Anglican Heresy Trials
Christianity, General February 16th, 2005According to recent news, the Church of England (Anglican) is thinking about re-introducing heresy trials. Although this will surely anger some of the atheists posing as Anglican ministers, I think it’s an important step to re-vitalilze a once respectable, but now moribund church. I have been critical of Anglicanism during and after my conversion to Catholicism, but I will grant that this is a positive step forward.
I know some people will hear "heresy trials" and shudder, conjuring up images of people being burnt at the stake, but it’s not about that at all. Rather, it’s about a group of people defining themselves and setting boundaries as to what is acceptable practice and theology. Would anyone be surprised or upset if a racist holding a leadership position were kicked out of the NAACP? Of course, not. So, why should a fuss be made about someone who denies key tenets of Christianity being removed from a position of leadership? For purposes of integrity, that person should’ve left a long time ago. There is one main obstacle with heresy trials in Anglicanism: a determination of what exactly Anglicans believe and what is authoritative.
February 17th, 2005 at 3:57 pm
Precisely the problem. I agree (as an Anglican in the ECUSA) that they are a good idea. But who sets the criteria and to select out whom? The idea of using the 39 Articles makes me shudder. I’m too High Church for that. My proposal would be this: All public teaching of the church must be in accordance with the playing field defined by the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. This way, responsible personal doubts and theological exploration are permitted as long as the faith to be handed on gets handed on. Furthermore, neither the left nor the right, evangelicals nor Anglo-Catholics can use these as weapons against the opposite faction except when people really do stray outside the boundaries of the faith.