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Last week, Martyn Snow, the bishop of Leicester and current lead for the Living in Love and Faith process debating sexuality in the Church of England, wrote an article in the Church of England Newspaper arguing that ‘Unity Matters—it really matters’. The article, and comments he makes in support of it, set out some … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: A new article by the Lead Bishop for LLF, Martyn Snow, offers some promising signals as to how the LLF “reset” is progressing, particularly in relation to the importance of doctrine and its relationship to the form of our unity, but it also leaves major questions unanswered. The following article explores six … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: As new LLF groups convene this weekend, in this article, I note the following issues. The three working groups and the bishops need not only to connect the work in each area (“the trees”) but also see the bigger theological picture (“the forest”) where the earlier LLF work is helpful in clarifying … Continue Reading
Last week, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales issued a pastoral document on the question of gender identity in the light of biblical and theological understandings of what it means to be created male and female in the image of God. It is a fascinating, clear, refreshing and helpful statement, and like all Catholic … Continue Reading
Dr Hilary Cass has delivered her final report offering an independent review of gender identity services for children and young people. The report is online, and is long and complex (not surprisingly) at 232 pages for the main body of the report, but there is a helpful summary of the key points on the supporting … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: There has been much heat surrounding the announcement of a new book on sexuality by Richard Hays and Christopher Hays. What follows attempts to shed some light on what is going on. After introducing Richard Hays and his major past contributions in this area, the range of instant responses are sketched as … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: In this article, I offer a summary of what happened at General Synod in February and its procedural consequences. I then look at the recently announced structures for taking LLF/PLF forward and set them out in the context of the past structures and a review of the past motions of General Synod. … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: This article seeks to make sense of the LLF process and what sort of story it might be. It does so in the light of some of the key new information about LLF to be found in answers to questions at General Synod yesterday, particularly those relating to legal advice and its … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: The question as to whether it would be right for the Pastoral Guidance to change the current teaching and discipline of the Church of England in relation to clergy (and in some places licensed lay ministers) is one of the challenging questions still left unresolved. The latest paper for General Synod (GS … Continue Reading
Summary: The new paper for February’s General Synod lifts the lid on much that has previously been kept under cover in terms of both significant decisions by bishops and the content of legal advice. What it reveals is not a pretty sight and brings to light the depths of the problems. Drawing on a fuller … Continue Reading
Andrew Goddard writes: In February’s General Synod, two of the divisive looming questions are: introducing standalone services for same sex couples experimentally using Canon B5A; and whether we should “reset” the LLF process. This article asks if, rather than polarise again around these two issues, an apparent consensus on the need for greater honesty and … Continue Reading
Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Associate Senior Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod and Archbishops' Council. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo
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