One of the most militant expressions of left-wing Christianity was and is Liberation Theology, that creation of Latin American Roman Catholicism that brought Marx into the Church for so many years. One of the enduring slogans of that movement was "the preferential option for the poor," which means that the Church acts in such a …
The Real Meaning of Affirming Catholicism
In our last three posts on the different parts of Anglicanism, we've looked first at Anglo-Catholicism, then Evangelicalism, and after that the Charismatic renewal. Now we turn our attention to a group of people who seem to have influence well out of proportion to their numbers, or for that matter to the substance of their …
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Waiting for the Cops to Show Up
The drama that is taking place this week behind closed doors in Tanzania has created a real guessing game in the Anglican Communion. While we wait for the results--assuming there are meaningful results--let's think for a moment about an obvious question: how has liberal "Christianity" held on as long as it has? Everyone knows that …
Charismatic Anglicans: The Missing Link
When many people hear of the Charismatic Renewal, they roll their eyes and pray that the conversation goes another way. It is amazing that a movement that had such a wide impact in its day is not only forgotten but gleefully so. There are a few holdouts out there--the Charismatic Episcopal Church is the main …
Anglican Evangelicalism: The Limitations of Augustinian Theology
In a previous post, we discussed the problems of Anglo-Catholics in their walk to Rome. We've spent a fair amount of time on that; now let's look at the weakness of the other branch of orthodox Anglicanism, the evangelical wing. Our contention is that Evangelical Anglicans need to take a hard look at their adherence …
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Anglo-Catholicism and the Role of the Church
As the orthodox Anglican alternatives to the TEC grow in strength, it has become pretty clear that the #1 division--in addition to the proliferation of purple shirts--that looms is the Anglo/Catholic vs. Evangelical divide. A little history needs to be told to put this in perspective. When Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, the control …
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Eternity is Still What Matters
In our posting on the "contract on the Episcopalians," we referenced a comment by the new Presiding Bishop about her disparagement of the importance of eternal life. It's probably worthwhile to reproduce that particular dialogue (ADG is the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; KJS is of course Katherine Jefferts-Schori): ADG: That reminds me of something else you said. …
The Baptismal Covenant: The Contract on the Episcopalians
In the agony that the slow separation of the Anglican Communion has become, one issue that has come up has been the business of the "baptismal covenant" that appears in TEC's 1979 prayer book. This problem was discussed in an excellent article by Peter Toon, but it seems that there are broader issues here to …
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Forget About the Guilt March. Just Give Them the Communion.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York participated in a much publicised "guilt march" across the UK about the evil of slavery. But there's an easier and more substantial way to even the score: just let the Africans and their allies, including the descendants of slaves in the West Indies, take the lead in the Communion. …
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It’s Not About Freedom Any More
The rather plaintive letter from the Rev. Mark Lawrence trying to explain why his departure from California to take his post as the new Bishop of South Carolina is being delayed is a sad commentary both on TEC and the left-wing boomers that presently dominate its leadership. His explanation of the process is about as …
Positive Infinity 