The Anglican Communion has deep variations over homosexuality, however a strategy of dialogue has helped maintain contradictory beliefs collectively

Up to now six months, lots of of congregations voted to go away the United Methodist Church over same-sex marriage and whether or not LGBTQ+ folks needs to be clergy.

The Church of England, the unique and largest member of the Anglican Communion – the third-largest Christian denomination worldwide – held a Basic Synod in London in February 2024 that debated such points. Bishops, monks and laypeople from each diocese of the Church of England voted down a number of amendments that opposed liturgical same-sex blessings, and so they basically agreed to disagree on the problems. Individuals ended discussions early, concluding it was “too quickly” to undoubtedly resolve these points.

With over 80 million believers in 160 international locations, the Anglican Communion has been grappling with LGBTQ+ points because the Nineteen Seventies.

Congregations and church management disagree on whether or not homosexuality is opposite to Christian scripture; whether or not clergy can carry out same-sex marriages; and whether or not brazenly and energetic LGBTQ+ folks needs to be ordained to the priesthood and as bishops.

As a scholar specializing in historical past of the Christianity and gender research, I can attest that the Anglican Communion’s prolonged, unresolved dialogue will not be so uncommon. It’s a long-standing course of for navigating disputes known as the “by way of media,” or center means, which has so far succeeded in holding collectively folks with contradictory beliefs.

Controversies within the Anglican Communion

For many years, diverging factors of view over homosexuality and rumors of schism have each confused and polarized believers within the world Anglican Communion. Conservative bishops, many serving in Africa, Asia and Latin America, have repeatedly emphasised that partaking in same-sex relations is opposite to scripture.

That is half of a bigger wrestle throughout the Anglican Communion to renegotiate imbalances of energy and authority left over from the colonial period of the British Empire. British Commonwealth and North American church buildings – such because the Church of England and the U.S.-based Episcopal Church – traditionally dominated discussions of Biblical interpretation, liturgy and church coverage.

Within the twenty first century, these church buildings nonetheless have many of the cash within the Anglican Communion, however congregational numbers are dwindling. On the similar time, congregations in Africa, Asia and Latin America are rising. The Church of Nigeria is the second-largest and fastest-growing church within the Anglican Communion. Leaders of those church buildings anticipate a better voice within the communion.

A majority of church leaders in Africa, Asia and Latin America imagine that gay monks shouldn’t be consecrated as bishops and that same-sex marriages shouldn’t be celebrated. As Archbishop of Uganda Livingstone Mpalanyi-Nkoyoyo summed up in 1998 (a place reiterated by conservative leaders for over 25 years): “We’re all fairly clear that training homosexuality is incorrect. That’s the orthodox Anglican place.” Views like these carry nice weight within the Anglican Communion, even as we speak.

Moreover, some bishops and believers in Europe, North America and Australia agree and have aligned themselves with conservatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However they continue to be throughout the Anglican Communion.

In the meantime, some progressive bishops have argued that when correctly interpreted, scripture permits for full inclusion of LGBTQ+ folks in church management and rituals.

The Episcopal Church within the U.S. has ordained brazenly homosexual bishops – most controversially Gene Robinson, former Bishop of New Hampshire, in 2003. In 2015, the Episcopal Church and a few Canadian dioceses authorised the celebration of same-sex marriages.

In 2016, the primates – probably the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion – voted to droop the Episcopal Church from decision-making on Anglican governance and coverage for 3 years.

The by way of media

Regardless of such heated conflicts, the Anglican Communion holds collectively by the by way of media. By way of media was first talked about by English reformers who broke from the Roman Catholic Church within the sixteenth century. King Henry VIII wished his marriage to his queen, Catherine of Aragon, annulled, however Pope Clement VII, the queen’s nephew, refused.

Subsequently, England created its personal nationwide church. It’s this Church of England that finally unfold globally with the British Empire to change into the Anglican Communion.

Early church leaders had been influenced by Aristotle’s encouragement of a Golden Imply, a center path, between vice and advantage, avoiding extremes when making selections about non secular change. Main reformers equivalent to Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury in the course of the reigns of three English monarchs, noticed themselves strolling a by way of media between the concepts of Roman Catholicism and Protestant reformers equivalent to Martin Luther and John Calvin.

For instance, when contemplating the position of fine works, reformers sought a center path between what they noticed as Catholicism’s overreliance on good works as the trail to salvation and Protestant reformers’ insistence that good works in and of themselves didn’t produce salvation. They navigated a path between the 2 dominant religion traditions within the turbulent years of the Reformation in Europe.

Within the nineteenth century, by way of media grew to become a mind-set about inside, fairly than exterior, challenges, equivalent to resolving debates over learn how to interpret scripture. An argument over theological points and the right method to perceive the meanings inside scripture was threatening world Anglican unity midcentury, a lot as is happening over homosexuality as we speak. Most notably, John Colenso, bishop of Natal in South Africa, sparked dispute when he questioned theological points equivalent to whether or not receiving Holy Communion was vital in an effort to be saved.

The primary convention for such discussions was convened in 1867 at Lambeth Palace in London. There was to be no rule-making. Bishops had been to debate variations, share insights and reinforce group throughout divisions however with out the authority to impose their views on any others. The Lambeth Conferences have been convened roughly each 10 years since, most not too long ago in 2022.

The by way of media’s effectiveness was evident in 1998 when the convention handed Decision I.10, which outlined homosexuality as opposite to scripture however prevented a schism. The convention used shared ritual to strengthen bishops’ communal bonds and non secular mission, equivalent to becoming a member of within the intimate act of ritually washing each other’s toes. Bishops prioritized unity and agreed that their decision wouldn’t be the top of the dialogue. They known as for using new information to revisit and presumably reinterpret the church’s conventional understandings of scripture.

Holding collectively

It’s this understanding of by way of media, I argue, that’s holding the Anglican Communion collectively so far. It doesn’t seek advice from fence-sitting or discovering a palatable center floor or compromise place. As an alternative, it seeks to incorporate folks with deeply held however opposite beliefs throughout the similar church by widespread worship and life.

The by way of media is not simple or comfy, however members of the Anglican Communion seem dedicated to remaining on the desk to date. The Church of England, for instance, made plans for negotiations between folks holding differing viewpoints earlier than the Synod meets once more in July 2024.

As the present Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has famous: “Actually I would like reconciliation, however reconciliation doesn’t all the time imply settlement – in actual fact, it very seldom does. It means discovering methods to disagree properly.”

(Lisa McClain, Professor of Historical past and Gender Research, Boise State College. The views expressed on this commentary don’t essentially mirror these of Faith Information Service.)