The sad legacy of Krister Stendahl
Krister Stendahl, former dean of the Harvard Divinity School, and one of the leading liberal theologians of the last century, died in Boston last month.
The New York Times published an obituary on April 16.
(Photo credit: James Solheim of the Episcopal News Service took this photo at the consecration of Gene Robinson in 2003. Bishop Krister Stendahl is seated immediately to the right of the then Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold.)
Archbishop Mouneer Anis to go to Lambeth
Dr. Mouneer Anis, Bishop of Egypt with North Africa, has written to explain why he is going to Lambeth –
“I count it a great honour to have been invited to GAFCON.
I appreciate the fact that GAFCON provides an important meeting place for leaders from the South and from the North. I very much understand the frustrations as well as the hopes that led to the organisation of this conference. … I am sorry that I will not be able to be with you at your Conference but I assure you that you will be in my prayers. …
God has spoken to me through the Book of Jonah. So I decided not to withdraw but to go [to Lambeth] and speak the truth, and leave the rest to God. …”
Read the letter at VirtueOnline. (Photo: Episcopal News Service.)
Overview of the teaching of Rowan Williams on Scripture and sexuality
David Phillips, General Secretary of Church Society, summarises a SPREAD report on the theology of Rowan Williams. It’s available as a PDF file and is also published in the current issue of CrossWay.
Read it here. See also this earlier Latimer Trust paper by Garry Williams entitled, “The Theology of Rowan Williams”.
Presiding Bishop’s ‘eyes and ears’ to be at GAFCON?
“Bishop Robert O’Neill of Colorado has agreed to serve as the eyes and ears of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during the upcoming Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) next month in Jerusalem.
Bishop Jefferts Schori announced during an internet press conference May 20 that Bishop O’Neill would be receiving hospitality during the invitation-only conference of traditionalist Anglican leaders from Bishop Suheil Dawani of Jerusalem. Invitations to the conference for bishops of The Episcopal Church were issued through Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. Bishop Duncan is moderator of the Anglican Communion Network.
Although the conference is being held in his diocese, Bishop Dawani is not a member of the GAFCON organizing committee.”
– from The Living Church. The press conference may be seen here.
(Washington-based Anglican blogger BabyBlue has posted her take on the press conference here.)
Post-GAFCON briefing in London
In the wake of GAFCON, a ‘briefing for Incumbents and local Church Leaders’ is being held on July 1st at All Souls, Langham Place in London.
Special guest speakers will be Archbishop Henry Orombi, Archbishop Greg Venables, Archbishop Peter Jensen and Dr Jim Packer.
Details from Anglican Mainstream.
Book Review – In the Eye of the Storm
“Once the Bible’s authority has been discarded, we can redraw the faith as we see fit. And this, unfortunately, is precisely what Robinson does. For example, he appears to draw much of his justification for homosexuality from extra-biblical revelation, including a vision experienced by John Fortunato. Never minding what Scripture says, Fortunato and Robinson claim that visions from God trump the revelation of Scripture. …”
– Tim Challies helpfully reviews Gene Robinson’s much-hyped book “In the Eye of the Storm”.
What (or Who) is missing in VeggieTales?
Have you ever seen the episode of VeggieTales in which the main characters are martyred by anti-Christian terrorists? You know, the one in which Bell Z. Bulb, the giant garlic demon, and Nero Caesar Salad, the tyrannical vegetable dictator, take on the heroes for their faith in Christ. Remember how it ends? Remember the cold dead eyes of Larry the cucumber behind glass, pickled for the sake of the Gospel? …
– Russell Moore, Dean of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reflects on who’s missing in the popular children’s show – and much contemporary preaching. See his article at The Henry Institute website.
(On a lighter note, you might enjoy this.)
GAFCON programme announced
An outline of the programme for the Jerusalem component of GAFCON has been released.
It includes expositions on Genesis 12 (The Promise of God), Exodus 24 (The Presence of God), 2 Samuel 1–17 (The King of God), Luke 24 (The Son of God) and Revelation 21 (The Throne of God).
Further details of the programme are expected soon – on the GAFCON website.
Carson and Horton on Galatians
The audio of the talks from this month’s Clarus conference at Desert Springs Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has now been placed online.
Don Carson and Michael Horton spoke on “Galatians and the Problem of Self Justification”. As well, there are two panel discussions. Very helpful.
See the Desert Springs Church website and click on ‘audio’.
(Thanks to Between Two Worlds.)
Mugabe police target Anglican churches
Armed riot police prevented Harare’s beleagured Anglican congregations from worshipping in their churches on Sunday in defiance of a supreme court order.
Police moved into the gardens of Anglican churches around the city from early morning and senior officers telephoned priests and warned them not to try and hold services yesterday. …
– Report from the UK Telegraph. (Graphic: Anglican Communion Office.)
Adrian Warnock interviews Don Carson
Adrian Warnock interviewed Don Carson about life and ministry while he was at New Word Alive in the UK last month.
Adrian has now placed the video, in two eight minute segments, on YouTube. Part 1. Part 2.
New Dean for Trinity School for Ministry
The Trinity School for Ministry Board of Trustees announced today that the Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry has accepted an enthusiastic call by the board to become the new Dean and President, succeeding the Rt. Rev. Dr. John H. Rodgers, Trinity’s second Dean and President, who left retirement to serve as Interim Dean/President beginning in August 2007.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees the Rev. Canon David Roseberry said, “The Lord has blessed us indeed, as Justyn will assume the awesome responsibility of Trinity’s vital role as a bearer of an orthodox evangelical witness in North America.” …
– from Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania – one of the very few conservative Anglican seminaries in North America.
Brian McLaren ‘invited to participate’ at Lambeth
Brian McLaren, one of the leaders of the emerging church movement, has now confirmed that he has been “invited to participate in the Lambeth Conference” to speak on “evangelism/disciple-making”.
Matt Kennedy, who broke the news at Stand Firm, comments,
We ought not be naive with regard to Brian McLaren’s invitation to Lambeth… He will be there to tell the assembled bishops just how hazy, foggy, undefined, and ultimately, unresolvable the question of homosexual behaviour really is and why nothing ought to be done until at least 2016.
For some responses to McLaren’s theology, see Mark Dever’s review of Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christian – at IX Marks – and Al Mohler’s 2005 article What Should We Think of the Emerging Church? part 2. (Photo: brianmclaren.net.)
Archbishop of Uganda responds
The Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, has responded to this letter from TEC Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts Schori, accusing him of an “unwarranted incursion into The Episcopal Church”.
“I am not visiting a church in the Diocese of Georgia. …
Your selective quoting of the Windsor Report is stunning in its arrogance and condescension. …
You and your House of Bishops rejected outright the Pastoral Scheme painstakingly devised in Dar es Salaam, and to which you agreed. You have, therefore, left us no choice but to continue to respond to the cries of God’s faithful people in America for episcopal oversight that upholds and promotes historic, biblical Anglicanism. …”
Read Archbishop Orombi’s full letter below – Read more
Inaugural Queen’s Birthday Convention
St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney is hosting the inaugural Queen’s Birthday Convention on Monday June 9th.
It’s the sequel to this year’s Australia Day Convention in which Phillip Jensen expounded Mark 1–8. The series will conclude with talks on Mark 9–16.
You can register – and also hear and see the last talk (on Mark 8) from the Australia Day Convention – at the QBC website.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…