Author Archive
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Friday, March 21st, 2008
With what deep irony does John report the transfer of Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate. The Jews do not enter the Roman governmental headquarters for fear of defilement-in accordance with the law-and so do not hear the words they need to hear, and never will hear. Unless, like us, at a later day through this account from John.
And the true Passover lamb is Jesus himself. They will not partake of him as they attend to the Passover requirements he is himself, in himself, fulfilling. At noon on the day of Preparation, the slaughtering of Passover lambs begins, and leaven is removed from their houses and burned. It will be at that hour that Jesus is sentenced, having been scourged and flogged within an inch of his life, the true lamb led to slaughter. Yes, for John, this too, maybe even essentially this, is what he means when he says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” As the church fathers knew, this is what it meant for Jesus to be the servant of Isaiah: he bore our infirmities and carried our sicknesses: even the sicknesses we ourselves devised in the cruel cabinets of our imaginations. Justice meant to terrify and warn. Dispensed in ruthless fashion here.
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March 21 2008 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Friday, March 21st, 2008
Our first two lessons served to expose the depths of treachery in the hearts of us all, in the heightened form of Gentile power and Jewish fear and hatred. But through it all, Jesus was neither condemning nor vindictive. He stood forth as King, through all the worst thrown his way. By this show of unworldly power the opponents of his kingdom had the secrets of their own hearts revealed, because of this and in smite of themselves. One commentator has said: “Pilate’s fear of the sinister and suspicious emperor was even greater than his awe of the mysterious personality of the Accused; his own safety appeared to him more important than a passing triumph over the accusers who were unsympathetic to him.” But God was using this all for an accomplishment it was always Jesus’ intention to fulfill, until his lips moved for the last time to form the words: “That is it; it has been accomplished.” It is finished.
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March 21 2008 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
Several things need to be borne in mind about the Communion Partners Plan as it is discussed on the internet via the lens of news stories now appearing.
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February 23 2008 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Monday, November 12th, 2007
7 November Address at Wycliffe College, Toronto
In his lectures delivered at Wycliffe College last month, Ephraim Radner has given an historical account of conciliarism and has described how Anglicanism developed over time a set of Instruments intending to maintain unity of faith in the light of missionary expansion and the emergence of nations in the New World (among other things). This did not happen from ‘the top down’ or by an anticipatory prophetic template. The relationship between the Instruments, and their relative weighting, interplay, etc, is due to a slow process of interrelationship and maturation, and flows from the fact that mission and growth is in God’s hands: this requires constant prayer and reflection in the area of accountability and mutual forbearance, provision for which cannot be given beforehand by ecclesial fiat or one-size-fits-all polity design. This also prevents one from simply historisicing the Instruments, on the one hand (the first is more important than the last), or seeing them as matters of preference or choice-competitors for our politicking-on the other. Or, it should do.
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November 12 2007 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Biblical Theological Reflection and the Rule of Faith: Threshold Considerations
In order both to set some limits and for clarity’s sake-themes to which I shall return-I understand my assignment to be: theological reflection on covenant and the appropriateness of using this term for work presently before us in the Anglican Communion. By ‘theological reflection’ I mean, giving a comprehensive account of Scripture with concern for its total witness. I take this to be the concern of one of the Articles, with a long prior history, that scripture be read in such a way that its portions be not repugnant, one with another. The same concern also animates what in our present period is called ‘canonical reading.’
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July 08 2007 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
Some Anglicans, especially critics of the authority of the Primates Meeting as an Instrument of Unity/Communion, have tended to see the four Instruments of Communion as competitors. There is no evidence that this view is held by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is himself an Instrument, and who presides at the Lambeth Conference, the Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council. Clearly he views the Instruments as mutually encouraging, even as they have a specific and discrete identity and remit.
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May 23 2007 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Friday, May 11th, 2007
From various sources and from various leaders of groups within the Anglican Communion we are beginning to see the lines of demarcation and advocacy more clearly. It would be useful to set these out and consider them as we face into a very difficult season, waiting and praying for a way forward for Anglican Christianity that is pleasing to God as 30 September 2007 approaches.
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May 11 2007 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Friday, May 11th, 2007
The Anglican Communion Institute, Inc., Windsor Bishops, Colleagues and Friends are hosting and participating in this important event together with Bishops from the Church of England and fellow workers throughout the Communion.
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May 11 2007 | Articles
Written by: Rev. Professor Christopher Seitz
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Much was accomplished through obviously difficult and taxing work by the Primates at Dar es Salaam. In one key area, it is clear that the work of two Camp Allen meetings of Windsor Bishops was endorsed at Dar es Salaam. Up until now, that work has been largely confidential though public statements were released as was possible.
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March 28 2007 | Articles
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