"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal
Interesting piece by Alister McGrath in the (Anglican) Church of Ireland Gazzette. He argues that Anglicanism is, historically and theologically, Protestant and that the concept of “denominational families” – the kind of loose federations that characterize world Lutheranism and Methodism, for example – could provide a fruitful model for the future of the Anglican Communion. And he sounds surprisingly upbeat about the prospect.
(via Thinking Anglicans)
That would be nice, but those loose federations are themselves in the process of breaking apart around the same issues that are splitting the Anglican Communion. The Baptists already have, and there has been open talk of a pre-emptive split in Methodism. So I don’t see what good it would do to move from one failing model to another.
I dunno, the Lutheran World Federation doesn’t seem to be in such bad shape to me. But then it’s possible I haven’t been paying attention.
Of course, for something like this to work, everyone needs to agree that the various churches’ ministries will and should be adapted to local circumstances, while still maintaining “bonds of affection.” And that seems to be what the Anglicans aren’t willing to do.
A Thinking Reed 
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