Quarrels about words? In my years involved in dialogue and debate relating to sexuality, some of the most depressing moments have been when those who broadly share my views concerning biblical and church teaching speak and act in ways that I find really unhelpful, even damaging, and impossible to support. Reading the Pastoral Statement on … Continue Reading
As part of its series responding to Living in Love and Faith, Fulcrum is inviting various writers to express their thoughts as a way of nurturing respectful dialogue. Here, Martin Kuhrt writes in response to LLF. How can Christians who claim to ground their faith on the Bible as God’s Word come to such radically … Continue Reading
As part of its series responding to Living in Love and Faith, Fulcrum is inviting various writers to express their thoughts as a way of nurturing respectful dialogue. Here, Andrew Goddard responds to Jonathan Chaplin’s recent article on the Church of England Evangelical Council’s video ‘The Beautiful Story’. It is hard to believe that it … Continue Reading
As part of its series responding to Living in Love and Faith, Fulcrum is inviting various writers to express their thoughts as a way of nurturing respectful dialogue. Jonathan Chaplin writes in response to the Church of England Evangelical Council’s video ‘The Beautiful Story’. A response to this article, written by Andrew Goddard, is accessible … Continue Reading
The recently released Living in Love and Faith (LLF) resources seek to set out “the Church’s inherited teaching on Christian living in love and faith, especially with regard to marriage and singleness, and of emergent views and the Christian reasoning behind them”. They, and the principle of listening to each other across the whole church … Continue Reading
This is an excerpt from an article by Oliver O’Donovan on livingchurch.org. The rest of the article can be read here. In the mid-twentieth century the Church of England used to attract admiration for its treatment of challenging contemporary moral issues. The form it used was the working-party Report: a small group of members with … Continue Reading
Note from the author: For over three years I’ve had the privilege of being a consultant on the Co-Ordinating Group of Living in Love and Faith (LLF) which released its work on 9th November. It’s been a fascinating, often challenging, but overall positive experience. I’ve been asked by Fulcrum to respond to some questions about … Continue Reading
This article first appeared on Psephizo. Following my previous post which explored the Hearing Panel ruling on Bishop Bill Love and the background to it, this article seeks to begin exploring some of its implications and possible consequences. Bishop Love has already written to his diocese and initially appears unlikely to appeal despite noting the significance of the judgment’s … Continue Reading
This article first appeared on Psephizo. The recent negative judgment by The Episcopal Church’s Hearing Panel on Bishop Bill Love’s pastoral direction nearly two years ago to the clergy of his diocese (Albany) is justifiably leading to widespread comment and concern. But what has happened and what is really at stake? This article explains the background and … Continue Reading
A short version (including links to the more detailed discussions) of a dialogue with “affirming evangelicals” David Gillett, David Atkinson and David Runcorn arguing that they present three distinct (and at time incompatible) approaches in their support of same-sex unions or marriage. Their arguments open up a range of wider questions that, if wrestled with, might encourage us all to think in fresh ways, help to clarify the nature and significance of disagreements, and even lead to greater understanding, respect and perhaps greater consensus emerging.