by Colin Craston
republished with permission from the Church of England Newspaper, 8 June 2007
The highest point of unity among Evangelicals in the Church of England was 40 years ago at the Keele National Evangelical Anglican Congress. Divisions began to emerge after the second Congress at Nottingham ten years later. The subject of Hermeneutics was a major topic at Nottingham. More conservative members of the tradition began to get alarmed at the direction we were going. Tony Thiselton was a major influence at Nottingham, but in addition to his scholarly contribution other leading Evangelical biblical scholars have opened up new thinking on the Bible's interpretation and application. In 1977 a symposium entitled "New Testament Interpretation", edited by Howard Marshall pursued the Hermeneutic debate.
At the Keele Congress I was asked to chair the section on the Message, the doctrine section. Over 140 delegates were in it, so it was divided into four sub-sections, each served by two persons with theological expertise. Before we began I suggested we should not include the word infallibility in the part on the Bible, because to deal with it adequately would require a substantial essay. The eight consultants agreed. When the final text was presented at the plenary session no one commented on the omission.
Willingness to be open-minded on the Bible and other issues in the Church was seen as a danger to tradition by some. Their reaction was to seek control of Evangelical associations. Among them was the Church Society, itself in origin an amalgamation of Church Association with a more open body, the National Church League. Church Society had a well-regarded theological journal, the Churchman. The new leadership in the Society tried to impose a stricter editorial policy. As a result Evangelical scholars broke away and established Anvil, whose reputation is widely appreciated.
Latimer House and the Church of England Evangelical Council became more clearly conservative. In opposition to the prospect of women priests Reform got under way. And then, Anglican Mainstream, which has found allies in the Global South.
In the preparations for the fourth Evangelical Congress at Blackpool the tensions between open and conservative members became apparent. One consequence was the formation of Fulcrum, now presided over by Dr Elaine Storkey with Dr Graham Kings as Theological Secretary. It is committed to scholarly study of the Bible, as our final authority under God for belief and practice. It believes in the necessity of dialogue with other traditions in the Church because no one person nor tradition can have a total grasp of God's truth. The present divisions are sadly reflected in the situation at Wycliffe Hall and in controversies over Oak Hill. From outside it appears that determined conservative forces are taking over these institutions because they want to ensure a supply of ordained ministers of the same ilk. A similar situation has happened before. In the college established by BCMS in Bristol, the Bible Churchmen's Missionary and Theological College, a split occurred over sixty years ago, as a result of which Clifton Theological College was launched a short distance away. Happily that break was healed in the early 1970's in the formation of Trinity College, Bristol. As chairman of what was by then the Tyndale Hall Council I know how much the creation of the new college owed to the patience and wisdom of the Bishop of Bristol, Oliver Tomkins. How much it is to be desired that sympathetic bishops could offer help in healing the present divisions in the colleges and in a wider context.
As one who is a convinced Evangelical - I do not use the adjective liberal, not because a liberal attitude is to be deplored, but because it is misunderstood - I will hope for better understanding and harmony among evangelicals. I am reminded that one of the major speakers at Keele was William Leatham, someone to whom I owe much in my ministerial training. He said, "Much preaching is too small to be believed and too easy to be effective...and too confident to be true. A closed mind is a denial of the Holy Spirit...and evangelicals in the 20th Century have not been conspicuous for their open-mindedness". He was, incidentally chairman of BCMS Council. His judgement is echoed by Mark Noll, an Evangelical Professor of Wheaton College in the USA. In 1996 his book "The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind" (IVP Press) began, "The scandal of the evangelical mind is there is not much of a mind". Evangelicals cannot afford a shallow theology if they are to make their needed contribution to Anglicanism.
One of the Declarations of Intent from the Nottingham Congress was, "We acknowledge that our handling of inspired and authoritative Scripture has often been clumsy, and our interpretation of it shoddy, and we resolve to seek a more disciplined understanding of God's word". Would that that intention had been followed through, not least today.
Since Reformation times the Evangelical tradition has tended to splits more than others. Mark Noll's book, "The Rise of Evangelicalism" (2003 IVP) reveals this tendency from the time of Wesley and Whitefield. When Evangelicals are convinced they have fully grasped the saving truth of God as presented in Scripture they can be deaf to further questions. Is it not time for patient, charitable dialogue of all who want to advance our tradition?
The Revd Dr Colin Craston, served 15 years on the Anglican Consultative Council including six years as Chair. He was in parish ministry in the Church of England for 50 years and in retirement lives near Bolton
These posts are by guest authors for Fulcrum