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St. Michael Report 2005 |
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Bishop Victoria Matthews of Edmonton, Chair of the Primate's Theological Commission The St. Michael Report But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine.' (Titus 2.1) [1] 1. The Commission has concluded that the blessing of same-sex unions is a matter of doctrine.[2] In reaching this conclusion, the Commission has been conscious of the range of interpretations given to the term 'doctrine', and it has attempted in what follows carefully and prayerfully to understand the complexity of the nature of doctrine and its relationship to this divisive issue. We are particularly concerned to call the whole church to engage in furthering the discussion of this issue in a sustained, prayerful, respectful and non-polemical manner, in the earnest hope that it will lead to a clearer discernment of 'sound doctrine' and to our goal of wholeness in Christ (Is 55:6; Ps 27:8; Col 1:28; Prov 8:17; Eph 2:10.) 2. The blessing of committed same-sex unions is tied to the question of how all sexuality, as a feature of our bodily existence, participates in our redemption - our entering into the life of holiness to which Christ, through his incarnation, his life, death and resurrection, is always calling us. Every discovery in human learning, scientific research and socio-cultural development must be understood in the context of the fundamental reality that all we do and are, including our sexuality and sexual acts of intimacy, is a response in faith to the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, insofar as a monogamous, intended life-long, committed same-sex union will be a relationship that will either enable or impair our participation in the life of God through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is inextricably linked to the core mystery of the triune God, and how we experience God's saving mercy. More categorically, it seems to us that this issue is fundamentally related to the doctrines of salvation (soteriology), incarnation, the work of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), our creation in the image of God (theological anthropology), sanctification, and holy matrimony. 3. The doctrine of the Church, moreover, has always been defined and expressed through its liturgies. The liturgy of blessing is no exception, since in such a liturgy the Church declares the activity of God towards the object of that blessing. The authorization of a particular form of liturgy for the blessing of same-sex couples would infer that the form and content of that liturgy is an expression of Christian doctrine as received and understood by the Anglican Church of Canada. Moreover, we believe that the blessing of same-sex unions is closely analogous to marriage. For these reasons the Commission is convinced that the blessing of same-sex unions should be treated as a matter of doctrinal importance. 4. In its references to Scripture in support of its conclusions, the Commission acknowledges that the interpretation of the Bible is a complex matter, and that at any given point in the Church's history, 'faithful' readings may lead us to mutually contradictory understandings. For example, the understanding of the nature and place of the Law in Jesus' kingdom, and particularly as it applied to Gentiles in the apostolic Church, developed gradually and was the source of controversy and even division (Acts 15; Galatians). 5. With regard to the relation between Scripture and doctrine, we note several Anglican themes. The classic formularies (the Solemn Declaration, the Ordination oaths, the Thirty-Nine Articles) state that the Scriptures contain 'all things necessary for salvation'. This is different from asserting that all things contained in the Scriptures are necessary for salvation. Anglican liturgical patterns, particularly those in the Book of Common Prayer, suggest that the normative framework for interpreting the Scriptures is the classic Creeds, and more broadly the themes of doxology, calling, holiness and liberation, articulated in the repeated use of the canticles and the daily collects. Moreover, the Anglican tradition understands the Scriptures in light of the overall Trinitarian shape of our worship as reflecting a movement from our creaturely acknowledgement of God the Creator, recognition and confession of sin and our own brokenness, proclamation of grace in the salvific work of Christ, and acceptance of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the shaping of lives and communities of wholeness. As we pursue our reading of the Scriptures through the unfolding cycle of the Church Year, this interpretive framework is reinforced. 6. In its own work the Commission has grown in awareness that we all read and interpret the Scriptures through the eyes and understandings of our own cultures. The approaches of various commission members have reminded us that hearing Scripture through our culture can sometimes open us to richer possibilities for faithfulness to the good news of Christ's Reign, and at other times the Scripture can function to open up and explode our culturally engrained assumptions. This interaction of Scripture, culture and discipleship is not superficial, or easy and predictable. 7. The question of the blessing of same-sex relationships requires us to explore and balance genuine tensions among biblical strands of teaching about the purpose of human sexuality and partnership; the radicalness of the prophetic traditions and their challenge to conventionalized religion and social mores; the shape of individual holiness in relation to communal holiness; the relationship between Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels and as reflected in other parts of the New Testament; our understanding of Law and Grace; and the witness to a community of inclusion that is also a reflection of God's transformative holiness. St. Michael - pg. 2 | ||||||||
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