Conservative bishops set out theological vision for Church of England

A bunch of conservative bishops has issued a latest “theological vision” for the Church of England’s means of discernment around problems with marriage, relationships, gender and identity.

The Living in Love and Faith (LLF) means of dialogue and discernment has turn out to be increasingly strained for the reason that House of Bishops brought forward plans to introduce prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

The Prayers of Love and Faith were backed by General Synod a 12 months ago and are currently being trialled as a part of existing services but there are plans to usher in standalone services. General Synod will again discuss Living in Love and Faith when it meets later this month. 

‘A Theological Vision’ has been drawn up by seven bishops within the House of Bishops who’ve publicly dissented from the Prayers of Love and Faith.

They are Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster, Jonathan Gibbs, Bishop of Rochester, Ric Thorpe, Bishop of Islington, Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester, Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield, Paul Williams, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham.

The statement, they said, has been sponsored “on behalf of a wider grouping throughout the House and College”. 

Published on Premier Christian News, ‘A Theological Vision’ calls the Church of England to “witness boldly to the gospel of Jesus Christ, identifying and rejecting the idols and harmful ideologies of any age”.

It opens with the expression of “a wholehearted commitment to the Nicene Creed” and says that “the Holy Scriptures contain all things essential for salvation and reveal God’s will for human life and behavior”.

“As the Articles say, what isn’t present in Scripture can’t be imposed on the Church, and the Church lacks authority to ordain anything contrary to God’s word written. We seek to interpret the Scriptures guided by the Church Catholic across time and space,” it reads. 

The vision statement reiterates the historic Christian definition of gender as female and male, and marriage as exclusively for heterosexual couples, adding that it’s “greater than a contingent social arrangement”.

“As the joyful, lifelong union of female and male, the 2 types of created humanity, marriage is a dynamic sign of the saving union between Christ and the Church through the Spirit, from which our salvation springs,” it says.

“It thus represents the approaching together of difference and is the right place for sexual intimacy, out of which union the miracle of latest life could also be born.” 

Of singleness, the bishops say that it’s “greater than sexual self-denial” and “a positive declaration of the last word sufficiency of our everlasting union with God in Christ, focussed, like Jesus, on leaving spiritual descendants”.

The vision statement invites people to live in holiness and shun “self-fulfilment or self-expression”. It warns of the impact on the entire Anglican Communion of any change to the Church’s historic position, and ends by stating that the reply to questions around inclusivity and identity may be present in relationship to Christ. 

Tensions have surrounded LLF again in recent weeks with the resignation of the Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, as certainly one of its co-lead bishops. The other co-lead, Bishop Martyn Snow, has decided to stay in post.

Bishop Hartley stepped down over the appointment of conservative vicar, Dr Tom Woolford, as interim theology adviser to the House of Bishops. To ameliorate the situation, the Rev Canon Dr Jessica Martin was appointed to work alongside Dr Woolford.