women priests and the archbishop of canterbury
"So what will you do if the Archbishop of Canterbury stops ordaining women priests?" asked a colleague at work this morning.
Huh? I didn’t hear the offending piece on the Radio this morning, but my initial reaction to my colleague was, "if that’s really what they said on the Radio, my guess is that it was mis-reported."
Sure enough, if you read a bit more closely, what we appear to have here is the Archbishop affirming that he was, and remains, a supporter of the ordination of women. But (true academic that he is) he can also see all sides of the argument, read the signs of the times, and take seriously points of view that are different from his own. If he was a born politician he wouldn’t say thoughtful things out loud in public, he’d say what he thought we needed to hear. But he’s a born academic. Frankly, I think I prefer him the way he is.
Update… yup, just as I suspected…
Update 2: Dave Cartoon-Church Walker has produced a cartoon, at my request, to illustrate the days events…
7 Responses to “women priests and the archbishop of canterbury”
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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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It’s nice of him to continue to affirm the ordination of women. But his backing away from also granting the same rights to gays that he grants to women shows a gross inconsistency. This is, after all, the twenty first century, and it is time for religious leaders to stand up for all the victims of oppression within the hallowed halls of religious orthodoxy. Seeing all sides of an argument doesn’t hold water when it comes to opposing oppression and bigotry. And that is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s great moral failing, as far as I am concerned.
I have to agree, Mystical Seeker. It is telling that when he made similarly ambiguous remarks about homosexuals a while back, he offered no reply or clarification when the media widely interpreted him as backtracking on the gay issue.
I don’t know if it is possible for a church to successfully stop ordaining woman once they have started with out causing a huge split. I am guessing you would agree.
I have just finished an essay about how God is artist and would love to have your reflections on it.
http://nightthink.nfshost.com/blogs/index.php?blog=2&title=god_the_artist
thanks,
Chase
Oh to be unencumbered by the responsibility of leadership…
I too would love Rowan to be unequivocal about women, gays and any number of other issues and to accept the consequent demise of the Anglican Communion, but it ain’t going to happen.
So where does that leave me, seeking change from the inside or shouting about it from the outisde. I know where I belong…
Mark
Maggie’s take is right, I think. RW has now issued an unequivocal statement, after understandable howls of protest from women in ministry and many others. The gay issue is not strictly comparable: the ‘official position’ of the ABC on this is that he will not be elaborating his personal views any further, since his role is to handle a dispute and recognise the position of the church. He hasn’t, contrary to reports, repudiated The Body’s Grace, either. This may or may not be a credible stance (it certainly won’t satisfy many of his critics on either side), but I do think it is distinguishable from the issue of women priests, where his own views and those of the church decision coincide. (On the interpretation of his recent remarks on sexuality I wrote this a few weeks ago).
Happy Delurking Week!
On another forum, in another, similar context, we’ve been talking about the equivocating two-step that some church bodies appear to be engaged in as they slouch toward the future. (While some of us would prefer, say, a brisk foxtrot in that direction.)