Warring Anglican bishops could be forced to confront each other in divorce-style “mediation” or conflict resolution, under proposals published today.
Theologians and canon lawyers responsible for drawing up the drafts of a new covenant, a document which is intended to re-unite the divided Anglican Communion around agreed practices and beliefs, have proposed that different forms of conflict resolution be examined to see if any might be suitable for use by Anglican bishops.
The document, drawn up after consultations with the bishops attending Lambeth Conference earlier this year, discusses the various types of conflict resolution that might be suitable.
Possible models include professionals involved in arbitration, mediation and reconciliation.
Read it all and follow the link to the proposals themselves.
The Alban Institute has many good things to offer. One of them, IMHO, that’s not always helpful is their understanding of conflict management. When contests are framed around theological differences, forcing conversation often simply makes things worse.
The time is long past when in TEC or the ELCA our differences between orthodox and “new thing” thinkers can be effectively reframed as problems to solve. How do you “solve” a problem of apostacy????
Brian
Both parties have to be open to reconciliation. That is not the case with TEC, as ECUSA/TEC/GCC/EO-PAC has repeatedly shown in its actions there is not way but their way. If the AC bishops have not realized this by now, they never will.
They’re stalling until they can once and for all cut off all avenues of escape at GC09. Period. They have earned nothing but distrust. Give it to them.
Pardon my confusion but isn’t our ‘Conflict Resolution” called the Bible, The Creeds, the Articles etc.? Having taught conflict resolution and worked as a Family Therapist for decades in addition to Ordination, both of the training tracks of my education to practice (Social Work) and ministry(Call/Vocation), while able to compliment each other, have some polar absolutes. This is one of them.
Conflict Resolution in Christianity is called Repentance and Absolution.
The Lord told the Apostle to dust off their sandles and move on if not accepted. He did not say to enter into arbitration or find a family therapist.
Respectfully said with prayers as we called to pray for the sinner.
AmmaKate
We don’t want conflict resolution, we want a divorce, and for good reasons. This is not a no-fault divorce, it is one with cause, and good cause too. To fail to take the opportunity, to postpone and chatter and divigate and reconsider, is to road to theological and ecclesiastical ruin because the end will be the attenuation and emasculation of scripture, the thinning of the wine so thoroughly that all can drink deeply of it and never feel effect. Larry
If anyone missed it, Brian Cox+, internationally known expert in Christian reconciliation wrote about his realization of how he was being used by Ms Schori to feign interest in reconciliation while simply laying the groundwork for litigation in San Joaquin. Found at Brad Drell’s place, [url=http://descant.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/fr-brian-cox-to-heal-a-diocese-or-not/ ]To Heal A Diocese Or Not[/url].
Any proposal that starts out, “Step 1) Ms Schori will voluntarily cede some authority…” is a waste of breathe. For her, this is all about power. She prefers to be queen of a mole hill than share power reigning over a mountain.
I realize this is a rather outdated approach. But the traditional method of conflict resolution in Christianity, where the issues have involved matters of Faith that touch on salvation, has been the summoning of a Great and Ecumenical Council. Can Anglicanism rise to a modern Nicean Council? And if not, can Anglicanism credibly retain its claim to being catholic?
If not can [b]YOU[/b] remain a part of just another denomination?
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj4pUphDitA]Orthodox Christianity[/url]: Proclaiming the Truth since 33 AD.
I knew a man, years ago, who was sued by his wife for divorce. He took the letter he had received from her to his priest and asked for advice as to how to answer it. The counselling occurred for a number of sessions.
He did not countersue even if his first thoughts were to do it. He wrote and explained that to her that he had almost similar grounds but begged for a chance to reconcile – at least a year. She was adamant and really got angry when he asked for a cooling down period of a year. (She had to wait awhile before she could marry a person she had waiting in the wings.) The said thing was she found out later that he owed a large debt to the government and had to help pay it off. A short time later she divorced him.
I find this story has some interesting parallels to the current actions of the TEC.