A Letter from Bishop Iker on Recent Developments

The Bishop of Ft. Worth Jack Leo Iker has written a brief letter that is delightfully typical of his straight spoken style and dry humor. He begins:

I am pleased to note the striking consensus between the reaffirmations in the Communiqué issued by the primates of the Anglican Communion at their February meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the deliberations and decisions of our Diocesan Conventions over the past several years.

He then spells out a number of the ways the Primates and his diocese are in concord. Then he wryly concludes:

Last fall The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council tagged us a "problem diocese." But instead The Episcopal Church has now been recognized as a "problem province."

Bishop Iker -- truthtelling with a smile. :^)

Looking Forward to Pusey House

If you’re looking for me in Oxford in Fall, you may find me at Pusey House, particularly in their library.

Now I have to admit something. When I visited Oxford in Advent 2005, I didn’t visit Pusey House because I was interested in really old colleges and chapels. Pusey House is relatively new, of 19th century vintage.

But since then, I’ve been informed of their excellent worship (Fr. Duncan of Smokey Matt’s especially praises them in this regard.) and library.

Let’s see. One of the best specialist libraries in the UK, focusing on Patristic, Liturgics, and Church History, with most of its 120,000 strong collection on open access shelves. . . . Yeah, I might spend some time there.

Looking Forward to Oxford

It’s becoming more “real” that I’ll be studying in Oxford this Fall, God willing. Getting an excellent apartment booked just down the street from Christ Church has contributed to that reality sinking in. And that has renewed my excitement, which borders on giddiness at times.

I hope to prepare myself as best I can. I’ll be studying medieval European history, particularly medieval church history this Fall at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. And I hope to incorporate further study of the liturgy into that. So I’m continuing my reading. Lately, I’ve been reading the Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary (which cost me not a little to acquire). Yes, I’m a liturgy nerd. And I’ve been reading on illuminated church books, a subject that has fascinated me since I attended the Cambridge Illuminations exhibit. At some point I must read that copy of Bede lying somewhere in my apartment.

I am quite serious about my studies. But I will be taking a reduced academic load in order to have plenty of time to explore and study on my own . . . and just to enjoy the Oxford experience, of course.

I invite guidance and advice on how best to prepare and to make the most of my time at Oxford. One or more readers may be getting e-mails before long. But I invite guidance from all readers. What would be good to read beforehand? I want to make the most of and enjoy the great Oxford libraries. (When I took the tour of the Bodleian and saw all those olllddd books, I drooled.) Any tips on that? Any other tips and advice?

A Letter from ++Rowan Williams and TEC Polity

The Archbishop of Canterbury has written a letter to the other Primates after their Tanzania meeting.

What I find most interesting is that he very clearly cuts through the fog about Episcopal Church polity:

To address these requests to the American House of Bishops is not to ignore the polity of The Episcopal Church, but to acknowledge that the bishops have a key role, acknowledged in the Constitution of that church, in authorising liturgies within their dioceses and in giving consent to the election of candidates for episcopal order.

As most of you know, there have been complaints that the House of Bishops can’t respond to the Primates’ Communique on behalf of TEC because TEC is an all-American democratic church that is one of the people. The whole church makes decisions, not just . . . :drowned out by swelling patriotic music:

It’s about the only time you’ll ever see some of our revisionist friends wave the flag with vigor.

But ++Rowan is right. Under TEC polity, liturgical innovations beyond the 1979 BCP don’t get authorised without the authorisation of bishops (though perhaps that works on a diocese by diocese basis). Nor do candidates for the episcopate get consent without the consent of bishops. Therefore, the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops has the power to do what is being asked of them.

++Rowan Williams has clearly noticed the protestations otherwise and has very succinctly pointed out that they don’t hold water.


UPDATE: The headline Christopher+ Cantrell gives to this letter is interesting and on target I think.

TEC Politburo Executive Council Responds to Tanzania . . . Kinda

The Episcopal Church Executive Council met over the weekend and issued a response to the Primates’ Communique.

Their response to the communiqué itself is tepid at best, but they did act to . . .

urge the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, and the end of secret detention centers and “extraordinary rendition”;
urge the US government to grant asylum to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, or those advocating for their civil rights, who seek such protection, and commit the Episcopal Church to aid in their resettlement;
urge that future General Conventions will not be held in states that prohibit domestic partnerships;

which speaks volumes about their priorities, does it not?

It should be noted that it’s the House of Bishops who are called to respond by the Primates, not the Executive Council, but still . . .

Bad Theology and Bad Liturgy Feed on Each Other.

Exhibit #4756 of this truth may be found here.

Disclaimer: If wrath or mocking would violate your Lenten discipline, click the above link at your own risk.

Behind the Scenes at the Primates Meeting

Here’s an interesting account of what transpired in Tanzania.

I’m a bit busy, but two reactions:

1. Thank God for ++Peter Akinola.

2. Judging from how the meeting went, it appears the Global South may not accept the usual fudge and perpetual deliberation past the September deadline. Maybe, just maybe, weasel words won’t win.