In an e-mail, N. T. Wright, the preeminent New Testament historian and former Anglican bishop of Durham, England, said he hoped the two men would take the opportunity to discuss ways to reinvigorate Christianity in the west. “I think the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope might well discuss the major challenge all churches in the west face,” he wrote, “freshly stating and living the gospel in a confused postmodern world with a deep hunger for spirituality but a deep suspicion of the church.” The archbishop, he adds, has already spoken eloquently in a speech last year on the possibilities for interdenominational cooperation. Its main thrust, says Wright, was, we agree about so much, might it be possible to live together with our remaining differences?
But Paul Elie, a book editor and writer who has covered both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, worries that behind closed doors, the two religious leaders will get hung up on church politics and doctrinal details having to do with who does and doesn’t have the right to receive the sacred orders of the priesthood….
More evidence that Newsweek is without redeeming value (as it were) when it comes to religious reporting. I am unmoved by the assembly of a lot of speculation about what the pope might do– in closed door meetings, no less– that proves the trip is already a disaster.
What complete nonsense. The abuse scandal faced by the RCC has not caused doctrinal problems for the ABC or for catholic unity in orders. On this issue – there is a unilateral problem – and it is caused by the innovations in the AC.
The doctrinal problems that the AC faces with the RCC lie elsewhere, and abuse is certainly not RCC doctrine. Who are these people, and why are they quoted?
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C. Wingate, you can simply your first sentence and it remains completely true: [i]More evidence that Newsweek is without redeeming value (as it were).[/i]
Good grief. The reporter seemed determined to write about Ireland and child abuse, no matter what, so the intro twists the whole thing around ‘Ireland … only a short plane ride away … but he chose to touch down in Scotland.’ Perhaps, given these days of poorly educated journalists the writer does not know it, but Ireland is a different nation. It reminds me of the story about the days when there was an exam at Oxford called ‘Divvers’. It followed an unvarying curriculum, alternating every year from one set subject to the other. One year a student swotted up the wrong choice and faced with having to compose an essay on the gospels, wrote: ‘There is much to ponder on the gospels. However, if the examiners were to choose to ask me about the missionary journeys of St Paul … ‘
How sad that journalistic standards have declined so much that you can actually hear the sound of the axe grinding.
I’d love to see what Lisa Miller believes the “right notes” would be. I’ll hazard a few guesses: OKing women’s ordination, full and enthusiastic support for homsexuality, rescinding the prohibition on contraceptives and abortion.. I’d mention something about the sexual abuse scandal, but I’m pretty sure if the Pope ok’d the other stuff, she wouldn’t think it was such a big deal.
Tired, I have to think that two very great theologians are going to have better things to talk about than politics. Also, I cannot imagine Williams making so bald a declarative sentence. 😉