Has the established C of E outlived its usefulness?

Poor old Church  of England; first it drops the ball on the issue of women bishops, as an unsatisfactory compromise measure liked by no-one fails to pass;  then, it issues a huffy response to the Government's push for full equal marriages for gays, the government including the ability to solemnize said marriages in churches willing to do so.  Political observers comment that the Government is probably done listening to the C of E, because after the debacle over women bishops, they seem to be completely out of touch with modern Britain.

Giles Fraser looks at the history of the Church of England, and how historically its media via helped paper over the differences between the "sides" and avoid another Civil War.

We saw ourselves as the world's natural compromisers. Unlike those of continental Europe, we prized ourselves on being uncomfortable with ideology and strong feelings. The big idea was the big tent. All are welcome as long as they leave behind passionate religious and political differences. That was the price of social togetherness. And that, indeed, was the value of established religion to the state. 

But this big tent idea of the Christian religion, enshrined in law, has been undone from two directions. From an increasingly secular society where religious differences are no longer a threat to wider civil society; and from a church that has given up on the project of national togetherness as it has been replaced by global Anglicanism – complete with aggressively homophobic Ugandan bishops and the like. The reason the failure of the female bishops measure feels like a historical watershed is that it marks the clear point where the church is no longer of any use to the state. Indeed, it has become a liability. If divorce was an easy option, we would now be divvying up our DVDs. 

There is also a wider lesson in all of this. For the failure of the C of E's big tent experiment is parallel to the failure of New Labour's big tent experiment with which it had so much in common. Chantal Mouffe rightly argues that the third way was a mistaken attempt to bypass the inherently conflictual nature of the political. Bland, suffocating unanimity cannot replace the reality of political differences. In theology as in politics, conflict is real. The important thing is not that we mustn't fight. That is inevitable. It's rather that we mustn't draw blood when doing so.

Meanwhile, today David Cameron, the Prime Minister, came out firmly in favor of same sex marriages in church (if said church is willing) .

Mr Cameron said: "I'm a massive supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to be excluded from a great institution. 

"But let me be absolutely 100% clear: if there is any church or any synagogue or any mosque that doesn't want to have a gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced to hold it. 

"That is absolutely clear in the legislation...."

New rector for St. Paul's, Fort Collins, CO

The Coloradoan reports on the new rector at St. Paul's, Fort Collins, CO:

St. Paul's Episcopal Church has recently installed a new priest, the Reverend Bonnie Sarah Spencer. Bonnie and her partner, Catherine Anderson, come to Fort Collins from Somerset, Massachusetts, where Bonnie served as rector at Our Saviour Episcopal Church. “I am a home grown Episcopalian, though,” Bonnie clarifies. She went to college at CU Boulder and was a campus minister there for a number of years. When she discerned a call to the priesthood, St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Boulder sponsored her for ordination. After seminary at General Theological Seminary in New York, Bonnie returned to Colorado and served as Assistant Rector at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Centennial, Colorado. Both she and Catherine have family in Colorado.

St. Paul's styles itself “an inclusive church welcoming all people.” Bonnie looks forward to a fruitful partnership with this parish to serve the Fort Collins community and the CSU campus. Under Bonnie's leadership St. Paul's will continue to be a safe haven for everyone, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey. “Lovin' the questions,” is the slogan of the campus ministry, and the parish as a whole embraces the notion that the freedom to seek and to inquire is invaluable in leading a life of faith.

Well...It seems Episcopalian Women aren't the Only Uppity Ones

Hat tip to Dennis on this one!

Hindu priest shortage spurs women to take up profession from the Chicagotribune.com
Fewer men choosing religious service

This interesting article talks about how women are filling in vacancies as priests, as fewer educated men are pursuing the priesthood. One of the women priest notes that if a man is educated, he doesn't view the priesthood as prestigious as some secular occupations, resulting in fewer men pursing the path.

While there is nothing in the Hindu scriptures which prevents women from being priests, and like Christianity, there is suggestion that women performed priestly duties and were involved in philosophical discussions, etc., according the very early texts, such as the Veda. Despite this, women priest in American and India do face some scorn from conservatives who don't feel women should be priests.

So...apparently...Christianity isn't the only religion losing male leaders to the secular world. Nor the only religion whining about that fact, instead of being grateful there are people there to help perpetuate the religion.

Interesting article! Thanks Dennis!

ETA - Link to the Article should work now. Thanks Jarred!