\u201cNot enough conservatives; theology too liberal\u201d\u009d, says lesbian participant in Shared Conversations
One of the initial reflections to come out of the first regional Shared Conversations is an excellent piece from the musician and blogger Rose Grigg
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\nRose appreciated the opportunity for people on opposites sides of the theological and ethical divides to really get to know each other and hear each other. However she has serious concerns about the process as well. Firstly, the Conversations appear light on theology:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere wasn\u2019t enough time to get into the nitty gritty of the Biblical texts, or to dig into the \u201d\u02dcissues behind the issues\u2019: our approaches to scripture, what is sin, what is truth, what is salvation.\u201d\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Secondly, there was an assumption that \u201d\u02dcgood disagreement\u2019 was the right outcome: \u201cWe hadn\u2019t answered the question of exactly what we were disagreeing on; or whether that disagreement was something we could live with, or something which was so definitive that a split had to happen.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Thirdly, there was theological bias: \u201cthe process was geared towards those of a more liberal standpoint \u201d\u201c those who were more likely to agree that the church could coexist with different theologies.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Lastly, \u201cthere weren\u2019t enough conservatives\u201d\u009d. Rose herself was assumed to be conservative as she identifies as evangelical. \u201cIt\u2019s not his [the Bishop\u2019s] fault I happen to be\u201d\u00a6a flag-waving, rainbow-wearing lesbian.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Here is a report from someone who could embody more and more the future of the C of E as envisioned by its current leaders: young, talented and committed to Christ, but coming to radically different conclusions about Christ\u2019s teachings and his demands in ways that align more with the grain of contemporary culture and one\u2019s own self understanding and identity. If even she finds the process of the Shared Conversations too skewed away from a historic, conservative understanding of faith, this is yet more evidence of what Dr Martin Davie has called<\/a> \u201ca deeply flawed process supported by deeply flawed resources. They are in fact an object lesson of how a church should not go about handling a serious theological issue.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n