Geoffrey Rowell writes in The Times about Egeria the fourth century nun and the litany.
Christopher Howse writes in the Daily Telegraph about What the maker of mosaics saw.
Pete Tobias writes in the Guardian about Moses and the burning bush, see Face to Faith.
Giles Fraser asks in the Church Times Is it time to snub the Pope now?
Simon Barrow wrote on Ekklesia about Fairness, trade and free market ideology.
If I may suggest to Giles Fraser, that only by “snubbing the Pope” (respectfully) can we ADVANCE ecumenical relationships w/ our separated RC kin. For too long (since Vat2 at least), Anglicans and RCs have lingered in a state that the late Scott Peck called “False Community.” It’s only by definitely BREAKING that False Community, can we *move on* to the real, HARD work of building True Community. As Anglicans, to do that work, we should expect more anathemas, more encyclicals of “you’ll rot in hell” as part of that process… …it’s only AFTER the Vatican turns on its heels… Read more »
Thanks Giles. Catholics never cease to amuse me, they talk about wanting reconciliation and unity, and then when it looks like reconciliation might happen they put up barriers in an attempt to revert progress. I liked Pete Tobias’ piece and contemplate that many of the tensions around Moses and the burning bush would apply to Peter, James and John when they witnessed the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13 or Matthew 9:1-13). It appears that Christians have forgotten about the voice from the cloud that said it was well pleased with Jesus. As a result many have failed to link the two events.… Read more »
Oh I am so looking forward to Archbishop Akinola’s take on “human rights” as applied to GLBT people. Not looking forward enough to send them one thin dime, however. And is there a reason they all need their wives present?
Folk might also be interested in Peter Hitchen’s opinion piece in the Mail on Sunday, entitled “Is the Church of England finished? Should it be?”
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2008/02/is-the-church-o.html
Perhaps the high profile presence/attendance of bona fide wives is code for demonstrating good old bona fide traditional heterosexuality – that is, after all, supposed to be the single gold standard for humanity, and used to be presumptively the gold standard in Nature until the facts told us otherwise in so many species we have sort of lost count of that alternative empirical tally. I would also wonder if the wives were also required code for that special biblical concept which I believe many conservatives believers call, Male Headship. So obedient wives are present to witness as a special sacred… Read more »
One of the few ecumencal breakthroughs of the century was the emphasis on baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as a sign of unity among Christians of the various communions. How ironic it is that the pope’s attempt to retain that shred of commonality has been treated as some sort of Roman despotism.
What we held in common in the past is now so “yesterday.”
From time to time, it is embarrassing and creepy to see Anglican bishops and archbishops in Rome pretending to be feudal vassals. The time has come to strip the pope and bishops down to deeper fundamentals, and pursue the real oecumene that has already grown on the ground amongst the faithful and others. I do not have much time for the Roman Pope and I admire Giles Frazer; but, living in Turkey – the land of Ecumenical Councils – I admire the Roman Pope for holding on to the accepted common designation of the Holy Trinity.
I don’t have a problem with the Holy Trinity, but I am so tired of seeing that this generation has chosen to do in their own right the continuing attempts to culturally genocide the feminine aspects of God. Lucky for them that Jesus is the complete fulfillment of God and doesn’t have a feminine soul mate. At least this way he doesn’t have to worry about any of those protective patriarchial traits and manifestations that are meant to be demonstrated on behalf of their matriarchial counterpart. Nor does he have to worry about convincing any soul (particularly a soul mate)… Read more »
I know of no authorised formularies in the Church of England, Church of Ireland, Church in Wales or Episcopal Church of Scotland which recognises the propriety of Christian Baptism other than by pure flowing water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit/Ghost. Not only does Giles Frazer lack the competence to alter this formula, no baptism so performed is acceptable. The Pope speaks the truth on this and should be heard even in the midst of the adolescence of our present Anglican attitudes
Ooops. Meant to have my snarky comment about Akinola and huuman rights on the gafcon appeal for cash thread. Where was my brain?
Here we have a perfect example of the Pope confirming the brethren, as promised by Our Blessed Lord to ST Peter.
Peter has spoken through Benedict as clearly as he spoke through Leo.
Contrast that with Canterbury, trying to please all sides, and re-invent ” authority” with a tin pot covenant.
Yeah R.I.W., the Pope’s doing a great job here in this part of Ohio (USA), last I heard, seven parishes were closed last year alone, with three parochial schools in my suburb alone. St. Peter’s rock is surely coming down hard. Makes you proud.
Makes Lord Beeching seem insignificant in what he did to the British Railways fifty years ago.
Perhaps the RCC can get an emergency loan from Howie and Roberta for their celebate (excuse me, unmarried) guys only divinium mysterium klub.
“Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer” are not dangerous feminist propaganda, rather theologically faulty modalist propaganda that misses the very basis of Incarnation. The traditional formula defines the hypostases in terms of themselves: God exists in some sense as a result of the relationship between the persons. CRS language defines the Trinity in terms of what it does for us, as though God must be doing something for us in order to have definition. Gee, that’s ever so humble of us, to think the Godhead can only be defined in terms of Its relationship to us! God would still BE if He had… Read more »