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The Ecclesiastical Doughnut: is the Church of England ungovernable?

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Jon Kuhrt writes: Last week saw yet another Church of England report into safeguarding and institutional failings in the handling of abuse allegations. Almost 400 new cases involving actions by clergy, officials and volunteers against children and vulnerable adults were uncovered. In a foreword to the report, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, … Continue Reading

How to encourage bullying in the Church

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Stephen Kuhrt writes: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis was first published in February 1942. The book is made up of thirty one letters from a senior demon called Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood is a junior tempter assigned to lead a man who has recently become a Christian away from God. By viewing the Christian life from the perspective … Continue Reading

Is death ‘nothing at all’?

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Mark Ireland writes: Watching the lying in state of the late Queen, and pondering the incredible devotion of those who queued all night in the cold, has prompted me to read again a sermon preached by Canon Henry Scott Holland in St Paul’s Cathedral after the death of King Edward VII. The late king’s body … Continue Reading

The Case against the Sexual Revolution

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Peter Wyatt writes: According to Philip Larkin, ‘sexual intercourse began in nineteen sixty-three’. Until today, this sexual revolution, brought about by more effective forms of contraception, has been hailed as an emancipation of human beings. No longer were we subject to the restraints of traditional morality as policed by religious faith, and family mores. Instead, … Continue Reading

The End of (the) Communion? (ii): So where are we now?

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Andrew Goddard writes: Building on my earlier reading of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s contributions about Communion life, this article explores the ecclesiological questions that are important, and currently intertwined with, the questions relating to sexuality that tend to dominate discussion.  It argues that although all wish for unity and communion there are currently two main competing visions … Continue Reading

The End of (the) Communion? (i) What has been said?

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Andrew Goddard writes: On Tuesday at the Lambeth Conference there were a number of significant developments in relation to the questions of sexuality and ecclesiology. The Global South, headed by Archbishop Justin Badi of South Sudan, issued a resolution in relation to Lambeth I.10 with a covering explanatory letter. Archbishop Justin Welby also issued a letter … Continue Reading

What is the meaning of ‘transfiguration’?

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Philip Seddon writes: We are so used to speaking of ‘transfiguration’ in Christian terms that we have not realised how remarkable it is that Mark and Matthew used the Greek verb metamorphoō (in the passive: metamorphoumai) at all.  In classical Greek and Latin literature, the verb, and the noun metamorphōsis, are both slippery, ambivalent words, largely … Continue Reading

Paying attention to power in Lambeth ‘Calls’

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Andrew Goddard writes: Among the Pastoral Principles for Living Well Together developed by the Church of England and commended by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the College of Bishops is “Pay Attention to Power”. Applying this to the Lambeth Calls process raises important and worrying questions. The Gestation of “Invitations”  The Lambeth Conference would, if it … Continue Reading

Lambeth ‘Calls’, Lambeth I.10, and the nature of the Anglican Communion (2): the future

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Andrew Goddard writes: in my previous article, I explored the place of Lambeth I.10 in the Communion, mapped how different people and provinces had responded, and explored this as the background to the present controversy about the Lambeth Calls at this conference. I now turn to look at the Call on Human Dignity in detail, … Continue Reading