Theo Hobson, theologian, author and artist, recently posted a blog based on an article previously published in The Spectator: What do liberal Anglicans want?
He concludes his blog in this way:
“So liberal Anglicanism is a chimera, with the head of a poodle and the body of a mule. It is a funny mix of muddle, when it comes to articulating a coherent reformist vision on sexuality, and steely stubbornness when it comes to keeping the Church together, this time. The first part of this beast must change, if the Church is to escape from its paralysis.”
I disagree. Both parts of the beast must change. ‘Liberal’ (I’m not sure I’m a liberal - I see myself as a radical contemplative activist) Anglicans must both resolve their “funny mix of a muddle and articulate a coherent reformist [revisionist?] view of sexuality and abandon their steely stubbornness in wanting to keep the Church together. Only by taking a more radical stance will the Church escape the current division that is paralysing the Church of England.
Theo says the liberal majority is seeking an uncertain reform, “a reform that it dare not articulate, even to itself”. “Liberals literally do not know what they want.” Ostensibly, writes Theo, the issue is whether there should be blessings for same-sex couples but liberals avoid confronting the key question by directly tabling a motion proposing a total overhaul of the Church’s traditional teaching on sex and marriage that marriage is for heterosexual couples.
Theo says the old teaching that sex belongs only in marriage must be dismantled. I agree. I have never believed that sex belongs only in marriage. My heterosexual, lesbian and gay Christian friends, lay and ordained, have been quietly ignoring the ‘no sex outside marriage’ rule for decades. Ever since I became conscious of the possibility of sex, premarital sex was a given as was sex in gay relationships and sex because of the pleasure of intimacy and sexual release between two people.
New Morality?
Theo says a new sexual morality has to be developed “in which marriage is not as central as the principle that sexual relationships should be permanent, faithful and stable.” This is not “the new Anglican orthodoxy” as Theo claims. “The New Morality - The Revolution in Ethics” was explored by Bishop John Robinson in a chapter in Honest to God published in 1963. Robinson was referring the New Morality movement, characterized by its liberalizing social attitudes and a more permissive attitude towards sexuality that flourished in the United States during the 1920s. Permanent, Faithful, Stable, a brief, revolutionary contribution by Jeffrey John, was first published in 1993. The new morality has surely become well-established after a century of development.
Synod Majorities
Yet the Church of England has failed to come to terms with “the new morality” because approving the new morality, which is the sexual ethic the majority of members of the Church have been living by for seven decades requires a change to Church doctrine and this requires a two-thirds majorities in each of the three houses of Synod. The vote would be lost thanks to a strong conservative minority in the House of Laity.
Theo gives a second reason as to why the Church’s leadership and the liberal majority don’t cut to the chase and propose a full vote on the issue of same-sex marriage - because they are not sure that this is what they want. He thinks the liberal majority is still on the fence about gay marriage.
‘Liberal’ goals
Theo is right. The liberal majority does not have the courage or confidence to pursue what the majority supposedly want. It doesn’t have an agreed agenda and there is no forum in which the various ‘liberal’ organisations and groups can meet to discuss tactics and goals (There has been in the past – the LGBTQIA+ Coalition met regularly between 2010-2015). The most comprehensive group now existing is Together, but Together is not inclusive of all organisations and does not have a structure enabling representatives from all groups to meet and formulate policy.
One member group of Together, EQUAL, the Campaign for Equal Marriage, is clearly advocating for a goal that requires a General Synod vote to agree a change in the doctrine of the Church of England.
Changing Attitude England is not a member of Together. We have been advocating for full equality in ministry and relationships for LGBTQIA+ people, lay and ordained, since 2018. In a blog published that year I wrote:
“The majority of members of the Church of England have moved on from the post-60s Honest to God decades, from a faith once-modelled on Biblical literalism and fundamentalism. They have adjusted relatively easily in the last two decades to the transformation of the public visibility, changed legal status and social equality granted to LGBTI+ people since 1997 when the new Labour government began a radical reform of legislation.
“This transformation has created an invisible gulf between the general acceptance by ‘the people in the pews’ of equality for LGTBI+ people and the conflicts at the top of the institution pursued by conservative evangelicals and catholics in England and the homophobic axis in the wider Anglican Communion represented by GAFCON. These networks identify themselves as the defenders of doctrinal and biblical orthodoxy. In doing so, they have created a disconnect between the Church of England hierarchy (bishops, General Synod, Church House) and the majority of members of the Church of England. In addition, they have reinforced a perception of Christianity in the general population as being homophobic, misogynistic, prejudiced and abusive.”
Unity
Theo Hobson argues that maintaining unity is still the primary goal, over and above any commitment to full equality for LGBTQIA+ people. He says the House of Bishops avoid developing a coherent plan in the belief that a clarification of the liberal agenda will increase disunity. Liberal bishops want to be ‘symbols of unity’ who don’t express divisive views. The result of their lack of courage and vison is that in February 2024 the bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Revd Helen-Ann Hartley, resigned as co-lead bishop for the LLF process and more recently the bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, unexpectedly stepped down as the lead bishop on the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process leaving the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cotterell, the chair of the LLF Programme Board, in charge.
Full equality in ministry and relationships for LGBTQIA+ people
Theo says it is time for liberals to develop a clear reformist agenda. Liberals have learnt the lesson that the concessions made to allow the proposal to ordain women to achieve a General Synod majority must never be repeated. Allowing the conservative evangelical minority to have its own independent structures is now rightly opposed.
What do we end up with? Together is working hard to ensure that a sufficient number of pro-equal marriage, pro-sexual activity outside marriage members of the Houses of Clergy and Laity are elected to the next Synod that conservative proposals for independent structures can be defeated.
Full equality in ministry and relationships for LGBTQIA+ people remains the only goal for those Christians living healthy spiritual and sexual lives in contemporary society, a society in which modelling non-abusive sexual intimacy within and outside marriage for heterosexuals is as important as achieving equality for LGBTQIA+ people. It’s time to table a motion proposing a total overhaul of the Church’s teaching on sex and marriage.
I am articulating this goal on behalf of Changing Attitude England. If the Church is to escape from its paralysis then a campaign, a movement, an organisation with the energy and courage to pursue this vision needs to become a reality. I’m not holding my breath but I am daily praying for the ambition to be realised.