Summary Why the wrangling over Lambeth? If nothing else, the present debate over invitations to and attendance at the upcoming Lambeth Conference offers an important opportunity to reflect on the character of the Church as a body that gathers, takes common counsel, and makes representative decisions. Specifically, some of the public statements over these matters … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 22 March 2007 Dear Fulcrum Friends, The traditional phrase used to describe the Church of England is ‘Catholic and Reformed’. Too often the middle word ‘and’ passes unnoticed. Connecting words are crucial, humble and worth contemplating. They introduce links between polarities by contributing ‘threeness’ to ‘duality’. … Continue Reading
After the debates at the American General Convention last summer, I wrote directly to all the primates of the Communion to ask about their reaction and the likely reaction of their provinces as to whether the resolutions of Convention had met the proposals of the Windsor Report for restoring something like normal relations between the … Continue Reading
We give thanks to God for the extraordinary way in which he has guided the Primates this week under the careful leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Communiqué is unanimous, strongly worded and detailed in both description and analysis. It reiterates the Primates’ definitive backing for the recommendations of The Windsor Report (paragraph 30) … Continue Reading
The text of the Covenant is encouraging and it fits many of the concerns Fulcrum has been expressing. In particular, the aspects to appreciate include: The ‘dual track’ approach of a longer term provision and a short term commitment to its shape (paragraph 2, Urgency): The definitive text of any proposed Covenant which could command … Continue Reading
Fulcrum response to the Report on General Convention 2006 by the Communion’s Sub Group of the Joint Standing Committee by Andrew Goddard (Co-published with the Anglican Communion Institute) The notes in the text are hyperlinked into the end notes; to return to the text, click on the end note number The Report of the Communion … Continue Reading
No lack of love: the Fulcrum sermons of Oliver O’Donovan by Douglas Knight, assistant editor of Fulcrum Oliver O’Donovan is one of the most exciting theologians in the UK. He writes on current issues, like bioethics, just war, sexuality and the church. But his great strength, and the source of his evangelical authority, is his … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 8 February 2007 Dear Fulcrum Friends, The traditional English word ‘cleave’ has two meanings, which are the exact opposite of each other: ‘to stick together’ and ‘to split’. Both are used in the King James Version of the Bible in well known passages in the book … Continue Reading
‘Good News for Gay Christians’, the seventh and last in the Fulcrum series of web sermons by The Revd Professor Oliver O’Donovan FBA, Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology at the University of Edinburgh The notes in the text are hyperlinked into the end notes; to return to the text, click on the end note … Continue Reading
Initial comments on ‘A Covenant for the Church of England’, issued by Paul Perkin and Chris Sugden and others by the Bishop of Durham, Dr Tom Wright I am surprised that this document (‘A Covenant for the Church of England’, hereafter CCE) has been issued, and sorry that its clear grasp of some issues is … Continue Reading