Good Disagreement: Grace and Truth in a Divided Church
Andrew Atherstone; Andrew Goddard (2015) Lion Books
Reviewed by Andrew Symes, Anglican Mainstream
This series of essays by different contributors, explores the concept of “good disagreement” from various perspectives. A short but telling foreword to the book by the Archbishop of Canterbury stresses the importance of reconciliation and bridge-building across divides both in the church and in society. Andrew Atherstone and Andrew Goddard, joint editors of the book, present a theological overview in the first chapter. They affirm the primacy of gospel truth and the danger of error, but stress that this must be debated with grace, and also by carefully distinguishing between primary and secondary issues. Options are presented as either to continue in fellowship while agreeing to disagree on certain issues, or, sadly, a gracious “walking apart”.
The final four chapters of the book show how this can be applied. Chapter 8 summarises correspondence by Clare Hendry and Lis Goddard on their intensive theological disagreement about the role of women in relation to men and ministry, moving “from castles to conversations”, and from antagonists to (still disagreeing) friends. In Chapter 9 Tory Baucum combines a reflection on Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4) with a testimony about his mediating and friendship-building role as the Rector of Truro Church, Fairfax, which was subject to aggressive litigation by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford, believes Christians should be at the forefront of initiatives that allow personal encounter between members of different faiths and conflicting cultures, so that understanding of one another is “filled out”. In the final chapter, senior barrister turned professional mediator Stephen Ruttle reflects on his role as a Christian, reaching out to both sides of a conflict, and enabling the aggrieved parties to negotiate and move from ceasefire to reconciliation and transformation.
The first half of the book contains essays on theology, history and contemporary ecumenism. Andrew Atherstone and Martin Davie carefully survey and comment on attempts in recent decades to bring churches together on a global scale. Ashley Null’s chapter on “good disagreement and the Reformation” is magisterial in its command of the historical detail yet placed in a clear and succinct narrative. Three chapters on Paul, from different perspectives, at the beginning of the book set the tone for understanding “good disagreement” in a biblically anchored way. The book is not attempting to deal with the specific disagreement over sexuality. However Bishop Tom Wright’s exploration of how Paul distinguished essentials from ‘adiaphora’, focusing mainly on 1 Corinthians, shows a concern for unity, correct doctrine and, in particular, holiness in ethics. While unity in the church can be compromised by lack of grace, “unity with the Messiah…will be radically compromised by porneia” (p73). Michael B Thompson looks at the passages on refuting false teachers, and Ian Paul’s study of the theme of reconciliation in the NT, shows that Christian love within the fellowship and grace displayed is disagreements is dependent on a primary understanding of God reconciling the world to himself in Christ.
As a collection of informative and thought provoking essays from a clearly evangelical perspective, with good questions for reflection, the book is outstanding: each piece is worthy of reading and re-reading. However some questions arise which are not answered in this book. For example, if despite profound differences over theology and ethics anyone who claims the name “Anglican” can’t be “chucked out” (Archbishop Welby’s phrase), does that essentially mean there are no boundaries, there are many ‘truths’ or ‘integrities’, and is that ecclesiologically credible? Then, how can there be a fair process of gracious debate given our hostile cultural context, when orthodox Christian views are heavily outweighed? There perhaps needs to be a wider debate on mission not just as reconciliation, as this book’s applied chapters emphasise, but as prophetic “good disagreement” between a distinctive Christian worldview and the false philosophies of the world.
The final four chapters of the book show how this can be applied. Chapter 8 summarises correspondence by Clare Hendry and Lis Goddard on their intensive theological disagreement about the role of women in relation to men and ministry, moving “from castles to conversations”, and from antagonists to (still disagreeing) friends. In Chapter 9 Tory Baucum combines a reflection on Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4) with a testimony about his mediating and friendship-building role as the Rector of Truro Church, Fairfax, which was subject to aggressive litigation by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford, believes Christians should be at the forefront of initiatives that allow personal encounter between members of different faiths and conflicting cultures, so that understanding of one another is “filled out”. In the final chapter, senior barrister turned professional mediator Stephen Ruttle reflects on his role as a Christian, reaching out to both sides of a conflict, and enabling the aggrieved parties to negotiate and move from ceasefire to reconciliation and transformation.
The first half of the book contains essays on theology, history and contemporary ecumenism. Andrew Atherstone and Martin Davie carefully survey and comment on attempts in recent decades to bring churches together on a global scale. Ashley Null’s chapter on “good disagreement and the Reformation” is magisterial in its command of the historical detail yet placed in a clear and succinct narrative. Three chapters on Paul, from different perspectives, at the beginning of the book set the tone for understanding “good disagreement” in a biblically anchored way. The book is not attempting to deal with the specific disagreement over sexuality. However Bishop Tom Wright’s exploration of how Paul distinguished essentials from ‘adiaphora’, focusing mainly on 1 Corinthians, shows a concern for unity, correct doctrine and, in particular, holiness in ethics. While unity in the church can be compromised by lack of grace, “unity with the Messiah…will be radically compromised by porneia” (p73). Michael B Thompson looks at the passages on refuting false teachers, and Ian Paul’s study of the theme of reconciliation in the NT, shows that Christian love within the fellowship and grace displayed is disagreements is dependent on a primary understanding of God reconciling the world to himself in Christ.
As a collection of informative and thought provoking essays from a clearly evangelical perspective, with good questions for reflection, the book is outstanding: each piece is worthy of reading and re-reading. However some questions arise which are not answered in this book. For example, if despite profound differences over theology and ethics anyone who claims the name “Anglican” can’t be “chucked out” (Archbishop Welby’s phrase), does that essentially mean there are no boundaries, there are many ‘truths’ or ‘integrities’, and is that ecclesiologically credible? Then, how can there be a fair process of gracious debate given our hostile cultural context, when orthodox Christian views are heavily outweighed? There perhaps needs to be a wider debate on mission not just as reconciliation, as this book’s applied chapters emphasise, but as prophetic “good disagreement” between a distinctive Christian worldview and the false philosophies of the world.
Andrew Symes, Anglican Mainstream, Nov 2015