A friend who is deeply read in Anglican history and theology predicted that Lambeth 2008 would give a negative response to gay and lesbian people on the matter of their full inclusion in the life and orders of the church and that at Lambeth 2018 the discussion would be about banning women priests and bishops. So far his prediction has come fairly accurately true. On this most perplexing matter dividing our communion, the Lambeth\u2019s Reflections do not even clearly call for continuing dialogue and listening to gay and lesbian people\u201d\u201ddespite the resolutions of Lambeth 1998.<\/p>\n
From a theological perspective, the finest documents to emerge from this Lambeth Conference were the Archbishop of Canterbury\u2019s presidential addresses, but it is also clear that many of the other addresses were rich in theological content (eg. the Chief Rabbi\u2019s lecture on Covenant). From an ecclesiological perspective, his decision to make this Lambeth a conference has been, in my view, a major step forward. The Reflections document issued at the end is by its very nature vague, and reflective of the multiplicity of positions on most of the questions that perplex us. This may be a healthy stage of conversation; it offers us all a clearer picture of the range of diversity and contexts in which we seek to live our mission.<\/p>\n
More depressing, in my view, is that despite all protestations to the contrary and arguments about confrontation with Islam in Africa and elsewhere, the evangelical side of Anglicanism is leading us more and more toward a form of Christianity which is simply another variant of fundamentalist Islam….<\/p>\n