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Letters from 27 July to
2 August 2009
Like all letters to the editor everywhere,
these letters are the opinions of the writers and not Anglicans Online. We publish letters
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No pencil-biting
here
Another
very interesting article. My hat's off to all the chaps who
sit in front of the computer screen chewing on whatever has replaced
the pencil and trying to come up with the next week's writeup. They
must have gone through a whole lot of cyberpencil ends in order
to come up with the Gorham episode, among other bits of Anglican
apocrypha.
Looking back
at that episode and the numerous others spanning the centuries in which
one clergyman or another has played a key role, it is instructive to
note that all these incidents make up part of the 'faith that we have
received' and which we are enjoined to contend for. The sad bit is that
there is so much contending in the Anglican Communion these days that
we no longer even know what our faith is.
Obi Udeariry
St. Andrew's, Aladinma, Owerri
Owerri, NIGERIA
Netwalker55@yahoo.es
27 July 2009
Editor: Well,
in this case it wasn't a chap, but rather a woman who wrote the letter.
Whether it's a curse or a blessing, she carries far too much Anglican
history in her head, so such letters require very little biting
of pencils, cyber or lead. She's glad you found it interesting.
Foundational?
The
substance of your editorial of 26 July 2009 seems to be that the present controversy
over human sexuality in the Anglican Communion will ultimately prove
to be of far less importance than the present heat, on all sides, would
suggest. As evidence of this, you cite earlier disputes over vestments,
etc. You
also cite the earliest theological disputes of the Church Catholic.
While I expect
this editorial to be popular, it is incorrect. The major early theological
disputes of the church; those resolved by councils and creeds, came
down to "Who is Jesus Christ?" There were (and always will be) those
who cannot or will not accept that He is, in the incarnation, fully
God, and fully man. They wish to make Him one or the other. But
if this is done, there is "another Jesus", and we are still in our sins.
Far from being the obscure concern of theologians and historians; this
is a vital concern to every Christian as
is the human sexuality debate; because it is not a debate centered
in sexuality. It is a debate of the authority of Scripture; and Holy
Tradition. If scripture and tradition may be redefined whenever they
become bothersome to our culture; we, once again, have "another Gospel";
and, of necessity "another
chuch."
These are the
true issues; and they are foundational to our faith.
The Reverend
Michael Henry
Kokomo, Indiana, USA
frmichaelhenry@comcast.net
27 July 2009
Editor: The
disputes after the Great Schism of 1054 that we referenced in our
letter last week all prompted acrimonious argument, deep division,
and occasionally schism. The point was to show that
the current contention about sexuality has parallels in church history.
But there will be those who elevate the matter of sexuality to a
place of its own, a sort of St Sexuality Stylite. For those who
view it as such, we suspect will be no example from church history
that will be instructive.
About the earlier disputes before
1054, whilst certainly a great many involved the nature of Our Lord,
others had to do with the calculation of Easter, the veneration
of icons, and the question of unleavened bread. (Bread! Icons! Vestments!)
Disputatious from
birth
Just
a quick note to tell you how
much I look forward to your blog each week. Especially last
week re: much ado about nothing. I tell folks
we Anglicans were born fighting and have been fighting ever since,
lose no sleep over this one, either. Trust me — no
matter how much the 'orthodites' want folks to believe that the Episcopal
Church is hemorrhaging members, it simply isn't true. God
bless your ministry.
The Reverend Craig
Sweeney
The Church of the Epiphany
Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, USA
28 July 2009
Earlier letters
We launched our 'Letters to AO' section on 11
May 2003. All published letters are in our archives.
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