Lambeth Diary: Anglicans in Recovery

This book has been out for a couple of months. It is of interest now though because it has been given to all 650 bishops at the Lambeth Conference as a reader in preparation for the discussion on human sexuality a week Thursday, 31st July. The book, published by SPCK , claims to represent all views across the communion on sexuality, although a friend tells me the 'only conservative' among the authors is Michael Poon, considered a bit of a loose canon by many in the Global South. None of the authors was present at Gafcon. From the comments below, you'll see that many of the authors consider themselves to be conservatives however. Some extracts from the book are below. The Lambeth Reader can also now be downloaded here

This is my third Lambeth conference. They've all resembled in character the nature of the Archbishops organising them.

The first, in 1988 which I was at only peripherally to report on the wives, was just like Robert Runcie: spiritual, good fun, wordy, classy, a bit over my head. It was packed with resolutions, votes and weighty texts, all balanced precariously on the point of a pin. It was the kind of conference where reports with innocently sensational stories were left lying around on chairs for journalists to find, after meetings that were 'closed' to the press had finished. More than one archbishop spoke his mind to a journalist with a tape recorder, somehow not expecting his words ever to appear in print.

The second, in 1998, was just like George Carey: muscular, strong, Biblical, determined. It was where Resolution 1.10 was passed and where, for the first time, the muscle of the growing Global South was flexed. Liberal Americans, many of whom had been present in 1988, walked around in a daze, visibly stunned. They hadn't changed, the church had, and they didn't like it one bit.

This one is just like Rowan Williams: difficult to understand, complex, studious, self-deprecating, funny, tougher than it appears, fenced-in, catholic, impossibly ambitious, stuffed with sub-texts that everyone is pretending to have the inside track on and no-one really does because actually there isn't an inside track. There are no resolutions and no decisions will be made. The Archbishop has decided to leave the result to God. Honestly Archbishop. Call that leadership? (joke)

We still awaiting precise figures but at present, it seems about 650 bishops and archbishops have registered. The absence of the other 230 is like an open wound running in the side of the conference. Many bishops are wondering how they can claim collegiality if a quarter of their number are not present. The Archbishop of Canterbury invoked their presence in spirit when he was leading the retreat at Canterbury Cathedral yesterday. Strangely, they are almost more present in their absence than if they were physically here. They are missed, even the most extreme among them, and the sense of grief among their brother and sisters is palpable. (That is to say nothing in the press room, as they were great for stories last time.) Dr Williams spoke about this directly, as Rachel Zoll reported. It is terribly shocking to be here, at Lambeth in Canterbury, without so many of the bishops from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and elsewhere, all places with strong, historic links to Britain and to the Church of England. The Queen, who is hosting the bishops at a garden party at Buckingham Palace a week today, the 24th, will surely notice their absence. She loves her Commonwealth.

The Archbishop has so far been doing what he does best, giving theological lectures on the importance of Jesus in a forum closed to the public. He'll address a plenary on Sunday when he'll talk a little about how the indaba groups are going to work, and although we won't be allowed in to report that session, I hope we might be given sight of his text.

I've got an idea of how the indaba groups might go though.

After a unity pledge and a reading from the Good Book, the bishops will introduce themselves to each other: 'Hi, my name is Rowan and I'm an Anglican.' They'll share their problems with each other, and close with the Serenity Prayer. It will all be totally anonymous, and they'll promise at the end not to disclose to anyone else who was there, or what was said.

Then they'll come and tell us all about it over a cup of tea in a nearby cafe.

A day at a time, the Anglican Communion is starting to get better.

Comments

[saint]

I like your fun descriptions of each of the Lambeth conferences (is there something of a progression here? Like soiree, boxing match, circus? Pity about the elephants in the tent...)

[David Crawford]

How long are you Brits going to be led around by the nose by the Americans ? It is all about power and money. Forget the gospel of Christ. The Americans bring 140 Bisops who represent only 800,000 people in the pews. They are the fastest shrinking denomination in all of the U.S. But now with the conference not having enough money the Brits will do anything and say anything to get it. What is going to come out of worshiping an institution ? The real elephant in the room is why TEC,COE,and Canada are losing members at an alarming rate. Why is not the question asked about the shrinking of the church where the new gospel is being proclaimed ? Where are the members and why are they leaving ? Perhaps theHoly Spirit is doing a new thing. The only part of the communion that is growing is not in the west. Perhaps what is needed is another synod meeting on how to generate money with the church as a tourist attraction. Why are they the only one's filling the church. It is time for a back to basic's not a social services agenda. If today all people had food and shelter and medical care but not one person came to Christ would it make a difference ?

[Simon Sarmiento]

If Professor Glynn Harrison is not a conservative I will eat my hat!

[Graham Kings]

Thanks, Ruth, for highlighting the book 'The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality', edited by Philip Groves.

You say that the only conservative contribution came from Michael Poon. Not so.

The introduction was jointly written with the editor by Andrew Goddard, former tutor in ethics a Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and on the leadership team of Fulcrum.

Joseph Galgalo, Prof of Systematic and Contextual Theology at St Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya and on the Global South Anglican Theological and Education Task Force with Michael Poon, has a chapter.

Griphus Gakuru, a parish priest in the Diocese of Birmingham from Uganda, has a chapter.

For a positive book review, from a conservative perspective, see Peter Ould, 'The Lambeth Listening Resource - A Review', Peter Ould site, 2 July 2008

http://www.peter-ould.net/2008/07/02/the-lambeth-listening-resource-a-review/

You state that 'None of the authors was present at Gafcon.' True, but surely those present at GAFCON do not constitute the only conservative writers in the whole of the Anglican Communion?

[S James]

Oh dear oh dear Ruth. You seem to happy to sit within the tyranny of relativism that is now the C of E. Do you really really think this conference will make it all come good. I, for one, don't share your view. It smacks of an innocence that complements you as an individual but not as a realist. That, I fear, is your problem within most of your blog. Women, Gay Bishops, Lesbians, Katharine Jefferts Schori. I think it will all be to much post Gafcon and as you do point out without all the Bishops. You seem not to be able to bring out the vitriolic hatred of all things trad, and it really is that, that now lies at the heart of the liberal factions within the C of E. It is nothing but awful double standards. The Bishop of Fulham is right, they are very unchristian and not nice human beings. How can that be a building block for things getting better day by day? But lets hope and pray your right anyway.

[Andrew]

Lovely, Ruth...did you notice that Giles Fraser reported that Gene Robinson "described going from a meeting of the US House of Bishops to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, and being relieved that, at this second meeting, he could at last speak about God?"

[James Kelly]

Ruth--Are you being ironic: "A day at a time, the Anglican Communion is starting to get better."? I love the way you British write! I guess I often miss your point, but how you make your point causes a smile to appear.

[Michael Stevens]

Ruth, thank you for your calm, clear and clever blogs and reports. I do value them very much.
It will be fascinating to see just how things turn out.
But it is great to hear your optimistic tone.
Hope you enjoy it all.

[Peter O]

Thanks for this Ruth. As one who had an input into the book, I wrote a review which can be found here.

[Peter Morris]

Reading todays blog has brought to the fore of my mind how incredible it is that Bishops of the Anglican communion are still discussing human sexuality as if it is a fundamental starting point for their deliberations. Also, you portray a cosy church for insiders.

I no longer attend a church and have become agnostic, which raises more questions for me than when I was a believer. I'm struggling to say how archane and out of touch all this seems. It fascinates me but, being someone who works outside the walls of the C of E, it seems so often light years away from what I find to be peoples' concerns. And, no, I am not a liberal apologist!