THE THEOLOGICAL VISION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WAS SET BY CONSERVATIVE BISHOPS.

 Staff writer  09 February 2024 | 2:55 PM

A group of conservative bishops has issued a new" theological vision " for the Church of England's discernment process on issues such as marriage, relationships, gender and identity.

Since the House of Bishops planned to introduce blessing prayers for same-sex couples, the process of discussion and affirmation of Living in Love and Faith (LLF) has become increasingly tense.

The General Synod supported the prayer of love and Faith a year ago and is currently being piloted as part of the current service. However, there are plans to provide its own services. In the meeting later this month, the General Synod will again discuss living in love and Faith.

Seven bishops in the House of Bishops who openly disagreed with the prayer of love and Faith made a "theological vision."

They are the bishop of Lancaster, Jill Duff, Jonathan Gibbs, Bishop of Rochester, Ric Thorpe, Bishop of Islington, Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester, Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield, Paul Williams, Bishop of Southwell, and Nottingham.

They stated that the statement was sponsored "on behalf of a broader group within the house and the College".

A Theological Vision, published in Premier Christian News, calls on the Church of England to "boldly testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, identifying and rejecting harmful idols and ideologies of all ages."

It begins with a statement of "wholehearted commitment to the Nicene Creed" and states that "the holy scriptures contain all things necessary for salvation and reveal the will of God for human life and behavior."

The church has no authority to say anything that contradicts the written word of God, and anything that is not found in scripture cannot be forced upon her. He said, "We seek to interpret Scripture with the guidance of the Catholic Church throughout time and space."

The Vision Statement reaffirms the Christian historical definition of gender as male and female, as well as exclusive marriage for heterosexual couples, stating that it is "more than a dependent social arrangement."

He said, "marriage, as a joyful and lifelong union of Man and woman, two created forms of humanity, is a dynamic sign of the saving union between Christ and the church through the spirit, from which arises our salvation."

Therefore, it represents a great place for sexual intimacy and represents the Union of differences, where the magic of a new life can be born.

The bishops stated that singleness is "more than sexual self-denial "and" a positive statement of the highest adequacy of our eternal union with God in Christ, focused, like Jesus, on leaving a spiritual offspring."

The vision statement advocates holiness and rejects "self-fulfillment or self-expression."It warns of the impact of any change to the church's historical position on the entire Anglican Communion. It concludes by saying that a relationship with Christ is the best way to find answers to questions about identity and inclusiveness.

In recent weeks, there has been tension in the LLF as Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley of Newcastle has resigned as one of the principal bishops and Bishop Martyn Snow, who is the other LLF leader, has chosen to remain in office.

Improvement came when Bishop Hartley resigned the appointment of Dr. Tom Woolford, a conservative vicar, as interim theological adviser to the House of Bishops. Reverend Dr. Jessica Martin was appointed to work with Dr. Woolford.

NewsSources : https://www.christiantoday.com/article/conservative.bishops.set.out.theological.vision.for.church.of.england/141361.htm