| |
Commentary
1.30.10
The Archbishop, The Seminary and the Degree
by Lydia Berzonsky (OH)
(Editor's note: OCANews.org has asked Lydia Berzonsky, who wrote last summer about the SVS conference, to share her thoughts and impressions about the Archbishop of Cantebury's speech at SVS this weekend. Here is her first installment..}
Controversy continues to rumble around Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ upcoming lecture at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and the decision to confer upon him an honorary degree.
The lecture appears to be a controlled and structured affair. After he receives his degree, the Archbishop will be speaking on “Theology and the Contemplative Calling: The Image of Humanity in the Philokalia.” There will be no open question and answer session. After his speech, note cards will be passed out to the audience for people to write questions for the Archbishop to answer. It is an effective way to control questions, after a fashion, but editing could actually eliminate anything controversial or interesting for him to answer. Even if “touchy subjects” are not brought up, there are significant events are playing out right now throughout the Christian community worldwide: Anglicans are literally tearing themselves in half over issues such as women’s ordination and the acceptance of openly practicing homosexuals into the ranks of the clergy and episcopacy.
My parents divorced when I was younger. My mother moved us back to her hometown in Ohio, where she reverted to attending her childhood Episcopal church. I would occasionally visit. This church has recently lost about one hundred members - members who split off into their own conservative Episcopal church because they could not accept liberal changes. Those who did stay with the official Episcopal church believed that Christians should not discriminate in any fashion, and that anyone at all, including homosexuals, should be welcomed as part of the church. The controversy within Anglicanism is even more confusing considering that much of the Anglican Communion throughout the world is deeply against what is occurring in Anglican America with its very liberal tendencies.
As conservative Anglicans break away from their church, how attractive would the OCA look to them as a refuge in this storm? Orthodoxy can, depending on which church you go to, be very intimidating. To many other Christians they can look very different, ancient and oriental. Although there are, of course, great variations among the various Orthodox churches, it is hard for me to envision the people of my mother’s hometown parish being comfortable worshipping in an Orthodox church. The effort for a convert, to become part of the Orthodox church, is not exactly simple or easy as moving into a new building, though. Metropolitan Jonah, an Episcopal convert himself, is now encouraging episcopal converts to join the OCA - if they are able to conform their beliefs with those of Orthodoxy. How far is the OCA willing to stretch to cozy up to possible converts? Then again, some Orthodox are not happy at all about “liberal" views popping up among some of OCA clergy...
With the Anglican Communion dealing with these issues, why is Archbishop Williams coming to speak at Saint Vladimir’s about what some would consider rather "esoteric" points in Orthodox theology? Others ask if it is right to confer any degree on a non-Orthodox, liberal Christian? How can Saint Vladimir’s award a degree to someone who represents the whole of the Anglican Community - when the Metropolitan, the President of the school, just signed the "Manhattan Declaration" denouncing such beliefs?
The speech is explained as a warm gesture to the Archbishop from his former student, the Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, the Dean of St. Vladimir's. It is an acknowledgement that the Archbishop has accomplished credible research in Orthodox theology. But underneath the surface, a plethora of issues, controversy, and drama exist. Perhaps little will come of the venture - or perhaps something will. We will have to wait and see this weekend at St. Vladimir's.
|
|
