues to do with sexuality. Tony was regarded as extreme even by those who took a conservative view on such matters. I do not know if his later more relaxed views included a change of mind on matters of sexuality. Mike Higton’s theology is rather different from his father’s on lots of issues. But it is interesting to see reflection on charismatic stuff from a theologically astute person who saw a notable charismatic church from the inside. None of this is… Read more »