Theological throwback
From The Revd Richard Fothergill Sir: As one of those disparagingly described in Damian Thompson's article (`Fighting primates', 3 August) as an African Third World Anglican, can I enlighten him as to why so many Christians are as unimpressed as George Carey is with Rowan Williams, the new Archbishop designate?
Homosexuality per se is not the issue. Rather, it is indicative of the secular and humanist thinking that has been shipped into the Church over the last 30 years. What mystifies and saddens African Anglicans is that the 'mother communion' in England cannot see how contrary to normative Christian teaching — particularly on holiness — this liberal dogma is.
Rowan Williams's appointment also flies in the face of what has been going on in the British Anglican Church for some time — a reversion to the Protestant revealed faith. Evangelicalism is on the ascendant and will be for some time to come (175 out of 223 British Anglican ordinands accepted last year were evangelical).
Within much of the Church Williams is seen as something of a theological throwback to the permissive liberal 1960s. In this respect his appointment is almost certain to precipitate a clash between the Christian believers (evangelical and traditional AngloCatholic) and the secularisers (Liberals) within the British Communion. This division may need to happen so that pagan Britain can once again be given a clear vision of what real Christianity consists of, but we will no doubt be hearing a fair amount of anaemic pseudo-religious secularism from Rowan Williams in the years ahead.
Revd Richard Father*ll
Cape Town, South Africa
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