Good and Not So Good Additions

Some important materials have been added to the Resources page of the No Anglican Covenant Web site today. You can read the list of updates here. I want to say a bit more about the new material in this post.

The most valuable additions are four essays by the Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, priest-in-charge at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos, California, and a former board member of Integrity. In her relatively short posts, Hall has provided an excellent introduction to the covenant, including where it came from, what it says, who is for it, and who is against it. A forthcoming essay promises to evaluate the pluses and minuses of the Covenant. The essays now available would make an excellent and concise introduction to a discussion of the Covenant for those who have little or no familiarity with it. If you are preparing such a discussion in your parish or diocese, you should definitely consider using the Hall material. It is very even-handed.

Hall reminded me of the importance of the Dallas Statement of 1997. This document, which originated at an international conference of conservative Anglican bishops and archbishops, set out a strategy for the 1998 Lambeth Conference and (most importantly) beyond. It makes very interesting reading.

Finally, the Inter-Anglican Standing Committee on Unity, Faith and Order has issued a Study Guide and collection of Questions and Answers about the Covenant. Whereas Hall’s first four essays are very objective, these Anglican Communion documents are pure advocacy for Covenant adoption.