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Tolerable Diversity and Ecclesial Integrity: Communion or Federation?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2009
Abstract
A series of issues have recently arisen that pose the question of whether or not the Anglican Communion will remain a communion of churches or become merely a loose federation. To remain a communion, Anglicans will have to come to some agreement about the relation between ecclesial integrity on the one hand and tolerable diversity on the other. The right balance between the two cannot be maintained by simple reference to such things as doctrinal statements, episcopal authority, or canon law. Ecclesial integrity and tolerable diversity are often not matters with a fixed and plainly recognizable identity. The right balance is to be found within an ethos defined by common practices that include hearing the Scriptures entire within an ordered form of worship, open theological debate, cohesive episcopal oversight, Godliness, and reluctance to change practice until wide agreement in respect to disputed issues is reached.
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- Copyright © SAGE Publications (Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore) and The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2003
References
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