Anglican identity

The meeting on the 12th December between Rowan Williams and

a group of Anglicans speaking on behalf of a wide group of Evangelical and Charismatic members of the Church of England with the support of a number of Anglo-Catholic leaders

seemed to mark a low point in the Church of England's traditional understanding of tolerance and catholicity when a "Covenant for the Church of England" was presented see here for the text.

Four things intrigued me about the "Covenant"

1. Where is the other party to the "Covenant" - in my understanding a Covenant is usually used to describe a statement of agreement between two or more parties which enable them to work together on a agreed basis. Would not the word Manifesto or perhaps even Ultimatum be an more appropriate word for what is presented.

2. The Covenant had apparently taken over a year to prepare - yet seems to have the feel of a hastily prepared document - one conservative evangelical colleague who have know for many years and who I had anticipated might subscribe to many theological ideas sustaining the "Covenant" described it as embarrassing when I spoke to him this afternoon and he is clearly distressed by its contents and ignorance of Anglican theology. This is all the more surprising because there are clearly some capable theologians such as Chris Sugden associated with its production.

3. Aside from the issues raised about Anglican identity, this must surely create division within the evangelical wing of the Church of England, with its exclusive claims which will leave many Anglicans evangelicals among those who are against them.

4. I wonder why some of those who are associated with the organisations which the authors claim to be behind the report (The Daily Telegraph among others in the press has challenged how wide the consultation has been) have not left the Church of England already if it is corrupt as they seem to think that it is - and more particularly if the issues which surround ECUSA are deemed to be symptomatic of mainstream life within the Church of England. What intrigues me even further of bodies like Anglican Mainstream (a body which under any other context would be charged under the Trade's Description Act)have among its members people who have recently chosen to join the Church of England from other churches including some of the younger clergy - but apparently without any real understanding of the traditions of the Church which have enabled it to be both reformed and catholic.

Just when I was getting a little depressed about what kind of understanding of Anglican ecclessiology my colleague emailed m with this link to Bishop Tom Wright's response here to the Covenant - and a sense of relief washed over me. Here is sound Anglican evangelical theology which truly represents the Anglican Mainstream tradition - a profound angry critique of what the Covenant represents - go read it.

Bless you Tom Wright!

Comments

[Caroline]

Golly, that is a fierce rebuttal by Tom Wright. Steve Tilley, on his blog "Mustard Seed Shavings", has also done a thoughtful critique and reading between the lines of this 'covenant'.

I am so grieved by what is going on. Grieved, as someone who has grown faithfully within the Evangelical tradition of the C of E, that 'my' tradition is being stolen to create division rather than disciples.

Reading the 'covenant' I find myself in sympathy with many of it's points. I suspect that it is not only evangelicals who are playing high stakes, political games for the C of E, but I see difference as a chance for dialogue, disagreement as a reason for debate and grace. I do not see difference as a reason for bullying and threat.

Twenty or more years ago, when evangilicals were politically less powerful than we are now, "The Myth of god Incarnate" was published. Leading Anglican thinkers were disputing the Divinity of Jesus. There was no covenant then, no threat to leave then - a few protests but that's all. Now the situation is different. The evangelical constituency is rich and politically strong. If we choose to do so, we can create some serious damage to the CofE.

Would that be grace? Is that the action of a apprentice of Jesus? Or is it a nasty, brutish, bullying action of someone who doesn't mind who they hurt?

[Tom Allen]

Interesting Caroline your thoughts on myth of God Incarnate - I don't think there is any parallel - the individuals involved were not leading Anglican thinkers/leaders - they were by an large academic theologians thinking allowed in the wider Church which was oblivious to what was being thought and discussed within the academic world. I don't think it was in any way representative.

The point about power and money is well made - many years ago a boss of mine who went onto to a Diocesan bishop and leading evangelical thinker said that the Evangelical wing would never achieve real power in the Church of England becuase sooner or later they would start falling out with each other. Are his words prophetic? I think the only saving grace is that this group seem not to represent those that they claim. I have heard this morning at a meeting that two members of Anglican Mainstream have decided to resign. Some interesting comments on AM's use of numbers and statistics here:
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002081.html#comments

[joe]

I suspect there have been deeper rumblings for a while.

As it was expressed to me, some of the larger - and often charismatic - churches are questioning the value of being part of a wider church heirarchy.

This is just the spark that lights the fuse.

[Tom Allen]

Hmmm not sure of the link with the larger Charismatic churches which seem to be becoming more broad-minded and actually getting more involved with the structures - HTB and London Diocese spring to mind and the AM consituency is still rather suspicious of those emotional charismatics.Conservative evangelicalism has not really be touched by renewal. The issue about share for example is more about how much they pay and how it is subsequetly spent- rather than about the issue of share and diocese per se.

Yes of course the issues have been there for many years within the conservative evangelical world.

As for lighting fuses within the Church of England I think the "covenant" may well actually be the arson attack which brings our the heavy weight evangelicals who call the signaturies to heel?

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