COVENANT Number 16

An opportunity

by Lisa Hunt

The Diocese of Tennessee is faced with an opportunity (another word for crisis) in the aftermath of our 74th General Convention and the subsequent ordination of Canon Gene Robinson to the episcopate in the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Whatever, it won't be Anglican

by John M Gessell

In 1895 a Bible conference of conservative protestants held in Niagara famously issued what became known as the five points of fundamentalism in reaction to what was then the new biological science and to historical criticism of the scriptures thereby installing ignorance and superstition as creedal claims. A comparison of the first article of "A Common Confession of the Gospel" as issued by the American Anglican Council (AAC) reveals that association as perilously close to Fundamentalism.

The Lust for Certainty

by Richard Wheatcroft

In his recent book, When Religion Becomes Evil, Richard Kimball states that the first sign to look for is "absolute truth claims." This sign can be seen clearly in what he calls, "the abuse of sacred texts." Texts are abused when they are read selectively and interpreted by authority figures as literal and therefore as absolute truths. Judged by such criteria, biblical literalism can be evil.

Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Christ's Passion, Our Passions, Cowley Publications, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2002, 92 pp., $9.95.

William Blaine-Wallace, Water in the Wastelands: The Sacrament of Shared Suffering, Cowley, 2002, 102 pp

Christopher Bryan, And God Spoke: The Authority of the Bible for the Church Today, Cowley, Cambridge:, 2002, 149 pp

Charles Hoffacker, A Matter of Life and Death: Preaching at Funerals. Cambridge: Cowley, 2002. 112 pages. $12.95

Editorial - The Big Chill

The mail

Neibuhr on Forgiveness

Obituary - Robert Gould Tharp

"Did the Woman Say"

Peripatetikos

A reminder