September 30, 2005

WALES – The Archbishop of Wales, Dr. Barry Morgan, has welcomed a ‘cogent' new book by 22 leading theologians that argues for gay people's inclusion within Anglican ministry. "Gays and the Future of Anglicanism" challenges the moratorium on gay consecrations and same-sex blessings of the Anglican Communion and "throws down a formidable challenge to the Anglican Communion. It cannot afford to ignore it," Morgan commented.

One of the people serving on the Lambeth Commission on Communion which recommended the moratorium in its Windsor Report, Morgan made it clear that the issue is far from settled. "The arguments advanced for including gay people [in the church] deserve to be read and pondered by all who are involved in the debate about human sexuality," he said. The book "shows up the superficiality of previous Anglican discussion of this subject" and should "give the Anglican Church in many places cause for penitence for the way it has treated and thought about gay people."

Edited by Oxford theologian Andrew Linzey and Richard Kirker, director of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, the book will be published by O books at the end of September. Among the 22 contributors are Archbishop Rowan Williams' successor at Oxford, Dr. George Pattison, the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity.

Full story and Archbishop Morgan's statement: http://o-books.rmlconsult.com/oBooks/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=17&osCsid=6f5919ed2f96d4aba8fc4d5bf6f49c63.

Episcopal News Service
Source: John Hunt Publishing