Two articles about what happens after Dublin, one taking a pretty sanguine approach, the other rather more pessimistic.
What makes it interesting is that they are both in agreement on the forthcoming shape of the Communion. Their only real disagreement is on the extent to which this matters to the Church.
Meanwhile, here in England I would venture to say that almost no members of Anglican churches have a clue about any of this.
The Anglican Communion is, to most of them, what Europe used to be to most Englishmen. When the Channel was foggy, it was Europe that was 'cut off'.
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As you say, two very different responses to Dublin, the second quite alarmingly pessimistic.
ReplyDeleteIn my severely limited understanding of the issue I am inclined to lean toward the latter.
What you have not done, is to present your own view. Thoughts please?.
And here was me thinking you were referring our most beloved Dominical sacrament.
ReplyDeleteIt is Saturday, I guess!
Oh, and I agree ...
"The Primates who stayed away from Dublin did not do so because they had left the family. They did so because part of the family will not hear what they have to say, and the only way they have left to protest is to refuse to attend this particular meal. Their prayer is that the family will soon again dine together and share one cup." Try to find a family which is not afflicted with any dysfunction and you are in for a job. Some argue for patience and understanding where there is none, others say let there be a clean break and some closure. But it is still a rather large family and not everyone is polarized into the most extreme camps on the spectrum. The Middle suffers quietly. Some stay mum while others vote with their feet and stay home. I have never bought-into the whole "Anglican Communion" thing. Cranmer and many of the other English Reformers were speaking and writing to the Church of England, not some multi-national jurisdiction. I'm stuck here in the United States and I have very little faith that things will work themselves-out on this side of the Pond. There is a terrible connection here and it is only getting worse. There is really no place to call home for Classical Prayer Book (1662) Churchmen. We simply hunker-down and hope to ride-out the storm.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that the most visible impact of this to "average" member of the CofE might be if and when it starts to affect twinning arrangements between dioceses, and the work of USPG, CMS and Crosslinks. Where congregations have members with backgrounds in other parts of the Anglican Communion, I guess the impact may come sooner and with greater force.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you write "Meanwhile, here in England I would venture to say that almost no members of Anglican churches have a clue about any of this.
ReplyDeleteThe Anglican Communion is, to most of them, what Europe used to be to most Englishmen. When the Channel was foggy, it was Europe that was 'cut off'."
I wonder if the average members of an Anglican congregation ANYWHRE in the world really concerns themselves with this rather nebulous entity known as the 'Anglican Communion'? Is a Ugandan woman, probably living in poverty, probably supporting extended family members with HIV/AIDS, really likely to be that engaged with who did and didn't show up in Dublin?
Fern Winter, London