power

Are the Prayers of Love and Faith legal?

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Andrew Goddard writes: Yesterday’s debate at Synod on LLF/PLF raises some important and potential serious issues. These include: The bishops’ refusal to give Synod advice from the Legal Office breaks with precedents The Bishop of London’s statement suggested members had the foundation of the theological and legal basis in GS 2328 but there is a … Continue Reading

LLF: Will it all now end in tears?

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Andrew Goddard writes: As people have responded to the latest proposals from the bishops (which I discussed here and here) it looks horribly like the whole LLF process in its current form is going to “all end in tears”. Summary This article seeks to explore why that is the case and why now nobody seems … Continue Reading

‘Render unto Caesar’: the question of taxes in Matthew 22

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The gospel reading for Trinity 20 in Year A is Matthew 22.15–22, the short exchange between Jesus and his opponents on the question of the Roman ‘poll’ tax. This has important theological implications for our understanding of issues of politics and power, though it is often misread. We are now well embedded in Matthew’s triple … Continue Reading

‘Render unto Caesar’: the question of taxes in Matt 22 video discussion

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The gospel reading for Trinity 20 in Year A is Matthew 22.15–22, the short exchange between Jesus and his opponents on the question of the Roman ‘poll’ tax. This has important theological implications for our understanding of issues of politics and power, though it is often misread. It comes at a particular moment in Matthew’s … Continue Reading

A Letter From The Front Line

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Oliver Harrison writes: I’m a vicar. I’ve been ordained more than 25 years and in my current post for over 15 years; I am, by some margin, the longest serving member of my deanery clergy chapter. In that time I have changed, the Church of England has changed, and the culture has changed; none, in my … Continue Reading

Prayers of Love and Faith, (Archi-) Episcopal Power, and Anglican Identity

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Andrew Goddard writes: The Church of England is waiting for the bishops to decide (likely on Monday October 9th) the next steps in their discernment concerning Living in Love and Faith (LLF). These will be published shortly after the House of Bishops meets and brought in some form to General Synod (Nov 13th–15th). It is, however, … Continue Reading

Queer Holiness: A Review and Critique II: A (Very) Flawed Text

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Joshua Penduck writes: In Part I of this review of Charlie Bell’s book, Queer Holiness, after outlining his overall argument, I noted that the hints and implications of some of his arguments lead to a ‘sacralisation’ of contemporary Western norms for sexual ethics, that is, equating our current culture with divine revelation. As such, I proposed … Continue Reading

Jesus—with Peter—walking on the water in Matthew 14

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The Sunday lectionary reading for Trinity 10 in Year A is Matt 14.22–33, Matthew’s distinctive account of Jesus walking across the water and Peter’s response to it. I am finding this recent, sustained immersion in Matthew’s narrative very interesting. We have often noted how Matthew’s accounts are more compressed than the other gospels, particularly Mark, … Continue Reading