THE COLLAPSE OF ANGLICANISM

  

George Carey, erstwhile Archbishop of Canterbury, has glumly predicted that Christianity in Britain was “just a generation away from extinction”. Lord Carey should know about Anglicanism as he was Archbishop from 1991 to 2002, but Christianity in the round may be beyond his remit. Yet even the demise of Anglicanism would be an enormous event. As a convinced non-believer, I can understand those who simply snap “Good riddance”, but on reflection that would be uncharitably glib. Our spiritual world changes just as our political and physical world changes; the positive contributions of Anglicanism deserve to be acknowledged and honoured. 

Pessimistic ex-Archbishop George Carey

First, let us draw a line under the crimes and sins of the past. The hideous stake-burning of dissidents and later Catholics: the centuries of exclusion from power and employment of non-conformists, Catholics and Jews: superstitious burning of witches: systematic intellectual obscurantism even from the dawn of the Age of Reason; contempt for women. Much of this is ancient history although the final acceptance of women bishops only happened a day or two ago.

On the credit side, the Church of England has hugely enhanced the beauty of the English landscape

Northleach Church, Gloucestershire

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Every village had its church and many medieval ones survive, often surrounded by their churchyards redolent of the history of the place. Northleach is typical but there are a thousand others, once serving as a focus for a multitude of village activities. English parish churches are one of the glories of the country and their bells and bell-ringers are a unique feature. I need not extol the tremendous 26 ancient English cathedrals and many other religious places of beauty like Kings College Chapel, Cambridge.

King's College Chapel, Cambridge University

The Church of England has two supreme works of literature to its credit, The Book of Common Prayer of 1552 and The Authorised Version of the Bible of 1611. Both works have had an enormous influence on the English language and on the speech and mind-set of the English people. Although I am a non-believer, I am always moved by the eloquent Confession in the Prayer Book:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent; according to your promises declared unto men in Christ Jesus our Lord. Grant that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; to the glory of His name. Amen

The Authorised Version, despite quite a quantity of dross, is a mine of quotable phrases, memorable narratives and miraculous fables. The Creation myth, the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah’s ark, Moses and the Children of Israel, the Promised Land, Jacob, Esau and “the mess of Pottage”, the lyrical Psalms, - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me – then flowery Isaiah, Job and the biblical proverbs - Sufficient unto the day is the Evil thereof – To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted. The New Testament has the well-loved Nativity myths, the parables like the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan and the enticing offer: Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Paul’s paean on Charity in 1 Corinthians is deservedly treasured.

I will not debate the truth of these two books but their language is incomparable and the Church of England created them. Later revisions and modernisations take the mystery out of religious literature, fatally damaging its appeal to its adherents.

Anglicanism has been the inspiration behind great poets, especially John Milton with his Paradise Lost, but also T S Eliot and John Betjeman while John Donne and Dr Samuel Johnson produced respectively profound sermons and expressive prayers. In short the cultural contribution of the Church of England to literature and scholarship has been immense.

So why this talk of collapse? Dr Carey sees, as all the world has long seen, that his Church has lost its place in the peoples’ hearts. Congregations dwindle, revenues plummet, the priesthood diminishes and the views of bishops are ignored. The tenets of Christianity are no longer believed by the majority of Englishmen, though they are often too polite to say so. The rational modern philosophers, the historians of comparative religion, the scientists of evolution and the analysts of human psychology have seized the intellectual high ground once home to the Church. 

John Sentamu, Archbishop of York

John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, pleads for a reinvigorated ministry, for a national religious revival on the lines of John Wesley’s. He is at least a century too late. England has moved on. The Church has earned warm gratitude for its heritage but Sentamu’s successor will one day pack up his lawn sleeves, his orphreys and his mitre and turn the lock in the Bishop’s Palace for the last time. The game is over.

SMD

22.11.13

Text copyright © Sidney Donald 2013