July 07, 2003

Holding Together the Threadbare Fabric of Anglicanism

I suppose the took the threat seriously. Canon Jeffrey John, who had been appointed the suffragan Bishop of Reading, has announced today that he will not take up the position. The Anglican Primate of Nigeria and other leading bishops of Africa and various other points south of Europe had insisted they would break communion with the Church of England if John were to be consecrated. The mother province of Anglicanism would only have had their theological bedfellows in the US and Canada with whom to commune, whilst the vast majority of Anglicans would have declared them anathema.

In further revelations today, the evangelical former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey admitted that he participated in the consecration of two gay bishops, though he did it only with the assurances that they were celibate. Dr John has claims he is now celibate, though he insisted he would continue living with his partner.

I have no doubt this is a temporary patch on the frayed cloth of the C of E's big tent. With membership haemorrhaging as more and more evangelicals are tired of the church believing in nothing but feminism and homosexuality, eventually there won't be anyone left to fight. The restraining pressures from the outside can only be effective for so long. This is probably a good thing. I think it might as well be seen for what it is.

Posted by david at July 7, 2003 12:06 AM | TrackBack
Comments

This is odd news. And welcomed, too. I'm going to have to blog this, I think... but when I was an Anglican one of my big "personal issues" was the whole "weaker brethren stumble" thing. CS Lewis does a good one on this in the Screwtape Letters.

Those in the Anglican world who have lobbied for "change" or "innovations" (myself among them) needed to hear that their demands (assume for a moment they were justified) were not as important as the spiritual health of the brethren. But the number of times I heard "there is no room for people who disagree with us" from people on the left caused me to think more than twice about anything they wanted done.

I'm sure that he did it under pressure, but this stepping down seems to me, just now, an act of grace.

Posted by: Huw Raphael at July 7, 2003 06:48 PM

I think it might as well be seen for what it is.


Indeed and high time as well. All things hidden will be revealed...

Posted by: Mare at July 10, 2003 12:57 PM