Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said today that his successor was going to have to map the Biblical vision of humanity and community onto the worst situations in society.
Speaking at the final media conference after the end of the Anglican Consultative Council in New Zealand, Archbishop Williams said the issues discussed at the meeting–including environmental change and ending domestic violence–were “actually questions about what kind of humanity we’re seeking to promote and serve, which is a deeply Christian question.”
He said he thought that when people were probing the church on certain issues, they were actually asking how the church could help them “be really human”.
“We believe as a church we have unparalleled resources for enriching humanity that way.”
[blockquote] “So [regarding the qualities of his successor] I think somebody who likes reading the Bible and likes reading newspapers would be a good start!” [/blockquote]
How about someone who believes what he reads in the Bible but doesn’t believe what he reads in the newspaper?
Or likes what he reads in the Bible and doesn’t like what he reads in the newspaper?
What about reports and agenda and books on leadership in both hands? And thus puts off writing scholarly books until he’s done as ABC and focuses on the task at hand, working night and day to solve the communion’s problems.
or just lives the life of grace
A life of grace~with a [i]well-used [/i]Bible in his hand!
This man is putting the “long” in the long goodbye. I wonder if we’ll be informed of how heartfelt and significant his last bowel movement in Lambeth Palace was.
Elves – I know you’ll never post it but I hope you got as tickled reading it as I did writing it.
FWLIW the Barth quote seems to come from a Time article of 1963, [Barth] “recalls that 40 years ago he advised young theologians ‘to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible”. The article goes on to say, “Newspapers, he says, are so important that ‘I always pray for the sick, the poor, journalists, authorities of the state and the church – in that order. Journalists form public opinion. They hold terribly important positions. Nevertheless, a theologian should never be formed by the world around him”
[blockquote] “In answer to questions from the media about the progress that ACC made over their time at Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, Abp Williams mentioned, among other topics, the resolution regarding the protocols for Christian witness in a plural world. The resolution had been endorsed by the ACC that morning.” [/blockquote]
Really? Anglicanism has been growing through widespread evangelism for several decades now. Millions of Anglicans all over the world have been witnessing for the gospel, and seeing conversions made. And they have been doing that quite successfully without such a protocol.
Where is the priority and strategy for evangelism? Where is the support of persecuted Christians (Pakistani Christians begged for a resolution condemning such persecution, but ACC-15 sent them away empty-handed)? Where is the proposals to heal the rifts within the Communion and enable God’s people to turn their efforts to mission?
This all just drives home the impression that this ACC-15 has been a major waste of time and money.
No, MichaelA, it’s been a [b]humongous[/b] waste of time and money!