More Poon Questions (GAFCON)

Now this busy Singapore theologian is asking questions of Archbishop Peter Jensen:

The problem is this, regarding his questions. Miachal Poon is asking Peter Jensen how everyone can make the stable they are in much more pleasant for the animals when Peter Jensen and others are busy fitting out another stable in preparation for a specially selected set of animals moving in.

There are, no doubt, some hurt feelings going on here (from Michael Poon) and a sense of being sidelined by these "radical evangelicals", which matters because we saw similar in the UK in the political world when the Social Democratic Party was formed as a challenge to Labour - the Labour Party later more than occupying the relative shift to the right of the SDP, the SDP having become part of the Liberal Democrats. Before this shift, however, the bad feeling between Labour and SDP was despite being next door in terms of ideology. No doubt this is what we are seeing here: that one set of Global South personnel feel betrayed by another set of Global South personnel and northern organisers as they go on their way (the best analogy remains that of Militant Tendency, however, in the opposite political direction).

Michael Poon repeats this point about Canon A5 and Canon C15 of the Church of England as the necessary and sufficient condition for biblical orthodoxy - or is it not. The point he surely realises is that these radical evangelicals know that all sorts of folks, including liberals, live with Canon A5 and Canon C15 of the Church of England. As for the Covenant, this GAFCON will probably develop their own - indeed they may well recommend theirs as part of a condition of unity. Presumably the radical evangelicals have few hopes regarding Lambeth 2008, other than to get in their first regarding their own outcomes and see what the response is at the University of Canterbury some weeks later.

Michael Poon suggests the June Conference (GAFCON) should rightly focus on how the disparate groups under foreign intervention in the US should work together, and those of different ecclesiastical authority. I think GAFCON is likely to decide its own agenda, and hardly limit itself to these internal husbandry concerns. It is hardly the basis for a grand meeting in the Middle East.

Michael Poon further asks, more pertinently:

If you cannot sort yourselves out in North America, are you merely spreading your mess and divisions to Anglican churches worldwide?” Second, can we in practice talk about an Anglican future for the global Communion if the Primates of all the Communion are not present? Or are you thinking of devising strategies for crossing boundaries to the churches worldwide that are deemed not to be orthodox?

So the gentlemanly talk of internal husbandry and what is right for GAFCON now becomes a comment on "merely spreading your mess and divisions" - which shows how one evangelical side is regarding the other, plus those along with them.

The point about the Global South Churches in Africa is their supernaturalism and last days and even magical/ disaster managing properties, with the biblical literalism. It is the energy in these Churches that the northerners want to pick up as a sort of objective fact, when some of us would identify such as cultural. Singapore is a kind of capitalist modernity, Protestant Ethic and all that infused into this more rational religion compared with some local religions. A touch of Weber, I'm suggesting, and South East Asia is likely to liberalise its expressions of Christianity. There is also a stronger 'return the missionaries' sense in Africa than in South East Asia.

He says:

It would be a sad day if Anglican churches across the Communion are presented with the choice: between a particular understanding of biblical faithfulness, and allegiance to Canterbury.

He thinks it is easier to be rebels with causes like this, not a new world order. But Michael Poon knows that the rebels have a cause, and want it fast-track, and they have shown nothing if not impatience. They are in the business of cooking omelettes.

On all of this I have no more knowledge than anyone else. However, I know something of Machiavelli and dodging and weaving, and of political parallels. The SCRUNTSKies have had enough, and they are launching the new wine bottle in June 2008.