Bishop Alan Wilson has written two blog posts about this.
First, Ecclesiology: What is Church, then?
Saturday I drew the short straw — helping enable a discussion at Diocesan Synod on the ecclesiological dimensions of ordaining female bishops. What then is “Church?” I tried to frame the discussion in four dimensions of being Church.
Every licensing we proclaim “The Church of England is part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” What does this really mean?
Second, this supplement, Ecclesiology: fifth element?
5. Church as Pilgrimage
A lot of ecclesiology is based on how the ship is running, but the real question is where the ship is going! Christians do not see history as a giant circular recycling exercise, but a journey which begins in a garden and ends in a city.
All worth reading carefully.
“Right Wing danger: Turning Christianity into a discarnate absolute ideology; refusing to engage, indulging if judgmentalism, Pelagianism and fantasy. “Left Wing danger: Becoming so laid back as to fall over backwards. salt that has lost its flavour, and capacity to be salt?” from ‘What is Church – Bp Alan’s Blog – Bishop Alan Wilson, as usual, has something vitally important to say, here, to the whole Church. And this is where the ABC, Primus inter pares, has such a difficult path to forge – in the ongoing disputes in the Church about gender and sexuality. Unlike his predecessor, Archbishop Rowan… Read more »
Good paper. One contemplation is that God measures not only what we do, but also what we fail to do. There is merit in reading the bible from a perspective of asking what is yet to be done, or what has not yet been fulfilled e.g. God’s promises to eunuchs, females and gentiles. Yes, it is worth mentioning gentiles again, because many Christians have redefined themselves as the new Jews, placing both the old Jews and those that are still Gentile outside of their missives or God’s grace. Such paradigms are an affront to the Daughter of Zion’s missives to… Read more »
An excerpt from the comments posted on Bishop As blog: QUOTE … to make a parallel point about the churches vocation and who fulfils the vocation if the church fails to live up to its calling. Here are the 4 [typology from Roy McLoughry’s book Living in the Presence] – and my candidates for who is taking the place the church should have….. The voices of responsibility – the environmentalists and green movement The voices of celebration – the gay community – outpunching their weight in the arts and entertainment – but being vulnerable too The voices of prophecy –… Read more »