Sexuality

Sexuality has been a major theme of debate in the Christian Church in general and the Anglican Communion in particular.

It was the theme of the MCU 2006 Conference: Passion for Justice: Global and Faithful Perspectives on Human Sexuality.

Attitudes to homosexuality has been made the dominant shibboleth issue to divide one side from another in the widely threatened schism in Anglicanism. In Britain the issue became personal and public for Jeffery John.

A debate on Civil Partnerships between the Bishop of Bangor and Andrew Goddard of Fulcrum is here with a further reflection here.

The Windsor Report (2005) looked at the way we live in Communion, in particular given the response of some sectors of the church to the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire and same-sex blessings. Simon Taylor produced A Guide. MCU made a submission to the Eames Commission which produced the report.

The Windsor Report: A Liberal Response, edited by Jonathan Clatworthy and David Taylor, was published on behalf of the MCU. Its conclusion is here in full.

Homosexuality: a talk by Bishop John Saxbee - Is all opposition homophobic? - is here. Papers by Gill Cooke and Alan Sheard are here: 1) Created by God; 2) In the Good Book?; 3) Silenced Voices; 4) A New Vision.

In June 2003 Jeffrey John's appointment as Bishop of Reading was announced; and withdrawn largely as a result of opposition to his avowed homosexuality. The MCU issued this press release, and Jonathan Clatworthy's letter was published in the Church of England Newspaper. After his withdrawal the MCU Conference sent Jeffrey John an open letter.

Books on faith and sexuality can be found through the bookshop.

The three poisons:

craving,

hatred,

ignorance.

Thomas Merton

The Asian Journals of Thomas Merton