News Analysis
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
6/4/2009
The president of The Episcopal Church's unofficial pansexual advocacy organization, Integrity, is livid over secrecy surrounding a study group working on the theology of same-gender relationships.
The Rev. Susan Russell said in a June 2 statement that keeping the names of the theologians secret was "the height of absurdity and insult." She said that secrecy makes the project "suspect, disingenuous and dishonest."
Russell said that a secret study "sends a horrific message to gay and lesbian people -- both inside and outside the church" and is "utterly contrary to our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being. "A 'closeted' sub-committee studying same-sex unions seems too bizarre a thing to even make it into a Monty Python episode, much less be a course intentionally taken by a church that committed to full and equal claim for its gay and lesbian baptized 33 years ago," roared Russell.
She cited Resolution A167 from the 2006 meeting of General Convention, which reiterated the church's 1997 apology to "its members who are gay or lesbian, and to lesbians and gay men outside the Church, for years of rejection and maltreatment by the Church."
Undaunted, Bishop Henry Parsley, (Alabama) chair of the House of Bishops Theology Committee, fired back saying, "We believe that for a season the work can best be accomplished by allowing the panel to work in confidence. This supports the full collegiality and academic freedom of the theologians and provides the space they need for the deep dialogue and reflection that is taking place among them."
He concluded by saying that it has always been the committee's intention to publish the names of the panel when the work reaches the appropriate stage.
Parsley was forced to go public after two advocacy groups called for the theology committee to make the names public and to explain why more study of the issue was needed.
The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, co-convener of the Chicago Consultation, said that her organization was "saddened that the House of Bishops Theology Committee has chosen to begin this important scholarly work without making public the names of the bishops, theologians and scholars who are serving on this panel."
A committee of the House of Bishops Theology requested the study, which is described as "designed to reflect a full spectrum of views and to be a contribution to the Listening Process of the Anglican Communion, as well as to the discussion of this subject in our province." The report calls the study "a long-term, multi-step project" designed to be completed in 2011.
However, the names of those on the committee were not included calling forth outrage from Russell and Meyers, though Meyers did so in gentler tones.
Parsley was forced to put out a fuller statement saying that the panel of theologians "very intentionally represents a robust range of views on the subject and includes gay and lesbian persons."
He also said it is the committee's intention to publish the names of the panel when the work has reached the appropriate stage.
"This project is designed to articulate theologically a full range of views on the matter of same sex relationships in the church's life and to foster better understanding and respectful discernment among us. It will also be a contribution to the listening process of the larger Communion. It has several stages and is scheduled to be complete by early 2011. We are grateful to the distinguished theologians for their generous service to the church."
Parsley concluded saying that any member of the church who wishes to address the panel should send comments to the Theology Committee. "We will see that these are communicated to the theologians to enrich their reflection and dialogue."
It should be noted that the members of the theology committee called together during the 2007-2009 triennium includes the following names: Bishop David A. Alvarez, Diocese of Puerto Rico; Bishop John C. Bauerschmidt, Diocese of Tennessee; Bishop Joe G. Burnett, Diocese of Nebraska; Ellen T. Charry, associate professor of systematic and historical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary; the Rev. Dr. Sathianathan Clarke, theology professor at Wesley Theological Seminary; Stephen E. Fowl, chair of the theology department at Loyola University in Maryland; the Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb, professor of New Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary; retired Diocese of Maryland Bishop Robert W. Ihloff; Charles T. Mathewes, associate professor of religious ethics and the history of Christian thought at the University of Virginia; Dr. Joy A. McDougall, associate professor of systematic theology at Candler School of Theology; Diocese of Milwaukee Bishop Steven A. Miller; and Dr. Kathryn Tanner, professor of theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Interestingly, all these are people who stand squarely on the left flank of the church on moral matters, so why Russell feels the need to beat them up when everyone knows how this will turn out defies the imagination.
Not one of the above named persons will make the case for orthodoxy on sexuality issues except perhaps to mention in passing that while the Bible affirms marriage between a man and a woman, it, and they will conclude, that God's unfolding revelation requires expansion to include persons called to different sexual couplings. They will cite previous General Convention resolutions, listen politely to the odd person who turns up from an ex-gay ministry to offer a biblical perspective, but they will conclude that the church's direction to bless same-sex unions and offer rites is in complete accord with the new religion of The Episcopal Church.
END
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