First Take on the Covenant Partnership
To their credit, the latest formation of a conservative episcopal faction in TEC seems to abhor schism as a means to maintaining a firm hold on the substance of the faith: thus their otherwise curious elevation of the Anglican Communion's sundry offices to ecclesial status. Only with such status would there be something these dioceses and their bishops could be part of which would make leaving TEC something other than an act of schism.
That may seem to imply they maintain a unity with the rest of TEC without the spirit of unity, or a unity merely pro forma. Maybe, but even such a thin unity would mean something, and even such a--to my mind--strained attempt to leave separation open while avoiding schism is a positive step.
Isn't there some way to build a more perfect, spiritual unity on that positive basis?
posted by The Anglican Scotist @ 12:36 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Sounds hopeful until/unless we consider that the clear goal of the ACNA business is not just to find some positive way to reconnect with the larger global Anglican Communion while maintaining a distinctive-separated out (confessional?) conservatism; but also to trash talk and eventually completely replace both the Canada province and TEC.
Completely. Replace.
Thus all stories about reconnecting must be carefully investigated, lest we inadvertently participate in punitive and powerful conservative aspirations which go far beyond reconnection. Given how dearly the TT-R agendas are embraced in ACNA, or at least that is what we are supposed to believe, it will be difficult just to emphasize the reconnect potentials. Alas. Lord have mercy. drdanfee
Professor Bates,
Do you think there is scriptural basis for any schism whatsoever?
Off topic: I remember learning about "ID" in my time at UCF: I'd like to warn anyone who will listen: http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2009/05/forrest-respond.html
and: http://www.whatswrongwiththeworld.net/2009/05/constitutional_scholar_steven.html
The crisis in TEC is not in the rank and file in the pews; it is a leadership crisis- the schism is at that level- the faithful are and remain in common on both sides of the issue- anglicans on both sides of the fence chatting with each other about things more important than politics while TEC's leadership takes a nap- why the shock at new leadership filling a leadership void? ACNA was never disconnected at all.
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