Anglikansk splittring: Lambeth-konferensen

På väg mot Lambeth bloggade jag om GAFCON och om C-of-Es kyrkomöte. Nu är vi framme vid Lambeth.
Lambeth-konferensen är inget kyrkomöte med rätt att fatta bindande beslut; ärkebiskopen av Canterbury är ingen påve med stor auktoritet; den anglikanska kyrkogemenskapen är inte en enda kyrka, utan just en gemenskap, som består av ett stort antal självständiga kyrkor (eller provinser, som de kallas).
Därför är det kanske inte överraskande att detta decenniums Lambeth-konferens (16.7-3.8.08) inte fick så mycket synligt till stånd. En viktig sak var att hundratals biskopar från hela världen tågade genom centrala London till stöd för kampen mot fattigdom, men det var en av de få saker som biskoparna kunde enas om. Frågor som homosexualitet och sexualitet överhuvudtaget, ledarskapet inom kyrkogemenskapen och dess framtida organisation och klyftan mellan traditionalistiska och liberalt sinnade provinser var sådant som konferensdeltagarna tacklade under ledning av ärkebiskop Rowan Williams, men där de synliga resultaten uteblev.
Helt bortkastad var konferensen dock knappast. Osynliga resultat talar många av deltagarna om - en djupare förståelse av varandras synpunkter, också när åsiktsgemenskapen uteblir; en insikt i att det som förenar trots allt är viktigare än det som skiljer; en upplevelse av syskonskap i Kristus när man sätter sig ner med "fienden" ansikte mot ansikte. Sådant kan på lång sikt föda bättre frukt för den anglikanska gemenskapen än formella beslut som ändå inte går att implementera så som det är tänkt.
Samtidigt fick nog särskilt Williams och den från konferensen uteslutne biskop Gene Robinson klä skott för mycket sådant som de inte var ansvariga för. Men att vänta sig sakligt beteende från alla parter vore kanske för mycket begärt.

Debatten och processen kommer att fortsätta inom och mellan de anglikanska kyrkorna länge än. Lambeth-konferensen blev inte den avgörande slutpunkten som många väntade sig eller hoppades på.
Ett önskemål som Williams kom med var att de aktivaste parterna i konfliken inte skulle fortsätta med sådant som kan förvärra situationen. Hans uppmaning klingar nog för döva öron, syskonskap eller inte. Den episkopala kyrkan i USA kommer att fortsätta med sina välsignelser och vigslar av samkönade par, medan vissa afrikanska provinser kommer att fortsätta att skapa parallella kyrkostrukturer i USA.
Kanske något steg framåt togs - men den hotande splittringen är ännu på inget sätt avvärjd. Att den blev uppskjuten är väl dock positivt. Vi får väl se hur det utvecklar sig... eller kanske "invecklar sig" vore ett bättre uttryck?

Lambeth-konferensens hemsida
Canterbury Tales from the Fringe (biskop Gene Robinsons blogg)
Articles of Faith (The Times' religionskorrespondent Ruth Gledhills blogg)
The 50 most influential figures in the Anglican Church (The Telegraph 15.7.08)
The Lambeth conference (The Guardian 15.7.08)
Main players at the Lambeth conference (The Guardian 15.7.08)
Lambeth conference: the absentees (The Guardian 15.7.08)
Church of England: Beset by liberals, hounded by conservatives, Williams needs a miracle to keep church intact (The Guardian 15.7.08)
Outbreak of peace? (Inclusive Church blog 15.7.08)
Lambeth Conference opening on discordant note for Anglicans (ENI 15.7.08)
Gay clergy split is 'most perilous crisis' in Church's history (The Telegraph 15.7.08)
Anglican Showdown Begins (AP genom 365gay 16.7.08)
Fractious Anglican conference begins (AP genom Advocate News 16.7.08)
Lambeth diary: Anglicans in turmoil (BBC News 16.7.08)
Minority Report: The Blogging Bishops of the first iLambeth (IndyBlogs 16.7.08)
Kyrkor i hela världen hotas av oenighet (Dagen 16.7.08)
Anglicans meet amid gay bishop row (CNN 16.7.08)
Bishops 'weakening body of Christ' in row over gays and women (The Times 17.7.08)
Anglican bishop John Chane says 'demonic' conservatives going in wrong direction (The Times 17.7.08)
Anglicans accuse dissident bishops of weakening "body of Christ" (PinkNews 17.7.08)
Anglican head says bishop boycott 'wounds' summit (AP genom Washington Post 17.7.08)
US bishop hits out at African church leaders (The Guardian 17.7.08)
Lambeth Diary: the 'Clean and the Unclean' (The Times 17.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury: Lambeth Conference won't solve church's problems (The Telegraph 17.7.08)
Williams vill skapa lugn inför världsmöte (Kyrkans Tidning 18.7.08)
Anglican Leader Says Bishop Boycott 'Wounds' Fellowship (AP genom Beliefnet 18.7.08)
Rowan Williams takes up the cross of diplomacy (The Times 19.7.08)
Face to faith (The Guardian 19.7.08)
Prelates 'are justifying sin' (The Guardian 19.7.08)
A Crucial Moment for Anglicans (Washington Post 19.7.08)
Anglicans seek to prevent church split (CNN 19.7.08)
Church rallies round Williams as African bishops boycott Lambeth (The Independent 19.7.08)
Bishops boycotting Lambeth Conference 'are weakening church's efforts to resolve crisis' (The Telegraph 20.7.08)
Anglican communion a 'train wreck', says bishop (The Telegraph 20.7.08)
The Bishop of Durham twists the knife (The Telegraph 20.7.08)
Lambeth Conference: God help the church (The Independent 20.7.08)
Bishops says divided Church should turn to cricket (The Times 20.7.08)
Gay bishop's row 'like Iraq war' (The Times 20.7.08)
A broad church with narrow attitudes (The Times 20.7.08)
Opening worship at Lambeth focuses on transformation (Anglican Journal 20.7.08)
Episkopaalikirkon johtaja: Homopiispa olisi pitänyt kutsua Lambethiin (Kotimaa 20.7.08)
'Schism or forced assimilation' not an option, says Rowan Williams (Anglican Journal 20.7.08)
Church of England unrest threatens to harm links with Vatican (The Guardian 20.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury says Anglicans face severe challenge (ENI 21.7.08)
Upholding orthodoxy diluted by 'false gospel' says Anglican group (ENI 21.7.08)
Anglican Confab Unlikely To Resolve Differences Over Gays (AP genom 365gay 21.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury to spell out new rules for Anglicans (The Telegraph 21.7.08)
Faith without charity at Lambeth Conference (The Telegraph 21.7.08)
Bishops back plea for 'inclusive communion' (The Independent 21.7.08)
Anglicans Face 'Severe Challenge' (AP genom Washington Post 21.7.08)
Anglican Bishops Meet in Canterbury (New York Times 21.7.08)
Anglican leader dismisses talk of schism (Reuters genom The San Diego Union-Tribune 21.7.08)
Communion not headed for a schism, says Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican Journal 21.7.08)
Archbishop Kolini speaks out on Lambeth conference (The New Times 21.7.08)
When is a boycott not a boycott? (Musings of an Episcopal padre 21.7.08)
Church crisis: Simmering dissent, pleas for unity and grass skirts in the aisles as Anglicans meet (The Guardian 21.7.08)
Anglican Spiritual Leader at UK Summit Says Fellowship in Crisis Over Homosexuality (AP genom Beliefnet 21.7.08)
A strange logic (Of course, I could be wrong... 22.7.08)
Anglicans Could One Day Be Led by a Woman: Bishop (Reuters genom Washington Post 22.7.08)
Hemlighetsmakeri kring Lambethmöte (Kyrkans Tidning 22.7.08)
Media barred from most Lambeth events (Anglican Journal 22.7.08)
Media rules create new dissent at Lambeth Conference (ENI 22.7.08)
Sudan bishops call for Robinson's resignation (Anglican Journal 22.7.08)
Lambeth Conference will deal with 'breakdown of trust' (Anglican Journal 22.7.08)
Gay bishop Gene Robinson 'must be sacked' to save church from schism (The Telegraph 22.7.08)
Gay bishop should resign for good of the church, says African archbishop (The Guardian 22.7.08)
African bishop says God should resign (Of course, I could be wrong... 22.7.08)
Lambeth rocked as Archbishop calls on Robinson to resign (Religious Intelligence 22.7.08)
Sudanese primate wants Robinson's resignation (Episcopal Life Online 22.7.08)
Bishops at Lambeth engage questions of evangelism (Episcopal Life Online 22.7.08)
Church is not wounded and bleeding, says Williams (The Guardian 22.7.08)
Conference diary (The Guardian 22.7.08)
Anglikanska krav på Robinsons avgång (Kyrkans Tidning 23.7.08)
Call at Lambeth for gay bishop to resign post (The Guardian 23.7.08)
Sudanese Anglicans reject homosexual practice (Christianity Today 23.7.08)
Gay clergy will not disappear if I resign, says Bishop Robinson (ENI 23.7.08)
Mångreligiöst på Lambethkonferens (Kyrkans Tidning 23.7.08)
Anglikanska biskopar på skyddat Lambethmöte (Kyrkpressen 23.7.08)
Cardinal Ivan Dias: Anglican Church suffering spiritual Alzheimer's (The Times 23.7.08)
Cardinal accuses Anglican Communion of 'spiritual Alzheimer's' (The Guardian 23.7.08)
Cardinal to Lambeth: Be proactive, not reactive, in combating 'culture of death' (Episcopal Life Online 23.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury says: 'Now we must work out what is really important' (The Times 23.7.08)
Bishops invited to give tribal politics a go at the Lambeth Conference (The Times 23.7.08)
Starka spänningar på anglikanskt möte (Kyrkans Tidning 24.7.08)
Afrikansk angreb på homoseksuelle (Kristeligt Dagblad 24.7.08)
Der er større problemer end homoseksualitet (Kristeligt Dagblad 24.7.08)
Conference diary (The Guardian 24.7.08)
Catholic presence at Lambeth important says Anglican leader (ENI 24.7.08)
Biskopar på marsch för världens fattiga (Kyrkans Tidning 24.7.08)
Gordon Brown joins bishops in call to cut world poverty (The Guardian 24.7.08)
Brown hails bishops' march (The Independent 24.7.08)
Bishops' global poverty march (BBC News 24.7.08)
och så en rolig: Lambeth Conference makes the big time... (Telling Secrets 25.7.08)
Conference diary (The Guardian 25.7.08)
Bishop accuses church of manipulating summit over 'tolerance guide' to gay clergy (The Guardian 25.7.08)
Lambeth diary: Anglicans in turmoil (BBC News 25.7.08)
A song of praise for the poet in peril (The Independent 25.7.08)
A true act of Christianity (The Telegraph 25.7.08)
Bishops do the Lambeth walk to end poverty (The Times 25.7.08)
What the activists said to the bishops (The Independent 25.7.08)
Lambeth Conference Diary: Sex, drugs but no rocks or rolls (The Telegraph 25.7.08)
Brown presses bishops over development goals (The Guardian 26.7.08)
Lambeth Conference: Archbishop of Canterbury backs Anglican 'Holy Office' (The Guardian 26.7.08)
Churches with new gay bishops could be expelled from Anglican Communion (PinkNews 27.7.08)
The BBC report in full (Of course, I could be wrong... 28.7.08)
Anglicans struggle to find a safe place for sex (The Telegraph 28.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury to create group to punish rule-breaking Anglican churches (The Telegraph 28.7.08)
Proposal calls for moratorium on same-sex blessings and gay ordinations (Anglican Journal 28.7.08)
Anglican rift needs 'swift action' to prevent 'irreparable damage' (ENI 29.7.08)
A lunatic has taken over the asylum (Of course, I could be wrong... 29.7.08)
Anglican forum to deal with controversial issues in bid to heal rift between factions (The Guardian 29.7.08)
The Sunday shop offers bishops a diversion (The Guardian 29.7.08)
Williams hotar med uteslutning (Dagen 29.7.08)
Faiths must 'pull together for future', chief rabbi tells Anglicans (ENI 29.7.08)
'In an age of fear, let us be agents of hope,' chief rabbi urges bishops (Anglican Journal 29.7.08)
Bishops, spouses hold joint session: Lambeth looks at violence against women (Anglican Journal 29.7.08)
Rowan attempts to bridge sides in human sexuality debate (Anglican Journal 29.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury accuses Anglicans of threatening 'death to each other' (The Telegraph 30.7.08)
Woman bishop claims church leaders from developing countries beat their wives (The Telegraph 30.7.08)
Lambeth Conference: Bishops who give and take a beating (The Telegraph 30.7.08)
Gay clergy: Archbishop urges Anglican factions to 'show generosity' (The Guardian 30.7.08)
Historic pub bishops favour for a pint - and a photo opportunity (The Guardian 30.7.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury's unity plea to Lambeth Conference (The Times 30.7.08)
Gay activists at Lambeth delighted Nigerian given UK asylum (ENI 30.7.08)
Anglican head asks bishops to reach out and bridge divide (ENI 30.7.08)
Kenyan Anglican leader rejects call to stop 'intervention' in US (ENI 30.7.08)
Lambeth-konferenssi: Yhteistä raamatuntulkinnan pohjaa etsittävä (Kotimaa 30.7.08)
Gay US bishop says Church will regret excluding homosexuals (ENI 31.7.08)
Lambeth Conference makes no decisions on gays in the church (PinkNews 31.7.08)
Gene Robinson reveals that he needs a bodyguard and bulletproof vest (PinkNews 31.7.08)
A flock abandoned (The Guardian 31.7.08)
Creation itself under threat from environment damage, church leaders say (The Telegraph 31.7.08)
Condemn homosexuality, Vatican official tells Lambeth conference (The Guardian 31.7.08)
Amerikkalaispiispa: Häpeän olla episkopaali (Kotimaa 31.7.08)
Rowan Williams balansakt avgör anglikanernas framtid (ledaren i Kyrkans Tidning 31.7.08)
Afrikan kirkot eivät tottele Lambethia (Kotimaa 1.8.08)
Afrikkalaispiispa: Lambeth on hengellistä sodankäyntiä (Kotimaa 1.8.08)
Liberal agenda of Western churches a 'new form of colonisation' (The Telegraph 1.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury 'betrayed churches over gay bishops' (The Telegraph 1.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury: 'I don't govern Anglican Communion' (ENI 1.8.08)
Lambeth 2008: the Anglican Communion's first blog site conference (ENI 1.8.08)
Women and gays as bishops undermine unity, says Vatican official (ENI 1.8.08)
Bishops given frank talk on rape and beatings (Church Times 1.8.08)
Group proposes standstill to ease Anglican tensions (Church Times 1.8.08)
Surmise, frustration, and interest greet proposals (Church Times 1.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury "putting church unity before gay equality" (PinkNews 1.8.08)
Ace reporter Susan Russell spells it out (Of course, I could be wrong... 1.8.08)
Tell us something we don't already know (Of course, I could be wrong... 1.8.08)
'Mini Lambeth' would be the way forward, say dissatisfied bishops (The Guardian 1.8.08)
Gay bishop led to ridicule for Anglicans, say traditionalists (The Guardian 1.8.08)
Lambeth Conference: good news for Williams (ledaren i The Times 2.8.08)
Vatikaani hautaa pohdinnat Englannin kirkon viran tunnustamisesta (Kotimaa 2.8.08)
Bishops ask Archbishop of Canterbury for an 'orderly separation' (The Telegraph 2.8.08)
Piispa Repo: Suomalainen luterilaisuus ei ole ainutlaatuista kansallista omaisuutta (Kotimaa 3.8.08)
Commentary: rebellion in the Church's ranks (The Times 3.8.08)
Anglican leader urges ban on gay bishops (AP genom USA Today 3.8.08)
Rowan Williams claims resolution on homosexuality in Church is possible (PinkNews 3.8.08)
Lambeth Conference Q&A: What has it achieved? (The Telegraph 3.8.08)
Rowan Williams claims resolution on homosexuality is possible (PinkNews 3.8.08)
Anglican leader seeks moratorium on gay bishops (AP genom the Examiner 3.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury seeks 'covenantal commitment' (Episcopal Life 3.8.08)
Dr Rowan Williams restores peace at the troubled Lambeth Conference (The Times 4.8.08)
Gay clerics certain to win struggle, Right Rev Gene Robinson says (The Times 4.8.08)
Healing the rift: how Williams kept his flock together (The Guardian 4.8.08)
Anglican conference draws to a close as divisions persist (The Peninsula 4.8.08)
Leader Calls For Curb On Gay Bishops (AP genom 365 Gay 4.8.08)
Priest for gay freeze (AP genom New York Post 4.8.08)
Anglican leader seeks moratorium on gay bishops (The West Australian 4.8.08)
Ærkebiskop står styrket efter Lambeth-konference (Kristeligt Dagblad 4.8.08)
Anglican leader says wide 'consensus' exists to heal divisions (ENI 4.8.08)
Lambeth cartoonist looks at lighter side of bishops' meeting (ENI 4.8.08)
Lambeth Conference branded 'exercise in futility' (The Telegraph 4.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury upbeat after Lambeth Conference (The Telegraph 4.8.08)
Rowan Williams: Christian unity is more than mere tolerance (The Independent 4.8.08)
Archbishop of Canterbury: Gays must wait (AP genom Advocate News 4.8.08)
Faith 1, Charity 0 (ledare i The Guardian 4.8.08)
Lambeth conference: Archbishop blames liberals for church rift (The Guardian 4.8.08)
The death of liberal Anglicanism (The Guardian 4.8.08)
Rowan Williams vädjar till kyrkorna i USA och Kanada (Kyrkans Tidning 4.8.08)
"Stay together, but not only as an association of polite friends" (PinkNews 4.8.08)
Bishop urges gay priests to "say it out loud" (PinkNews 4.8.08)
Church spends over five million pounds to keep gays in the closet (Of course, I could be wrong... 4.8.08)