"We" here could be us in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, and it could be us in the Anglican Communion.
Consider:
A future in which the Pope exercises a universal primacy on behalf of us all (some pointers here).
A future in which no conservative is welcome unless they compromise convictions tuned to Scripture and tradition in favour of post-modern liberalism (some pointers here in an amazing beginning to a campaign to not confirm the election of Dan Martins as Bishop of Spingfield ... can anyone wonder any longer why formerly faithful Episcopalians have left to form new Anglican churches in the States?).
A future in which Anglicans are unenthusiastic, doubtful, and divided as to whether any statement can be shared among us as a statement of what we believe and how we deal with dissent ... let alone 'welcomed'? (Some pointers here from across the Ditch).
I wonder if the Great Anglican Bust Up is coming very soon, rather than the Extraordinary Acceptance of Petrine Primacy. American rejection of Scripture and tradition in favour of reason and experience, Australian (and others) lukewarmness to the Covenant, and African distaste for Communion governance by manipulation is not a recipe for unity at the same table.
The Bust Up could happen as soon as the Primates' Meeting in January. It might be a whimper, not a bang: if half do not turn up it's over rover. Right now the Communion seems more akin to wild cats which no one can herd than a coherent fellowship of believers confident of what they hold together in common, journeying together into a shared future.
What's going on? The Lord knows. Maybe we are in a necessary process in order to cleanse us and to refine us. Perhaps beyond my lifetime something will emerge which makes the current bonfire of vanities worthwhile!
6 comments:
Probably there will be the Anglican Communion and the Puritan Communion.
Funny thing is that Puritans always end up self immolating.
One thing is for sure: the future of relations between Anglicans and the Orthodox is very bleak, perhaps finished. Check out this address to the Nicean Club at Lambeth Palace given by Metropolitan Hilarion Volokolamsk. One can only imagine what must have been going through Rowan Williams' heart and mind while listening to this address.
As to the ugliness directed at bishop-elect Dan Martins by some on the Internet, I think that Alan Jacobs' piece entitled "The Online State of Nature" is relevant.
Hi David,
And they (the Puritans) have been known to emigrate to North America!
Thanks for the links, Bryan!
Yes, one group did. They became Unitarians.
David dijo: "Yes, one group did. They became Unitarians."
Hablas de Senor Spong y sus companeros, verdad?
Al M.
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