Women Bishops and the Revision Committee
MCU has published a paper that welcomes the Revision Committee’s 
change of policy. However, it questions the emphasis on seeking to satisfy the opponents of women bishops while showing no comparable concern for the majority appalled by the continuing gender discrimination.
The paper argues
- that the proposed proliferation of different classes of bishops (women, men consecrated or not consecrated by women, men who do or do not ordain women, etc) should be resisted;
- that church leaders should resist the influence of magical views of the sacraments, treating priests and bishops as if the value of their ministry depended on whether their appointment followed precise rules;
- that the ‘theology of taint’ – the idea that a bishop who has once ordained a woman priest is no longer an acceptable bishop – is not acceptable and no allowance should be made for it;
- that resistance to change, while characteristic of many reactionary religious campaigns, is unrealistic since churches do, and need to, make changes;
- that the increasing appeal to the individual conscience as though it were a basic unchanging fact, rather than an expression of what the individual currently believes to be true, should be resisted;
- and that the current reactionary mood among church leaders is in danger of being made permanent by the proposed Anglican Covenant.
3 Responses to “Women Bishops and the Revision Committee”
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Maggi has kept a blog since September 2003, writing about theology and faith, the arts and literature, and a little about life and random nonsense...
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I find it quite distressing the language being used to describe the Revision Committees decision to change their mind. It is clear that some individuals are not content to listen, but wish to continue to fight against the natural justice of having women as Priests and Bishops in the Church.
The overwhelming view in favour of this must prevail.
Writing from America — it is vastly distressing that this could even be an issue for anyone!
Ordinarily I’d say “well I just don’t understand the cultural nuances involved” but what could these nuances possibly be in this case? I do understand cowardice.
Of course women should be bishops. It is nightmarish even to imagine arguments pro and con.
MCU’s comment “that the current reactionary mood among church leaders is in danger of being made permanent by the proposed Anglican Covenant” is so true, and why the Covenant must be opposed, in my opinion.