Your Friendly Neighbourhood Christian-Muslim Womenpriest of the Episcopal Church

I caught this story the other day. A Episcopalian womenpriest, who incidentally is without parish at the moment, also says she is a Muslim. That much I'm sure of - the real question is whether or not she is actually a Christian. At glance, I'd probably through up the ol'negatory response and be done with it, but - but - this is an ordained women in the Episcopal Church. Even the Episcopalians must have standards, right?

Trinity? Eucharist? Resurrection? Heck, is the crucifixion even considered part of the Episcopalian canon these days or is that optional too?

You'll notice by now that the link I posted doesn't actually bring you to a AP or Reuter's article, those I'm sure you could find on your own, but to another piece of wry commentary from Mark Steyn, who must have now become the most annoying Christian journalist to the rest of the world. Steyn simply mentions in passing that Lina Joy, a Malaysian woman who converted from Islam to Christianity, has not been allowed to have 'Muslim' removed from her identity card. Why? Because Malaysia has sharia law, and you can't convert from Islam under sharia. Steyn also points out that just over half the population is Muslim, which Christians, Hindus and Buddhists making up the remainder, and yet the country is ruled by Islamic law. That alone is worth thinking about, particularly if you live here, here, here, or here.

A little time for meditation

On my way to an interview yesterday morning, I passed by our fine city's beautiful Anglican Cathedral. So back the Anglican cathedral. It perhaps uses the least amount of billboard advertising (unlike the Catholic, Methodist and Baptist churches) because, I think, it is just not doing that well. This thought was vindicated yesterday when, as I walked by the church, I saw a little sandwich board advertisement which read:

Open 9am - 5pm Service Sunday 10am Come inside for quiet meditation

Quiet meditation? Is it not me but when a cathedral parish simply offers up room for 'quiet meditation' something is very wrong with that church. Is prayer too fundamentalist or traditional a term? The sign simply smacked of metaphysical emptiness and desperation on the part of church leaders. Not that the term 'meditation' is particularly bad, but I'm sure you'll agree that is much more fitting of New Age paganism or even facile North American Buddhism than Anglican Christianity.

What I think is particularly sad is how this pithy little sandwich sign represents the theological and institutional crisis of the Anglican Church. It is widely expected now that the church will become increasingly factionalised in the coming months, with Archbishop Rowan Williams decision not invite several 'conservative' prelates while inviting all but one of the 'liberal' prelates to the upcoming Lambeth Conference only exacerbating a terrible situation. Already North American parishes under the Episcopal banner are contemplating schism, and indeed some have even split and joined under the leadership of Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria. Some Anglican priests have even, and quite publicly, attempted to reunify their entire parishes with the Catholic Church. And here in quiet Victoria, amidst all the confusion, chaos and division, our local Anglicans are prepared to offer you not a place for prayer per se, but for quiet meditation.
Ironic, isn't it, since prayer is the only thing that's going to save the Anglican Church.

Anglican Resolution...

... either fall into line, or fall out.

The results are in. The race is over. The 'progressive' Episcopalians have won. Archbishop Rowan Williams has stated that the Communion has decided to allow the offending bishops/priests of the Episcopal Church in the US to accept the terms of the Windsor Report, or to face the consequences.

Deja vu? I recall a similar statement being made after Gene Robinson, an openly active homosexual, was ordained to the epicopate in 2003. Back then Williams, via the Windsor Report, demanded that the ECUSA make immediate amends. Nothing happened. Well actually a lot happened, and none of it what the rest of the Communion wanted. Now there are two problem bishops: The aforementioned Robinson and Kathy 'Percentagewise' Schori.

Williams at least had the character to admit that many within the Communion are disappointed by yet another excusance being offered to the ECUSA. I would say that Williams will be the last Archbishop of Canterbury to 'preside' over a united Anglican Communion. When 6 months passes and the ECUSA hasn't done a thing, then I expect disintegration to begin in full effect. It of course didn't have to end this way, but then again, neither did Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine.

The Anglican Divide

The blogosphere is rife with excitement over the Anglican convention in Tanzania. And for good reason. This meeting promises to be a make or break moment for the entire Communion. Conservatives v. Liberals, Modernists v. Evangelicals, just two of the many factions butting heads in Dar-es-Salaam.

The question facing the Anglicans is this: How can the Communion exist with such stark division between provinces and parishes? Many 'conservative' bishops have already made known their intention to break away if the 'liberal' bishops are not reprimanded and brought back into line for their clear flouting of Scripture and Anglican tradition. Liberal bishops, I'm sure, are not altogther fazed by this. Less 'conservatives' means less headaches and more fun.

As a Catholic, I'm really not surprised it has come to this. Anglicanism itself began on a repudiation of Christian tradition. Now it is simply a case of owning up to that repudiation and the hundreds that followed in the 500 years since.

Anglicans to Cut Their Losses....

... and bring their problems to us. Here comes everybody.

An exciting proposal/report/announcement has been leaked to the press by someone (or something) at the Anglican Communion meeting in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The document, prepared by several Anglican and Catholics bishops, calls for a full reconciliation between the Communion and the Church.

Pardon, me?

I was under the impression that Anglican-Catholic relations were increasingly strained because of recent decisions made by several Anglican bishops. I'm sure you're aware of them too. Personally, I think this development, and the timing of the release, comes down to the work of one person.

edit: It turns out the Times correspondent who first reported the story was a little off in his analysis. The report simply details the progress of the Anglican-Roman Catholic discussions and, rather than calling for unification, urges Anglicans to think more about the ministry of the Papal Office, and for Catholics to pray for them. Well, pretty much anyway.

Anglican Discommunion

As I write, Anglican delegates from around the world are meeting in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss what to do with those pesky Episcopalians.

Or at least that's how the story has been explained to me. I think the real issue is whether or not the Anglican Experiment really has any gas left in its tank. It first pretended to be Catholic, then half-Catholic/half-Protestant, and now, it appears, a third-Catholic/a third Protestant/a third New Age. Cardinal Newman saw this and many other crises developing over a hundred years ago; today, throngs of Anglican priests and parishoners are flocking into the Catholic Church, the situation having become so grim.