February 7, 2016 the LIV ING CHURCH CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL
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Editorial: Catholicity and Apostolicity Hill Reviews Wright New TLC Partners February 7, 2016 THE LIV ING CHURCH CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL Primates at Canterbury $5.50 livingchurch.org Lent Book Mission among Addicts Theologians on Future Ministry Teaching Children Pray, Forgive, Love Gift Ideas Primates’ Meeting Designated Tithing Magnificat Reflections C.S. Lewis January 3, 2016 December 20, 2015 November 15, 2015 THE THE THE LIVING CHURCH LIVING CHURCH LIVING CHURCH CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL CATHOLIC EVANGELICAL ECUMENICAL “O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light” (BCP, p. 212). Special insert $5.50 livingchurch.org Baptized into his Name $5.50 livingchurch.org Parish Administration $5.50 livingchurch.org Book & Gift St. John the Evangelist, St. Paul, Minnesota Don’t miss another issue. Subscribe now to THE LIVING CHURCH SPeCiAL Offer fOr new SuBSCriBerS One YeAr—$29.95 (SAve 45%) name Address City State Zip Telephone email enclosed is my: q Check q viSA/MC/AMX Credit Card # 3-digit SeC code exp. date Credit Card Amount $ Signature Mail to: The Living ChurCh Subscriptions P.O. Box 84 Congers, new York 10920-0084 Call: 800.211.2771. | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (eastern) weekdays THE LIVING CHURCH ON THE COVER THIS ISSUE February 7, 2016 “[T]he unanimous decision of the primates | NEWS was to walk together, however painful this is, 4 Three-Year Timeout for Episcopalians and despite our differences, as a deep expres- sion of our unity in the body of Christ” — 5 Addendum A of the Communiqué From the primates’ communiqué (see 6 Responses to the Communiqué “Three-Year Timeout for Episcopalians,” p. 4). Curry: Disappointed but Pressing On Primates 2016 photo BOOKS 10 On First Principles I Review by Christopher A. Beeley 11 The Ransom of the Soul I Review by Kevin Dodge 12 Problems of Christian Leadership Review by R. Leigh Spruill 12 The Wisdom of the Beguines Review by Hannah Matis Perett 13 Paul and the Faithfulness of God Review by Wesley Hill 9 16 Spiritual Friendship I Review by Natalie Robertson 17 The Ox-Herder and the Good Shepherd Review by Michael Tessman EDITORIAL 19 Catholicity, Apostolicity: Come on Down ANNUAL HONORS 21 2015 Living Church Donors OTHER DEPARTMENTS 17 25 People & Places 26 Sunday’s Readings We are grateful to St. David’s Church, Wayne [p. 25], and the Cathedral Church of All IVING HURCH L C Partners Saints, Milwaukee [p. 27], whose generous support helped make this issue possible. 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. news | February 7, 2016 Three-Year Timeout for Episcopalians The Primates’ Meeting in Canterbury has suspended the Episcopal Church from full participation in the Anglican Communion. Effective for three years, the deci - sion prohibits the Episcopal Church from representing the Communion at interfaith and ecumenical bodies or commissions. It will be denied a place on the Communion’s Standing Com - mittee and will not vote at the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. It is likewise suspended from Anglican decision-making on issues of doctrine or polity. The motion, approved Jan. 14, asks the Archbishop of Canterbury to ap - A press conference after the Primates’ Meeting featured Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, general secretary of the point a task group to explore how re - Anglican Communion, and Archbishops Thabo Makgoba, Justin Welby, and Paul Kwong. Primates 2016 photo lations in the Communion can be re - stored and mutual trust can be rebuilt between member churches divided by Episcopal Church as “recognizing the The primates will meet again in 2017 “deep differences.” need for mutual accountability on and 2019. They support Archbishop Media managers at Canterbury re - matters of doctrine within the family Welby’s plan that the Lambeth Confer - leased the statement ahead of their of the Communion.” ence meet again in 2020. planned schedule, following an appar - The suspension did not extend to The communiqué noted the pri - ent leak ahead of an official briefing the Anglican Church of Canada. mates’ discussion of several other con - the next day. The primates then re - It also emerged Jan. 14 that the Most cerns for the Anglican Communion: leased a full communiqué, “Walking Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Archbishop of • “The consideration of the required Together in the Service of God in the Uganda, left the meeting on the after - application for admission to member - World” (bit.ly/1Kn0lBL). The initial noon of Jan. 12. ship of the Communion of the Angli - statement became Addendum A of the “I moved a resolution that asked the can Church of North America was rec - communiqué. Episcopal Church USA and the Angli - ognized as properly belonging to the “Over the past week the unanimous can Church of Canada to voluntarily Anglican Consultative Council. The decision of the primates was to walk withdraw from the meeting and other primates recognize that such an appli - together, however painful this is, and Anglican Communion activities until cation, were it to come forward, despite our differences, as a deep ex - they repented of their decisions that would raise significant questions of pression of our unity in the body of have torn the fabric of the Anglican polity and jurisdiction.” Christ,” the primates wrote. “We Communion at its deepest level,” The Most Rev. Foley Beach, arch - looked at what that meant in practical Archbishop Ntagali said in a state - bishop of the ACNA, participated in terms.” ment. “I have left the meeting in Can - the Primates’ Meeting. Archbishop The Most Rev. Mouneer Anis, pri - terbury, but I want to make it clear Welby said he did not know whether mate of Jerusalem and the Middle that we are not leaving the Anglican Beach would attend the meeting again East, praised the resolution’s purpose: Communion.” in the future. “We affirmed with [an] overwhelming While affirming the Church’s doc - • “In the wake of the climate change majority the traditional and biblical trine of marriage, the primates also re - conference in Paris [in December], the teaching of marriage, which is be - iterated their longstanding condemna - meeting heard about a petition of al - tween a man and a woman for life.” tion of prejudice and violence based most two million signatures co-coor - In a statement, the Global Anglican on sexual orientation, resolved to offer dinated by the Anglican Environment Future Conference welcomed the pastoral care and service irrespective Network. Reports were made about presence of the Anglican Church in of orientation, and renewed their re - moves to divest from fossil fuels, the North America’s archbishop at Can - jection of criminal sanctions against expansion of the African deserts and terbury and the action against the people who feel same-sex attraction. the struggle for survival of the peoples 4 THe LIVInG CHURCH • February 7, 2016 The Crucifixion of the Pacific as island life is threat - developments have caused further Understanding the Death ened in many places by the rise of sea deep pain throughout our Commun - of Jesus Christ levels.” ion. Fleming Rutledge • “The meeting discussed the reality 4. The traditional doctrine of the of religiously motivated violence and church in view of the teaching of its impact on people and communities Scripture, upholds marriage as be - throughout the world. Primates living tween a man and a woman in faithful, in places where such violence is a lifelong union. The majority of those daily reality spoke movingly and pas - gathered reaffirm this teaching. sionately about their circumstances 5. In keeping with the consistent po - and the effect on their members.” sition of previous Primates’ Meetings • “The primates look forward to such unilateral actions on a matter of the proposal being brought to the An - doctrine without Catholic unity is con - glican Consultative Council for com - sidered by many of us as a departure prehensive child protection measures from the mutual accountability and in - “In this amazingly complex but to be available throughout all the terdependence implied through being clear book Fleming Rutledge goes churches of the Communion.” in relationship with each other in the deftly where few seem willing to • “In a presentation on evangelism, Anglican Communion. go — to the variety of imagi- the primates rejoiced that the Church 6. Such actions further impair our nations shaping early Christian of Jesus Christ lives to bear witness to communion and create a deeper mis - explorations of the significance the transforming power of the love of trust between us. This results in sig - of Jesus’ death. She is one of the God in Jesus Christ.” nificant distance between us and few theologians who not only “We commit ourselves through places huge strains on the functioning preach inclusivism but practice it evangelism to proclaim the person and of the Instruments of Communion and by inviting all points of view into work of Jesus Christ, unceasingly and the ways in which we express our his - the discussion.” authentically, inviting all to embrace toric and ongoing relationships. — SCOT MCKNIGHT the beauty and joy of the Gospel,” the 7. It is our unanimous desire to walk primates wrote. “We rely entirely on together. However given the serious - “Penetrating and unflinching in its insistence on