Fulcrum Response to TEC’s 2015 General Convention
Fulcrum’s reflections on the decisions relating to marriage at the 2016 General Convention of TEC.
Sexuality
What is at stake for the church and same-sex marriage
Recent events illustrate the high stakes in discussions of same-sex marriage: the danger here is a loss of confidence in Scripture as a pastoral document which, on sexuality as on other issues, expresses God’s deepest and gracious concern for our lives, for us to be the best that we can be.
“Equal marriage”: Is There A New Christian Ethic for Sex and Marriage?
Are Christian supporters of same-sex marriage simply extending the traditional teaching about sex and marriage to same-sex couples and what would that look like? Or are they – as seems to be the case with most secular supporters – simply welcoming the rectifying of an injustice which now gives gay and lesbian couples the same options to choose from in relation to structuring their relationships as straight couples have had for some time?
Review of “Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships” by James V. Brownson
Most (but not all) evangelicals however have not been convinced that Scripture witnesses to same-sex relationships being something the church can affirm and bless, perhaps as a form of marriage. This new book by James V. Brownson, is the most thorough challenge yet to that view. Does he succeed?
Review of “More Perfect Union?: Understanding Same-Sex Marriage” by Bishop Alan Wilson
A review of the Bishop of Buckingham’s new book on same-sex marriage.
Talking About Things You Will Never Agree On
This paper, subtitled “Some reflections on Indaba in the Anglican Communion by a realistic traditionalist” was written for the Anglican Communion’s Continuing Indaba Project, in conjunction with a North American meeting of the project held at Virginia Seminary, in April 2010. As the Church of England begins its Shared Conversations at the College of Bishops we are grateful for permission to republish it on Fulcrum
The Church of England Pilling Report and Church of Scotland Commission on Same-Sex Relationships: A Review
An important review of The Pilling Report and a similar study from the Church of Scotland
“Generous Spaciousness” by Wendy VanderWal-Gritter: A Review
“Can we engage better across our differences on sexuality?” seems to be a growing plea and close to the heart of the proposed Facilitated Conversations post-Pilling , yet relatively little has been written about this area so far. That gap is now filled by Wendy VanderWal-Gritter’s Generous Spaciousness: Responding to Gay Christians in the Church (Brazos Press).
Same-sex marriage, clergy and the canons
The recent wedding of Jeremy Pemberton to his partner Laurence Cunnington and the plans of Andrew Cain to marry Stephen Foreshew clearly raise challenging questions for their bishops, the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop, Gay Marriage and Violence: What are the issues?
Sadly, but perhaps inevitably, Archbishop Justin’s excellent and wide-ranging LBC phone-in (transcript here and recording here) in which he talked about food banks, Jesus as defining who God is for us, poverty, church and politics, climate change has, in reporting, been almost wholly reduced to one short exchange responding to one of a number of … Continue Reading