July 9, 2008

July 9, 2008

The Archdeacon of Canterbury began the day with the Introduction “Was Eve framed?” She set her remarks in the context of her 30 years in ministry in the Church of England first as a Deaconess, then deacon and now priest and archdeacon. Those from countries other than England were transported back 30 years to their own past experiences by the stories of the C of E women!

Dr. Paula Gooder, a New Testament scholar, engaged us in a Bible Study on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 called “Transfiguring Glory”. It was a different look at what Paul might have been saying about his authority as an apostle of Christ.

After lunch, a panel of Bishop Victoria Matthews, the Rev’d Dr. Katherine Grieb and the Rev’d Mother Anita Cook from the Sisters of the Church, spoke on the topic of vocation/ambition. +Victoria offered the images of pregnant woman or midwife for leadership in the church. Dr. Grieb offered the George Herbert poem, “Aaron” as a model. Sister Anita reminded the listeners of the history of Abbess’s in leadership in the church.

The afternoon ended with the Eucharist in the village church celebrated by the Archdeacon of Oxford. After a wonderful dinner, it was hard to go back to work, but we did to hear a panel on Formation and Theological Education. Dr. Jenny Plane Te Pas from Aetearoa, New Zealand, the Principal of St. John’s College, attributed some of the difficulties in the Communion at the present time to poor theological education. She suggested that we need to get beyond identity politics and tribalism to contribute to the Reign of Christ and justice for God’s world. Clare Amos of the Anglican Communion Office pointed out that both the Anglican Theological Review and the Journal of Anglican Studies most recent issues have focused on Theological Education in preparation for the Lambeth Conference. She announced a Conference for 2009 for women seeking advanced degrees in order to teach at Theological Schools. (Anyone interested?) Dr. Esther Mombo from St. Paul’s University, Limuru, Kenya, spoke about how they are making theological education accessible to all people, not linking it only to ordination. There was much in what was said in this session that relates to our focus area on Anglican Christian Formation.

The evening ended with the Bach Cello Suite played by one of the participants in the college chapel.