The Anglican Communion - Mapping the Terrain

The danger is that this process has, in turn, produced (or perhaps uncovered) further points of tension. At the level of principle there are new fracture lines developing as, competing with the Windsor vision, there are at least two other alternative ways of envisioning our life together - what I’ve called connectional confessionalism and autonomous inclusivism. These now supplement the tensions over sexuality and (in as much as there is a correlation between these and the two extremes of the sexuality spectrum) they may strengthen and reinforce them. At the level of practice there are those who, even if they share Windsor’s vision of life in communion and reject these two alternative paradigms, are unhappy with at least some of Windsor’s practical outworkings of this vision in relation to how the Communion should respond to its diversity over sexuality.

Read the rest here

    Comments & Responses

  1. This is a concern when “process” people are labeled “catholic” because catholicity must at least mean holding to the teaching of the Apostles and the Church Fathers. The deposit which we have received is not amended through process. That’s a very Protestant idea. Nor can it be amended by Papal decree, a Roman Catholic idea (though most realize that the Pope has no authority to change core doctrine/dogma).

    Posted by Alice C. Linsley  on  12/02  at  06:24 AM

  2. The word “core” in reference to doctrine and teaching in the Canadian church has been put on a sliding scale of ‘coreness’ with shifting opinions of what is essential core and what is not.
    It has become a word game of evasiveness for theological bobbing and weaving around issues and attempts at justifying positions. Vincent of Lérins’ definition of catholic is of little consequence since his core isn’t the core of the chorus of change.
    One is reminded of the ambassador’s comments on the definition of praemunire...whatever the King of England wants it to mean, and so with “core”. In Canada it is a core with no center only a purpose, that of destroying the church of those opposed.

    Posted by  on  12/02  at  08:31 PM

  3. Episcopal Church faces possible major defection By Michael Conlon, Religion Writer

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071205/ts_nm/episcopals_diocese_dc
    December 5th 07

    The U.S. Episcopal Church faces major tumult this week when an entire California diocese with more than 9,000 members decides whether to secede in an unprecedented protest over gay issues.

    The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno and consisting of nearly 50 churches in 14 counties, would be the first diocese to bolt from the U.S. branch of the 77-million-member global Anglican Communion if Saturday’s final vote passes.

    The U.S. church and Anglicanism generally have been in upheaval since 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first bishop known to be in an openly gay relationship in more than four centuries of church history.

    Dissent over that as well as the blessing of same-sex unions practiced in some congregations has caused a number of defections by traditionalists in the U.S. church.

    The 2.4 million-member U.S. church says that out of 7,600 congregations 32 have left, meaning that a majority of members of those congregations have departed and the churches are now considered closed. Another 23 have voted to leave, meaning that significant number of members have said they want to leave.

    None of the church’s 110 dioceses, however, has taken the final step to depart so far. Dioceses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Fort Worth, Texas, have also taken preliminary votes to leave, but their final decisions are a year away.

    Bishop John-David Schofield, head of the San Joaquin Diocese, says leaving the U.S. church is “a sensible way forward” and one that could later be reversed if “circumstances change and the Episcopal Church repents.”

    In the meantime his diocese has received what he calls a “welcome” invitation to realign itself, should the vote be affirmative, with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of South America headed by conservative Archbishop Gregory Venables of Argentina.

    That, he said, will allow members to remain part of the global Anglican church.

    ‘REMAIN EPISCOPAL’

    A year ago the San Joaquin Diocese’s preliminary vote to leave the Episcopal Church was overwhelming. The process requires two votes year apart.

    But a secession would not be unanimous. An organization called “Remain Episcopal” is opposing it and says its members will remain in place as the duly recognized Episcopal Church even if the bishop, some clergy and other congregants leave.

    Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, urged Schofield in a letter earlier this week not to pull his flock out, saying “the church will never change if dissenters withdraw from the table.”

    She also made it clear what would happen if he did: A process that could eventually allow her to “depose” the bishop, declare the diocese vacant and allow those who want to remain to form a new church leadership.

    The Episcopal Church also says it has control over all property and once a congregation leaves it has to find another place to worship. That contention has been challenged in several court cases, including one in Virginia where property dating back to Colonial times and worth millions of dollars is in dispute.

    A spokeswoman for the San Joaquin Diocese said the property issue had yet to be addressed.

    Posted by  on  12/06  at  03:51 AM
    4. Page 1 of 1 pages
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Next entry: Benjamin Twinamaani:How American Anglicans Think and Act: A Primer for the Global South

Previous entry: US Bishops fail to convince primates: CEN 11.30.07 p 6. November 28, 2007

<< Back to main