Together in Love & Faith? Should the Church Bless Same-Sex Partnerships? A Response to the Bishop of Oxford

Posted on November 4, 2022 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars, Theology

From The Latimer Trust in the UK, here’s a very helpful response from Vaughan Roberts to the announcement from the Bishop of Oxford that he now supports the blessing of same-sex relationships.

The Latimer Trust:

“Writing from his own experience of same-sex attraction, Vaughan Roberts responds to the Bishop of Oxford’s argument that the Church of England should change its doctrine and practice in relation to same-sex relationships.

He outlines the beauty and goodness of the Bible’s teaching on sex and marriage, as traditionally understood, and calls for it to be upheld with sensitivity and pastoral wisdom.”

The booklet is available now as a free PDF download, and printed copies will be available shortly.

Vaughan Roberts begins:

“In his essay, Together in Love and Faith, Bishop Steven Croft explains how he came to change his mind concerning committed same-sex partnerships and argues that they should now be fully recognised and celebrated by the Church. He also proposes a settlement, which would provide for differentiation of provision and oversight for those who could not support this change. Given that he makes it clear that he writes self-consciously as a bishop, his arguments will no doubt receive careful attention, not least in his own diocese. As an incumbent in Oxford, I feel a sense of responsibility to explain why I, along with many others in the diocese, do not agree with him that the Church should change its position on this matter. I do, however, believe that elements of the second part of his proposal offer a hopeful basis for a potential way forward for the Church of England out of the present unsatisfactory situation. …”

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