Updated
The BBC radio programme Sunday carried an interview with Eeva John:
Wycliffe Hall staffing dispute
Elaine Storkey has left Oxford’s Wycliffe Hall theological college. Storkey, sometime presenter of Thought For The Day on Radio 4’s Today programme, is the latest in a long line of academic staff who have gone since the appointment of Richard Turnbull as principal two years ago.Turnbull was brought in to improve management at the college. He has earned many critics and some have expressed fears that he is moving the college in a more theologically conservative direction.
Eeva John, Wycliffe’s former director of the diploma for Biblical and theological studies, resigned in August. She explained why she decided to go.
Listen (6m 18s)
Earlier report on this is here.
Further comment, by Eeva John herself, appears below among the comments.
38 CommentsGeoffrey Rowell writes in The Times that The Divine Compassion has steel as well as serenity.
David Boulton writes about National Quaker Week in the Guardian’s Face to Faith column.
Christopher Howse writes about The bells that make Cockneys in the Daily Telegraph.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times about These new bishops are only virtual — not real.
1 CommentReligion and Ethics Newsweekly, in addition to its main story, U.S. Episcopal Bishops Meeting in New Orleans has four interviews:
Bishop Charles Jenkins
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Bishop John Chane
Bishop John Guernsey
The speech of Bishop Mouneer Anis Bishop of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, has been published, and can be read in full here.
The statement of Bishop Marc Andrus of California has also been published here.
Bishop Kirk Smith of Arizona wrote an email about his reactions to the first day.
Andrew Goddard wrote a letter on 16 September which only got published yesterday, in which he writes about New Orleans and the Anglican Communion.
Friday’s press conference can be viewed in full by going to Episcopal News Service here.
Andrew Carey wrote in the Church of England Newspaper Schism is not the Answer.
Kendall Harmon wrote on titusonenine What Would a Radical Solution Look Like?
The sermon preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury is here: Sermon Preached at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans.
10 CommentsNew Orleans Times-Picayune Anglican leader seeks to lower temperature and later, for the Saturday paper, Anglican leader downplays conflict
Guardian Stephen Bates Williams escapes bishops’ poison to see church at work in New Orleans
BBC Crisis talks over US gay clergy
New York Times Neela Banerjee Episcopal Church Remains Divided on Gay Issues
Washington Post Michelle Boorstein Anglican Leader Plays Down Schism
Boston Globe Michael Paulson Archbishop holds out hope for compromise
Chicago Tribune Russell Working For Episcopal bishops, stress running high
USA Today Cathy Lynn Grossman Archbishop addresses religious fissure
Associated Press Rachel Zoll Anglican Head Downplays Split Over Gays
Agence France Presse Anglican leaders hope to avoid schism over gay clergy
Episcopal News Service Archbishop of Canterbury ‘encouraged’ by bishops’ meetings
Anglican Journal No ultimatum in request for September response, says Williams
4 CommentsStephen Bates wrote his final column for the Church of England Newspaper recently. This column can now be found on Religious Intelligence and is titled Sketch: preparing for the Anglican summit.
14 CommentsAh! New Orleans – the Big Easy, birthplace of the Blues and Louis Armstrong, city of Mardi Gras and Voodoo, the least Protestant town in the US: what better place to witness the latest stage in the break-up of the worldwide Anglican Communion? No prizes to be awarded – can you hear me, Bishop of Carlisle? – for the first one to pronounce God’s judgement if a hurricane hovers into view.
This week’s meeting between Rowan Williams and the American bishops will be my swan-song as a religious affairs correspondent, after eight years covering the subject for The Guardian. I’d have been less keen to attend had the venue been Detroit, but where better to end it? It is time to move on for me professionally, and probably for Anglicans too and this marks a suitable place to stop. There is also no doubting, personally, that writing this story has been too corrosive of what faith I had left: indeed watching the way the gay row has played out in the Anglican Communion has cost me my belief in the essential benignity of too many Christians.For the good of my soul, I need to do something else…
The Daily Telegraph has Archbishop accused of ‘dehumanising gays’ by Jonathan Petre
Ruth Gledhill has more about what Archbishop Akinola said to her yesterday, on her blog, at Peter Akinola ‘blows the fourth trumpet’.
The Living Church has Concluding His Visit, Archbishop Seeks to Lower Expectations by Steve Waring. And also Details Sketchy on Episcopal Visitor Proposal by George Conger and Steve Waring.
The Boston Globe has Episcopal leader pushes for a compromise on gay rights by Michael Paulson
Associated Press Rachel Zoll Anglican Head Downplays Split Over Gays
Reuters Bruce Nichols and Ed Stoddard U.S. Episcopals to respond on gay issue next week
4 CommentsEpiscopal News Service has published the Archbishop of Canterbury’s opening remarks at today’s news conference:
10 Comments…It has been a valuable opportunity to listen carefully to the thinking of the bishops here on the problems that face the Communion; and also for us to share with the House some perspectives from elsewhere in the Communion. I think that in the light of the conversations we have come to a better understanding of the House in response to the questions and proposals of the Dar es Salaam Primates’ Meeting. I hope that the House, equally, has understood more fully what those questions and proposals were meant to achieve. The House will continue to reflect on them over the weekend.
Despite what has been claimed, there is no “ultimatum” involved. The Primates asked for a response by September 30 simply because we were aware that this was the meeting of the House likely to be formulating such a response. The ACC and Primates Joint Standing Committee will be reading and digesting what the bishops have to say, and will let me know their thoughts on it early next week. After this I shall be sharing what they say, along with my own assessments, with the Primates and others, inviting their advice in the next couple of weeks. I hope these days will result in a constructive and fresh way forward for all of us.
Stand Firm has published another proposal, this one by four bishops, which also appears to be consistent with the Dar es Salaam communique.
See Resolution offered by Bruce MacPherson, Russell Jacobus, Geralyn Wolf, and C. Franklin Brookhart.
15 CommentsStand Firm has published a draft resolution which is described by SF thus:
This is a statement crafted during the last meeting of “Windsor Bishops,” and we’re told forms the basis of the resolution Bishop Jenkins is going to propose. However, we’ve also been told that he’s been “consulting” with bishops Bruno and Chane to make it more palatable to them. The document has been circulating among the bishops at the meeting here in New Orleans.
The draft is here.
13 CommentsThe Church Times published an article written by me in last week’s issue in which I made an attempt at counting the number of parishes breaking away from the Episcopal Church in the US.
This is now available on the web at Global South reaches into the United States.
This article was written and printed before the announcement made last week by CANA concerning additional bishops and additional congregations.
28 CommentsThe New Orleans Times-Picayune has reports by Bruce Nolan:
Top Anglicans in N.O. for meetings and later
Discord put aside to pray for N.O.’s healing.
The Washington Post has Anglican Leader Urges Church To Find Accord Amid Turmoil by Michelle Boorstein and Jacqueline Salmon.
The Boston Globe has Episcopal bishops, archbishop seek a middle ground by Michael Paulson.
Associated Press has Meeting Held on Anglican-Episcopal Split by Rachel Zoll.
Reuters has Episcopals reveal little of gay rift talks by Bruce Nichols.
Episcopal News Service has two reports:
House of Bishops sessions reflect ‘passionate commitment’ to Anglican Communion
Archbishop of Canterbury gets a taste of New Orleans
From the UK, the Church Times has US House of Bishops put their case to Dr Williams by Pat Ashworth and a leader: When all about are losing theirs:
The problem for Anglicanism is that it has never been clear whose discernment counts. This is an inevitable dilemma for a Church that attempts to be true to both its Catholic roots and Protestant experience. Anglicans value and defend individual conscience, but also maintain Catholic order (as they understand it). With this in mind, Dr Williams has a limited armory. It includes the ability to win people over by argument and personal influence. He is adept at the first and possesses the necessary charisma for the second. He should use them to convince the diverging sections of the Communion that a sincere difference of opinion exists, and that, since the time taken so far to resolve the issues has clearly not been enough, more time is needed.
If, after the US House of Bishops meeting, the conservative and liberal tendencies declare that they are seeking greater division, this will solve little. Since schism removes the challenge of working closely with critics, it invariably confirms prejudice. Dr Williams will work to keep Anglicanism together not because everyone agrees with each other, but because they don’t. Most of all, we hope he will keep his head and refuse to be manipulated into one camp or another. Giving visible support to all sides equally is a good example to set.
From Australia, the ABC radio programme The Religion Report interviewed Philip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane, before he departed for New Orleans. Go here, and scroll down more than halfway,to read the full transcript of this.
4 CommentsUpdated
Religious Intelligence has this: More staff leave under-fire Anglican college:
THREE senior members of academic staff are leaving an under-fire Oxford theological College, it has been revealed today.
In the latest blow to Wycliffe College, which has come under mounting criticism in recent months for adopting a more conservative evangelical stance, its Principal the Rev Dr Richard Turnbull confirmed that three staff members are to leave, following another five academics have already left the institution in recent months.
The doctrinal change has coincided with the appointment of the new Principal, whose management style also been criticised.
In May one anonymous staff member claimed the college had become ‘openly homophobic’ and ‘hostile to women priests’ since his appointment.
The three staff members are Dr Elaine Storkey, formerly senior research fellow in social philosophy, the Rev Dr Andrew Goddard, tutor in Christian Ethics, and his wife, the Rev Lis Goddard, who was tutor in Ministerial Formation…
Update
A feature film about this saga has been made, see this review of it here.
23 CommentsLambeth Palace has issued this:
10 CommentsBriefing note from Lambeth Palace
Thursday 20th September 2007
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of his relief at receiving assurances over news agency reports attributing offensive remarks to the Bishop of Uyo, Nigeria, the Rt Revd Isaac Orama.
” As I said last week, these reports were very concerning and it is a great relief to have had full assurances that the stories were false and should never have appeared. I am grateful that the prospect of the severe offence that would have been caused has now abated”.
Episcopal News Service announces that Eight bishops agree to serve as ‘episcopal visitors’.
The Living Church has Bishops, Archbishop of Canterbury Begin Private Sessions.
The Chicago Tribune has Presiding bishop asks church to set aside ‘abundant disdain’ for differences.
From London, Ruth Gledhill of The Times reports that Pro-gay agenda pushes Church closer to schism and has an interview with Archbishop Akinola.
12 CommentsUpdated Thursday evening
Rachel Zoll of Associated Press has Episcopal Bishops in Key Meeting on Gays.
Mary Frances Schjonberg of Episcopal News Service has House of Bishops meeting set to open and also CHICAGO: Persell criticizes Akinola’s anticipated visit.
There is an article written by Gregory Cameron over here.
The Chicago Tribune has Anglican gay-bishop stance is put to the test in Chicago and U.S. church receives deadline.
The BBC has US Anglicans meet over gay clergy.
Rebecca Trounson Los Angeles Times Episcopal bishops meet to discuss future
Kendall Harmon has an article at titusonenine Honesty or Obfuscation in New Orleans?
Raleigh News-Observer Bishop in full support of gays
Thursday evening update
Jonathan Petre Daily Telegraph Anglican Church in crisis talks to avert schism
USA Today Anglicans meet amid growing discord
Lakeland (Florida) Ledger Episcopal Bishop Joins Meetings
24 CommentsComment is free has a column by Andrew Brown Communing with Dostoevsky.
Fulcrum has a column by Graham Kings titled The Edge. For some followup comment on this, see also here.
4 CommentsThe Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, has said that, while he supported the principle of an Anglican Covenant, he could not endorse the proposed version currently on the table.
See press release, Archbishop of Wales warns proposed Anglican Covenant could lead to exclusion.
See full text of his address, Talk to the Governing Body, September 2007. Here is an extract:
41 CommentsThree of the primates have also ordained bishops specifically to exercise ‘pastoral oversight’ in North America, and this has won the approval of a fourth primate, the Chair of the Covenant Design Group who has said that their consecrations could lead “towards a creation of a viable, stable and orthodox Anglican presence in the USA”. To intervene in the internal affairs of another province in this way has hitherto been regarded by the Communion as totally unacceptable. The Windsor report condemns such activities as did previous Lambeth resolutions. Although the primates in Tanzania also condemned these actions, they seemed to accept the fact that some primates did not feel able to refrain from such actions, until sufficient provision had been made, for what are regarded as faithful Anglicans in North America. That totally subverts the polity of the province concerned and Anglican ecclesiology in general, (if it happened in this province, we would not find it acceptable), but the primates seem to give it passive acceptance. The implementation of the Covenant will be in their hands, and they seemingly condone ‘the breaking of the bonds of affection’ in a very substantial way by some of their number. As they said in their press statement at Tanzania , “Those who have intervened believe it would be inappropriate to bring interventions to an end until there is change in the Episcopal Church”. They then go on to propose pastoral strategies with a pastoral council and a primatial vicar for the Episcopal Church to be in place by the end of September. That would possibly end interventions by individual primates but it would be a massive intervention in the affairs of the Episcopal Church by the primates as a body and all of this before a Covenant is even in place.
Moreover the primates at Tanzania went further. They said, “Pastoral needs are not limited to the Episcopal Church alone. Until a Covenant is secured, it may be appropriate for the Instruments of Communion to request the use of this or a similar scheme in other contexts should urgent pastoral needs arise”. In other words, there could be wholesale intervention by the primates in any province until a Covenant is in place and then obviously intervention by them again if any province was deemed to have breached the terms of that Covenant. Not surprisingly the Episcopal Church has refused such requests. In an attempt however to be irenic the Episcopal Church says, “The proposed pastoral scheme is injurious to the Episcopal Church but we pledge ourselves to find ways of meeting the pastoral concerns of the primates compatible with our own polity and canons”. In other words, before a Covenant is even established the primates are imposing deadlines and demands. What will happen if a Covenant were to be in place?
Updated again Wednesday evening
Jim Naughton has some advice to readers and also to journalists. He also reports that Archbishops Akinola and Orombi “both happen to be in the country this week”.
George Conger reports in the Living Church on who exactly will be accompanying the Archbishop of Canterbury, and what other meetings are scheduled this week. Joint ACC, Primates Committee to Meet Sept. 24.
Episcopal News Service recaps the Nigerian letter to the archbishop and other Nigerian developments in Bishops urge postponing Lambeth Conference, call for special Primates’ Meeting.
Updates Wednesday morning
Stephen Bates reports in the Guardian Williams in showdown with US church over gay bishops:
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will demand concessions from the bishops of the US Episcopal Church tomorrow at a crisis meeting aimed at staving off the most damaging split in the church’s modern history, over the issue of homosexuality.
They will be asked to give guarantees that they will not allow the election of any more openly gay bishops or authorise public blessing services for same-sex couples and will create a structure for separate episcopal oversight for conservative congregations who disagree with the church’s liberal leadership…
Jane Lampman Christian Science Monitor Tension as Episcopal bishops meet
Christopher Quinn Atlanta Journal-Constitution Episcopalian church beginning to divide
Michael Conlon Reuters U.S. Episcopal church faces another showdown on gays
Bruce Nolan New Orleans Times-Picayune N.O. backdrop for meeting to save the Anglican communion and a later version on the front page of today’s paper: N.O. becomes the accidental backdrop for a high-stakes meeting to save the world’s Anglican communion. This contains an interview with Bishop Jenkins, conveniently excerpted here.
The Canadian Anglican Journal has a report by Solange de Santis with a different focus: Episcopal meeting brings helping hands to New Orleans
Wednesday evening
Church of England Newspaper has a report by George Conger Three Questions for the USA
11 CommentsSister Joan Chittister, OSB has written a column titled We all need the Anglicans right now. Here’s an extract:
12 Comments…So the question the Anglican communion is facing for us all right now is a clear one: What happens to a group, to a church, that stands poised to choose either confusion or tyranny, either anarchy or authoritarianism, either unity or uniformity? Are there really only two choices possible at such a moment? Is there nowhere in-between?
The struggle going on inside the Anglican Communion about the episcopal ordination of homosexual priests and the recognition of the homosexual lifestyle as a natural state is not peculiar to Anglicanism. The issue is in the air we breathe. The Anglicans simply got there earlier than most. And so they may well become a model to the rest of us of how to handle such questions. If the rate and kinds of social, biological, scientific and global change continue at the present pace, every religious group may well find itself at the breakpoint between “tradition” and “science” sooner rather than later.
Theological questions driven by new scientific findings, new social realities, new technological possibilities abound. How moral is it to take cells from one person for the treatment of another if all human cells are potentially life generating? Is that the destruction of life? If homosexuality is “natural,” meaning biologically configured at birth, why is it immoral for homosexuals to live in homosexual unions — even if they are bishops? After all, isn’t that what we said — in fact, did — when we argued “scientifically” that blacks were not fit for ordination because blacks weren’t quite as human as whites? And so we kept them out of our seminaries and called ourselves “Christian” for doing it. Without even the grace to blush.
It is not so much how moral we think we are that is the test of a church. Perhaps the measure of our own morality is how certain we have been of our immoral morality across the ages. That should give us caution. We said, at one time, that it was gravely immoral to charge interest on loans, that it was mortally sinful to miss Mass on Sunday, that people could not read books on the Index, that the divorced could not remarry. And we brooked no question on any of these things. People were either in or out, good or bad, religious or not, depending on whether they stood at one end or another of those spectrums…