Saturday, July 12, 2008

ABC - 123

Reportedly our spiritual leader - and host of the 2008 Lambeth Conference - has come out in defense of plurality in the Anglican Communion...and against central authority. Read the brief note at the Church Times : Central control not Anglican, says Williams. You need to be a subscriber to read the full interview.

7 comments:

Cany said...

What is amazing, in a way, is that Williams is seemingly pluralistic but seems, also, to support the concept of a covenant which (at least currently) is intended to draw an in/out line (as a disciplinary approach to "wayward" churches).

They seem contradictory. Perhaps I don't understand it correctly.

The Elizabethan Settlement pretty much set the stage for all of us under the covers, even though sometimes some of our feet stick out. It is a position of tolerance in diversity.

Any hierarchical means of discipline is way to Roman for me, personally.

Cany said...

oy... make that "way TOO Roman"... way to Roman? Nope, not me...

Anonymous said...

"Any hierarchical means of discipline is way too Roman for me, personally."

That is why so many of us former Romans have left and joined TEC (at least it's a big reason for me). Also the "position of tolerance and diversity".

I like that image of the feet sticking out.. cute :-)

Unknown said...

Williams still seems to use "Church" when referring to the "Communion."

The Anglican Communion is NOT a worldwide "Church." In terms of international structure, we have more in common with the Lutheran World Federation. LWF is made up of national churches or - in the case of the U.S. - several separate Lutheran bodies with differing ethnic heritages. There is no world-wide Lutheran Church, either.

In the formation of the ELCA, care was taken, BTW, to define the local congregation, the regional Synod Assemblies, and the National Church Assembly each as full and complete "expressions" of the Church.

~Wayne (sort of a Luthepisk)

Anonymous said...

Wayne,

(((Wayne)))

Fran Wingate O'Gorman said...

Fr. Scott-
I saw you were saying somewhere that you're starting your own blog- cool! And the scope of it is bigger than these which primarily focus on just the Epicopal church.. sounds kind of like the direction Jake (now, Terry) wants to take also.. looking forward to it.. good luck- I'm sure it will be terrific. :-)
--Fran

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Fran. I'll let you know when it's up and running.