The People's Front of Canterbury

So, apparently, bishop Schofield of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin -- who is a member of the province of the Southern Cone in a diocese which is in the Southern Cone in a geographic area which has no other Canterbury Anglican diocese (other than the canonically illegal one imposed by Donnette Schorlione) ... and who is also, technically, still a member of PEcUSA's HoB, his resignation having been rejected and his deposition being uncanonical -- can't come to Lambeth.

I understand that Bishop John-David Schofield has been accepted as a full member of the episcopal fellowship of the Province of the Southern Cone within the Anglican Communion and as such cannot be regarded as having withdrawn from the Anglican Communion. However, it is acknowledged that his exact status (especially given the complications surrounding the congregations associated with him) remains unclear on the basis of the general norms of Anglican Canon Law, and this constitutes one of the issues on which we hope for assistance from the Windsor Continuation Group.

Even though he got a formal and official invite, and even though he was planning on coming, he's now being told that if he come he will be uninvited and, to graciously keep matters from escalating, has changed his plans. I.e. he's been told "we'll continue to invite you as long as you promise not to come."

Sort of VGR in reverse, I guess, who has been encouraged to come precisely because he is not invited.

But don't worry, the anomalies which have precipitated this last-minute complication are being addressed at the highest level... by the (... wait for it ...) Windsor Continuation Group. Oh, well, I know that I'm relived now, given the sterling track-record of effectiveness and influence the Windsor process has had to date! I'm sure bishop Schofield will rest easier knowing that the W.C.G. is on the case!


Still, this creates a whole new "measure" of Anglican identity. Perhaps it's time to summarize what the various "measures" are, some combination of which is used to determine "who's a 'real' Anglican"... and, of course, a whole lot of different combinations are used by different people.

1. Recognizably Anglican and Christian in Faith and Order:

• anglocatholic (Affirmation Continuing Churches and a few others)
• angloprotestant (most of GAFCon)
• angloindeterminate (APA, REC, etc)

Those who don't count are the angloapostates, like PEcUSA

2. Part of an official national Lambeth jurisdiction

• in a jurisdiction and in its traditional boundaries
• in a jurisdiction but not in its traditional boundaries (e.g. CANA)

Then there are those not in such a Lambeth jurisdiction (Continuing Churches)

3. Acknowledged as members of the 'Anglican Communion' by Canterbury

4. Invited to Lambeth

5. Members of GAFCon

• in a jurisdiction which has signed up
• signed up as an individual (lay or clergy) but in a jurisdiction which hasn't signed up
• signed up but in a jurisdiction which is expressly barred from the GAFCon fellowship

All in contrast to those who haven't signed up (e.g. +Wright, ++Williams)


By my count, that makes 191 different possibilities (plus the zero case). And I think most of them are instantiated. To pick a few examples:

+Schofield (Southern Cone)

1. anglocatholic
2. in a national jurisdiction but not in traditional boundaries
3. recognized by Canterbury
4. effectively not invited to Lambeth
5. GAFCon member in a GAFCon jurisdiction

+VGR (PEcUSA)

1. angloapostate
2. in a national jurisdiction and in its traditional boundaries
3. recognized by Canterbury
4. not invited to Lambeth (which is why he's going)
5. non-GAFCon member

+Duncan (PEcUSA)

1. angloprotestant
2. in a national jurisdiction and in its traditional boundaries
3. recognized by Canterbury
4. invited to Lambeth
5. GAFCon member but in a jurisdiction anathematized by GAFCon

+Rodgers (AMiA)

• anglocatholic (?)
• in a national jurisdiction but not in its traditional boundaries
• not really recognized by Canterbury
• Not invited to Lambeth
• GAFCon member

+Wright (CoE)

• angloindeterminate (?)
• in a national jurisdiction and traditional boundaries
• recognized by Canterbury
• invited to Lambeth
• non-GAFCon member

+Gadsen (REC)

• angloindeterminate
• not in a national Lambeth jurisdiction
• not recognized by Canterbury
• not invited to Lambeth
• GAFCon member

+Haverland (ACC)

• anglocatholic
• not in a national Lambeth jurisdiction
• not recognized by Canterbury
• not invited to Lamveth
• not a GAFCon member

(.. and yet, oddly enough, of all the people listed above, +Haverland and his jurisdiction's theology, liturgy and practice would be, of all these men, the most recognizably Anglican to the first generations of Anglicans as well as many thereafter. Go figure.)


Anyway, that's 7 of the possible configurations. I leave finding examples of the other 184 possibilities as an exercise for the readers... :-)

Episcopal church condems mathematics

Back in March, Dr. Schori arranged for the depositions of bishops Cox and Schofield with a novel interpretation of the canons under which, as Chris Johnson on the MCJ blog pointed out, a "majority of bishops eligible to vote" could be re-defined as 21%.

In celebration of this novel interpretation, I bring you the following item of interest:


Breaking News

The Episcopal church announced today that it has determined that mathematics is contrary to its mission and the "new thing" it is doing, and so is to be excluded from all further Episcopal deliberations and judgements.

"Mathematics, with its insistence upon right and wrong, true and false, is contrary to the true meaning of Christianity" said Dr. Schori, the organization's leader, in an afternoon press conference. "Christianity is about love, acceptance and inclusivity... and saying that one answer is 'right' and another is 'wrong' goes against that spirit, and against everything we in the Episcopal church preach."

She continued: "these outmoded concepts of 'truth' and 'logic' were foolishly adopted by the Judeo-Christian tradition, and help explain that tradition's culpability for environmental warming, global pollution, overpopulation, and premature hair loss. If the Jews had simply listened to their Caananite neighbors or Christians to the Gnostic so-called heretics, we wouldn't be having any of these problems today."

One reporter asked how her message of inclusivity and tolerance is compatible with her organization's continued and growing persecution of its few remaining members who uphold the Christian faith. She replied "we cannot permit within our organization people who are intolerant. Those who claim that there is a 'right' and 'wrong' -- that the Scriptures or Creeds are objectively 'true' or that some behavior is 'sinful' -- are both mistaken and seditious. Their opinions are wrong and we cannot tolerate them any longer."

When a follow-up question pointed out the apparent illogic and inconsistency of her words, actions, and usage of the organization's own cannons, she replied "it is precisely that kind of mathematical, 'logical' thinking which has led us to our long overdue declaration that mathematics is no longer welcome in the Episcopal church."

First posted on the MCJ blog.