2012/11/24

forked tongue

Protopresbyter is a new one on me.



But he does have a point. Does it make sense to pray for guidance and wisdom for all in Synod, and then repudiate the result? Just another reason why we need a new theology of prayer.

2012/11/21

saying what we want to be true

Aside from great sadness for all my Anglican friends who have prayed for - or feared - the consecration of women as bishops in the Church of England, and are now consigned to continue their prayers - or fears - for more years to come, I'm a little surprised by the tone of the debate.

The news reporting (especially, but not, I think solely, in the main news media) seems to have focussed primarily on the equality issues, and then on words from St Paul about women staying silent in church and not holding authority.  Not one that I have seen has talked of Apostolic Succession: maybe they were all being briefed by very reformed Evangelicals.  It's not my churchmanship, but the arguments are surely diminished without that piece - certainly the eventual sticking point about the nature of the arrangements for conscientious objectors.

But many of the arguments against simply seem disingenuous.  There has been a constant refrain that this is not about equality - and certainly not about employment equality.  Bishops, we are reminded, are servants of the church: leaders, yes, but by no means part of a power hierarchy.  This is a convenient story.  It may have a good spiritual pedigree.  We may wish it to be true.  But it is manifestly not true. The very characteristics which are said have marked Justin Welby as a good candidate for Archbishop are strikingly similar to those required of those aspiring to high office in a variety of other professions - albeit with a degree of winsomeness too often lacking in many corporate boardrooms.

Although the Church maintains a fiction that it does not employ its Priests (they are employed, apparently, by God, and he is not amenable to being summoned to appear before employment tribunals), to all intents and purposes that is exactly what it does.  And it most plainly runs something that looks exactly like a career structure, with a variety of promotions to more senior posts for those who demonstrate relevant expertise (or gifts).  Pretending otherwise really does no one any favours.

Viewed in that light, for the Church - the Church established by law, with a variety of ancient privileges - looks very poor if it seeks exemption from the Equality Act.  A martyrdom of principle would be honourable, but to retain special treatment from the state whilst not taking on board the state's norms looks really quite unprincipled.  Many -apparently most, in fact - in the Church of England share something like this view, of course.

Christians seem to have a track record of treating things as true which they'd like to be true, even when they are not - and everyone else can see it.  That can be embarrassing sometimes.  When it's used to defend the indefensible, it's even worse.