THE LIVING CHURCH Provides the Most Thoughtful, Faithful, and Regular Engagement with This Reality Available.” —The Rev

The Living Christ of El Salvador Jesus’ Wife? Reclaiming Advent THE October 21, 2012 LIVING CHURCH CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL Anglican World Mission Issue $3.50 livingchurch.org Better Together An Experience of Cuba “Anglicanism’s global reach in missionary endeavor and Christian witness is a central reality of modern Christianity; and the contemporary world’s challenges of diversity and cultural change are central to Anglicanism’s ongoing life. THE LIVING CHURCH provides the most thoughtful, faithful, and regular engagement with this reality available.” —The Rev. Ephraim Radner, Professor of Historical Theology Wycliffe College, University of Toronto THE LIVING CHURCH Articles, reviews, and commentary by North Americans and global Anglicans from catholic, evangelical, and ecumenical perspectives ONE-YEAR print subscription $45 ONE-YEAR online subscription $35 Call 1-800-211-2771 or visit livingchurch.org Foreign rates and sample copies also available. THE LIVING CHURCH Young people from New York work in Cuban fields. Michael Pollack photo THIS ISSUE | October 21, 2012 Cuban Transformation NEWS 4 Archbishop Nominations Stall “Over several days we planted banana, plantain, and coconut trees in fields of yucca and sweet potato, FEATURES painted and varnished the church interior, and dug 8 Better Together: An Experience of Cuba holes for new fence posts. … As the days passed, it By E.P. Licursi and Michael A. Bird became apparent that any work we accomplished would be matched and likely surpassed by the 10 The Living Christ of El Salvador Christ-inspired hospitality of our hosts” (see “Bet- By Anne Thatcher ter Together,” p. 8). 13 What Are We Waiting For? Reclaiming Advent for Time to Come By William H. Petersen 15 Dreams Come to Life By Lauren Anderson BOOKS 18 Real Austin by Annie Vocature Bullock Review by Douglas Travis 18 Magdalene House by Sarah VanHooser Suiter Review by Joanna Seibert 10 19 By Divine Permission by Janet Goodridge Review by Peter Eaton 20 Good and Bad Ways to Think about Religion and Politics by Robert Benne Review by Jordan Hylden 21 The Obama Question by Gary Dorrien Review by Timothy F. Sedgwick CATHOLIC VOICES 22 A Fragment is a Fragment By A.K.M. Adam 24 Missionspeak Decoded 22 By George Sumner OTHER DEPARTMENTS ALIVING CHURCH Sponsor 26 Letters We are grateful to All Souls Anglican Foundation, 28 Sunday’s Readings Oklahoma City [p. 29], whose generous support helped make this issue possible. 30 People & Places The Living Church is published by the Living Church Foundation. Our historic mission in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion is to seek and serve the Catholic and evangelical faith of the one Church, to the end of visible Christian unity throughout the world. October 21, 2012 • THE LIVING CHURCH 3 NEWS | October 21, 2012 Archbishop Nominations Stall How deep is the deadlock as the member made anti-Sentamu possible to reduce the list to Crown Nominations Commission views known in a forceful two candidates and face an continues to work toward recom- manner. Sentamu’s stance impasse. A simple majority mending a successor for the Arch- on sexuality could be one (9-7) is not sufficient,” he bishop of Canterbury? What looked possible reason; lack of pop- writes. like a fairly uncomplicated process ularity among some com- “If six members are — the Commission choosing a name mission members may be unwilling to vote for a can- and an alternate for Prime Minister another. didate, members keep vot- David Cameron to place before There are suggestions Welby ing until a candidate has Queen Elizabeth II for her approval that the six Canterbury rep- 11 votes and if that does — has stalled. Some headlines are resentatives voting in soli- not happen then deadlock even saying a decision could be darity could block a partic- has been reached.” Then “months” away, with the succession ular candidate or even stall in order to obtain a second still undecided when Archbishop the entire process. Chartres name voting begins all Rowan Williams leaves office at the is rumoured to have told over again (without the end of the year. friends he is out of the reck- elected candidate and with Speculation is rife. Ruth Gledhill, oning. While he recently sig- the possibility that six Sentamu religion correspondent for The Times, nalled willingness to ordain members could stall the believes the commission has settled women as priests and take process). on Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham, part in consecrating women It’s not entirely clear but is undecided between John Sen- as bishops, his earlier stance what would happen in the tamu, Archbishop of York, and Gra- could still be held against event of an insoluble dead- ham James, Bishop of Norwich, as him, particularly by Canter- lock. The most extreme the second name to be sent to the bury representatives. They scenario would be disso- Prime Minister. Earlier Jonathan include Clare Edwards, lution of the CNC and an Wynne Jones of the Sunday Tele- canon pastor at Canterbury James appointment of new mem- graph tweeted that the commission Cathedral, who is influential bers. It may call upon the had “ruled out” Richard Chartres, in the campaign for women in the mediation skills of Cameron to sort Bishop of London, and there had episcopate. something out. In 1987 Prime Minis- been “strong opposition” to Sentamu. Further, in a close vote the role of ter Margaret Thatcher provided the Without doubt members of the Barry Morgan (the Archbishop of only known example of overturning commission are sworn to offer “no Wales, representing the primates of a church nomination when she pre- comment” to media questions, but the Communion) would be crucial, ferred Mark Santer to James Thomp- Gledhill is a streetwise reporter either in supporting or blocking a son as Bishop of Birmingham. This who “called” the Rowan Williams candidate. kind of intervention is unlikely. appointment correctly ahead of offi- The electoral process has proved There are rumblings, however, that cial announcements. She will have to be more complex than many leaving such an important decision contacted several members of the expected. Writing on the Fulcrum to a small group meeting in secret is commission and one or two of the website, London theologian the Rev. arcane and an open election would less experienced could have deliv- Andrew Goddard says that in a close be preferable. But that is an unlikely ered a vital cue revealing the chosen contest a 16-member commission future prospect, not a present real- name. could be hard put to achieve the ity. If there is substance to the tweet required two-thirds majority. Meanwhile, being an acknowl- signalling “strong opposition” to “The vote takes place by succes- edged candidate for Canterbury has Sentamu, it suggests the Archbishop sive secret ballots with the bottom thrust the Bishop of Durham into of York is not amongst the “also candidate being eliminated. Cru- the media spotlight. He is related to rans.” It probably means a section of cially, however, a candidate needs a former Conservative Deputy Prime the commission or perhaps just one to get 2/3 of the vote so it is quite Minister, Lord Richard Austen “Rab” Visit livingchurch.org for daily reports of news about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. 4 THE LIVING CHURCH • October 21, 2012 Butler, and as a Cambridge under- This Far by Faith graduate signed up as a Christian Tradition and Change in the Episcopal Diocese Union member, which positions him of Pennsylvania among evangelicals. He left a Edited by David R. Contosta £100,000 annual salary with Enter- With telling detail and compelling narrative the prise Oil to enter the ministry and essays in This Far by Faith track the origins and his previous church posts include evolution of an important diocese that charted a being co-director for the Interna- middle way for American Christianity over four tional Ministry Centre at Coventry centuries. Throughout the book the authors show a Cathedral, succeeding the colourful diocese struggling with such varied but intersecting “Vicar of Baghdad,” Andrew White. issues as a changing geographical and demographic In 1991 the Church of England compass race doctrinal disputes discipline and skipped a generation which included personality. This Far by Faith opens the red door to options such as Richard Harries the whole church from pulpit to pews. In doing so it (Oxford) and the former test crick- provides a most sensitive and sensible examination eter David Sheppard (Liverpool) and of a diocese as a living organism. It also provides instead plucked a little-known bishop a model for writing church history hereafter. It is from the west of England to succeed then a book that transcends its subject and invites Robert Runcie. Archbishop George anyone interested in American religion to consider Carey had less than three years expe- its method and meaning. —Randall M. Miller rience as a diocesan. Should Welby St. Josephs University emerge as Archbishop of Canterbury pages | illustrations | $. cloth he will have spent less than half that time as Bishop of Durham. In times long gone, when choos- pennstatepress ing an Archbishop of Canterbury was the sole prerogative of the N. University Drive USB Suite C | University Park PA | [email protected] British Monarch, he or she was said .. | to have carried out this task as the representative of the laity. In 2012 the commission consists of four bishops, five clergy and seven laypersons. Their chairman is Lord Evensong (Richard) Luce, a former Conserva- tive Cabinet Minister. The Anglican Communion is represented by Arch- BY BROOKS FIRESTONE bishop Morgan as a voting member Evensong and the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, Just published, is a new book about Secretary General, present as an discovery, love and the power of church choir adviser.

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