An Interesting Discussion on an Amicable Separation

Over at Stand Firm, there is a very interesting discussion on the possibility of an amicable separation in the Episcopal Church – now at 155 comments!

I won’t even attempt to rehash it, but I find two things of note. First, Jim Naughton, a dedicated revisionist, prompted the discussion and seems quite open to a negotiated separation and settlement.

Now, as he noted, he as speaking for himself, not 815. But I still find it encouraging that such a prominent revisionist is so willing to discuss an amicable separation with the reasserters (i.e. orthodox) on one of their sites no less.

Second, some of my orthodox brethren seem to want a whole package of Anglican realignment neatly handed to them in a bundle. There were a number of posts uninterested in an amicable separation unless it included discipline of the Episcopal Church.

Readers know I want the Episcopal Church disciplined. But it’s just not feasible for everything to be done at once. As Matt Kennedy commented, an amicable separation and discipline of the Episcopal Church are two separate matters. For while a separation would have to be hashed out in some way among American Episcopalians, discipline is to be decided by the worldwide Anglican Communion. The AC has little say other than persuasion in matters such as American church property disputes. And American Anglicans have only a partial say in AC disciplinary matters.

That’s a much messier way of doing things than that of our Roman brethren. But that’s the way it is. So by necessity, the question of an amicable separation can’t be bound together with that of discipline of the Episcopal Church.

There’s much more over at the Stand Firm discussion, which I commend to you.