One American traditionalist, Bp. Peter Beckwith of Springfield, IL, has recently characterized his dealings with The Episcopal Church (TEC) as “inter-faith relations”. This sound-byte conveys the deep sense among American traditionalists that, in the American Church at least, the notion that the innovators share with them the common ground of standing under Scripture is illusory.
While innovators may speak of broad themes which are indeed Scriptural, such as “justice”, for instance, they do not seem to traditionalists to take such words to mean what they mean in Scripture and the Tradition. And indeed TEC innovators are actively involved in initiatives which in traditionalists’ eyes seem to amount to reducing “religion” to what all religions hold in common. In consequence, that which is specifically Christian appears to be treated as simply part of the way in which “religion” has worked itself out in our particular culture; and it likewise seems that anything contrary to “religion”, anything, for instance, which might seem to divide or engender conflict, must be dropped.
Traditionalists in North America, too, seem to have gone farther than the Archbishop seems to recognize. Over the years they have perceived the innovators as saying one thing, but either not acting on it or going back on it. As the innovators’ perceived control of church structures and attacks upon their number have increased, traditionalists have developed alternative structures in conjunction with traditionalist leaders and provinces in the wider Communion. Not only individuals, but congregations and dioceses have decamped, or seem poised to do so. Their alienation, not only from TEC, but from a Communion which has proved unable to protect them and its historic faith, is profound.
Traditionalists feel that they have been betrayed. And this is not true only in North America. At the beginning of July, the Church of England’s General Synod voted to proceed with the consecration of women as bishops in a way which not only denied traditionalists of the structural protections they consider necessary to the integrity of their position, but will strip them of some of the protections they presently have, such as the ministry of the Provincial Episcopal Visitors – protections they were promised would be permanent.
Words may be spoken of the “honored place” of traditionalists in the Communion and its churches: but actions have belied those words, destroying whatever trust was left. And while, as a member of the press, one has been very much on the fringes of this Conference, one must question whether the process of encounter and listening which has been at its heart could suffice to restore that trust.