Preface
[1.0] The House of Bishops, meeting in the 73rd General
Convention of the Episcopal Church, resolved to continue to study and be in
conversation about issues of human sexuality. The resolution called for the
Theology Committee of the House of Bishops, in consultation with the Pastoral
Development Committee, to prepare a report on the matter, in the hope that a
Mind of the House resolution will result.
[1.1] The following paper is the product of an eighteen-
month study undertaken by the Theology Committee. The House of Bishops Theology
Committee consists of six bishops and seven academic theologians of the
Episcopal Church who represent diverse theological viewpoints. The Committee
has not attempted to consider exhaustively all the issues related to the
subject of human sexuality, but has focused primarily on those brought before
the 73rd General Convention. The scope of this paper, therefore, has not
included consideration of bisexual and transgendered persons or the broader
range of heterosexuality. It has been our special concern to encourage the
Church to think about how disagreement over issues of human sexuality may
become open to God's grace.
[1.2] In our choice of language and approach we have
attempted to respect the dignity of all persons whose lives and faith are
affected by the complex subject of human sexuality. We have been sensitive to
the cross-cultural issues of the Anglican Communion of which we are an integral
part. For instance, we have consciously chosen to speak of "homosexual persons"
rather than the self- appellation of "gay men and lesbians" as widely used in
the United States of America. We have met in the context of corporate worship
and prayer and have held our questions before God for guidance. We have sought
wisdom from Scripture, reason, and tradition. We have been sustained by our
mutual faith in Jesus Christ and our commitment to God's mission of
reconciliation in the Church and the world.
[1.3] We offer this work to the House of Bishops and the
Church, to the glory of God and in faith that, as our Lord promised, the Holy
Spirit continues to guide the Church into all truth (John 16:13).
Introduction
[2.0] The Episcopal Church in the United States, the
worldwide Anglican Communion, and many other Christian Churches and other faith
traditions, are engaged in a debate over issues surrounding human sexuality.
Our age has experienced new challenges in the understanding of the meaning of
sexuality and its ordering for the good of persons and society. Scientific
research into the complexities of human sexual behaviour and technologies such
as birth control and in vitro fertilization are changing how many in our world
view human sexuality. We believe sexuality is one of God's wonderful, complex,
confusing, and, sometimes, dangerous gifts. At the same time, we have been made
freshly aware of how sexuality can be cheapened and exploited in human society
and made an occasion of sin, hurt, and disorder, rather than the blessing God
intends it to be.
[2.1] One of the more challenging areas of human sexuality in
our Church is homosexuality. A certain percentage of human beings experience
and understand themselves to be homosexually oriented. Homosexual persons are
increasingly visible in our society, our churches, and our communities,
bringing particular challenges and gifts to Christian ethical and theological
understanding.
[2.2] The Christian community, from generation to generation,
must address the new spiritual and moral concerns that emerge in the experience
and understanding of God's people. The right ordering of human sexual behaviour
has always been an aspect of the Jewish and Christian visions of the good for
human life and society. In relation to new and emerging learning about the
experience of homosexually-oriented persons, our Church especially struggles
with two related questions: (1) Is it ever appropriate to pronounce the
Church's blessing on same-gender relationships as we do on heterosexual
marriages and, if so, under what conditions? (2) Is it ever appropriate to
ordain non-celibate homosexual persons, and thereby commend them as "wholesome
examples" to the Church and society, and, if so, under what conditions?
The Theological Context
[3.0] Before addressing issues of homosexuality directly, it
is important to reiterate the context within which this debate is taking place,
namely that of Christian theology. Christian theology seeks to discern and
articulate the grace and truth of God revealed in Jesus Christ and to guide the
Church in mission. God, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has
lovingly created the world and all that is therein. Human beings are graciously
created in the divine image (Gen. 1:26a), but we have fallen into sin and fail
to live into the fullness of this gift and calling. In his life, death,
resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has
restored us to unity with God and each other and calls us to become agents of
reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are called to
grow into, rejoice in, and herald God's grace for all creation.
[3.1] We believe the Old and New Testaments are the revealed
Word of God and contain all things necessary to salvation. We further believe
that the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are enduring statements of the essentials
of the Christian faith and express our basic beliefs about God and God's saving
work. The truth of the Creeds is further expressed in the teaching, ascetical
discipline, and ordering of the Church in its pastoral ministry. The Creeds and
the great Ecumenical Councils of the Church thus help us to interpret and live
into the saving story of Scripture. They shape the inherited faith of the
Church in which we stand as Anglicans.
[3.2] In baptism all Christians are born anew by water and
the Spirit (John 3:5), incorporated into the Body of Christ, and made part of
the Church's disciplined communal life of worship and witness. Theology is the
way in which we speak of the mystery of God and express the faith of the
Church. Theology is both derived from and informs our common life in prayer and
sacrament. As we pray so we believe, and as we believe so we pray.
[3.3] As Christians, we seek to hold all our thoughts before
God for guidance and blessing. We know this is especially important in times of
intense disagreement. We pray for God's wisdom, for the continual conversion
and illumination of our minds and hearts. St. Paul teaches that the wisdom of
God is the great reversal of strength and weakness, as the world understands
these (1 Cor. 1:27- 30). Political, military, economic, and social power often
bespeak spiritual weakness. God's wisdom and strength is displayed in the
humility of the Incarnation and cross. The cross unites enemies (Eph. 2:15-16)
and reconciles those who are separated and divided by difference. Enmity and
division ill befit the Church, and weaken its ministry and service to God's
mission.
[3.4] With Christ, the wisdom and the power of God (1 Cor.
1:24), we humble ourselves to one another as evidence of God's reign in which
we participate by virtue of our baptism. Therefore, we commit ourselves to hold
up our deliberations, especially our most painful areas of disagreement, to the
wisdom of the cross and to the loving mutual scrutiny and testing of the
spirits (1 John 4:1) to which Christ crucified and risen calls us as members of
his Body.
The Complex Gift of Human Sexuality
[4.0] Sexuality is a fundamental and complex aspect of human
nature, which we both use and abuse. As Christians we believe it is part of
God's good creation and intended to be a source of blessing and joy for human
beings. We also believe sexual desire and behaviour can be an occasion of sin
leading to personal unhappiness and social disorder.
[4.1] The links between love and sexual pleasure testify to
the way in which sexuality blesses human intimacy. Sexual intimacy has a public
and social dimension as well. When healthy and well-ordered, our sexuality and
sexual expressions contribute to the health and stability of individuals and
society. Levels of sexuality and intimacy are factors in all human
relationships and receive a range of expressions along a spectrum of
relationships, from friendship to family in its various configurations. Within
the context of marriage healthy sexual intimacy supports the couple and the
possibility of children and their care and nurture.
[4.2] Yet this great and mysterious gift is often the cause
of pain to individuals and suffering throughout society. Human beings are most
vulnerable in sexually intimate relationships. Our sexual lives can be very
fragile and complex. When disordered, sexual behaviour can destabilize human
society and become a means of exploitation and damage. The staggering divorce
rate in the United States, the proliferation of serial marriages, and the
increase of promiscuity, especially among the young, attest to the varied
struggles many experience around sexuality.
[4.3] Why did God give humankind this wonderful and often
overwhelming gift? If we thought it was solely as an aid to intimacy and
pleasure, we might come to a particular set of conclusions. Alternatively, if
we believed it was solely designed as a means of procreation, our conclusions
might be of quite a different character. Our conviction is that God's gift of
human sexuality embraces all of these goods, which are perfected in a yet
higher reality, namely, making present in creaturely life a self-sharing and
mutual fidelity that images the divine life and nurtures and protects both
partners involved and the well-being of the social order.
[4.4] Holy Scripture teaches that God gave sex as one of the
means for married persons to share themselves with each other (1 Cor. 7:3-5);
for procreation (Gen. 1:28); and to be an icon, on the human level, of the
relationships between God and the people of Israel, and Christ and the Church
(Eph. 5:25-33).
[4.5] We also recognize there is a range of sexual identities
among human beings, and a portion of the population experiences itself as
having a homosexual orientation. As Christians, we affirm that persons of all
sexual orientations are created in the image of God, and they are full members
of the human family. The Church vigorously denounces discrimination and
violence based on sexual orientation, and we call upon all members of our
society, and especially members of the body of Christ, to honour their
baptismal vow to respect the full humanity and dignity of every human being
(BCP 305).
[4.6] If we have correctly discerned God's purpose in giving
us the gift of human sexuality, and if there are those both within and outside
of the Church who experience themselves as exclusively homosexual in their
sexual orientation, difficult questions inevitably arise as to what patterns of
sexual intimacy are most congruent with the holiness of God's self-giving life.
In particular, many are asking, with attendant pastoral concern, whether some
forms of homosexual activity might be open to God's blessing in ways the Church
has not previously recognized. Does the Church remain persuaded that all
expressions of homosexual intimacy are sinful, or are there conditions under
which we might be able to recognize that intimacy as a source of God's
blessing, just as is true in some, though not all, expressions of heterosexual
intimacy?
[4.7] If some, though not all, expressions of homosexual
intimacy might be open to the blessing of God, might they also be open to the
blessing of the Church? If so, which ones? Under what conditions? Would the
Church's blessing be considered in any sense a marital blessing? Parallel or
analogous to marriage? Or something else? And if something else, what?
[4.8] If some, though not all, expressions of homosexual
intimacy might be open to the blessing of God, and the blessing of the Church,
is it thus appropriate for the Church to ordain as "wholesome examples" certain
non- celibate homosexual persons? Again we would have to ask: which ones? And
under what conditions?
[4.9] These questions are controversial in part because they
challenge the Church's traditional understanding of human sexuality which can
be summarized as follows: Holy Scripture nowhere condones homosexual practice;
in fact, a few passages of Hebrew Scripture and of letters of Paul explicitly
condemn homosexual acts; marriage is defined as the joining together of a man
and a woman; marriage is the only appropriate setting for genital sexual
intimacy; the norm for singleness, as for marriage, is chastity; but in the
case of singleness that norm means abstinence.
Disagreement and Division
[5.0] The Episcopal Church, and the larger Anglican
Communion, belongs to the tradition of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Church, and we are thereby bound by the decisions of the first Four Ecumenical
Councils. These decided the Trinitarian identity of the one God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, Creator of heaven and earth; and the full humanity and full
divinity of Christ. These two great doctrines anchor the Church in orthodoxy.
As Anglicans we further believe Christian unity is grounded in the principles
of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (BCP 876- 878). It is our conviction that
only those issues that undermine these foundational doctrines and commitments
should constitute grounds for separation within the Church.
[5.1] We are aware, of course, that many other matters over
the long course of Church history have in fact divided the Body of Christ. In
many cases institutional arrogance, corruption, or timidity have underlain
Church fracture. Other instances of Church division have been highly
principled, including some over doctrinal issues that were never universally or
even generally agreed upon at any council or public synod. Often such divisions
are framed as a necessary pursuit of holiness.
[5.2] Nevertheless, authentic fidelity to Christ cannot posit
the Church's unity and holiness over against one another, for they are
integrally related marks of Christ's Body and only flourish as they are held
together. It is a serious question whether the unity and catholicity of
Christ's Body can ever rightly be held over against its holiness or
apostolicity and vice versa. In other words, the holiness of the Church cannot
be received from God and exercised apart from the continual conversion to
Christ that the unity of the Church calls forth from us all. Apart from an
abiding commitment to remain with one another in Christ, the desired holiness
of one position or another may tend to fall into exclusivity and
self-righteousness. Conversely, apart from a faithful desire to seek the
holiness and moral goodness of Christ's Body, an intention to uphold the unity
of the Church may lapse into unrooted toleration.
[5.3] We believe that disunity over issues of human sexuality
in general, and homosexuality in particular, needs to be taken seriously by all
members of the Church. And diverse opinion needs to be respected. But we do not
believe these should be Church-dividing issues.
[5.4] There are those among us who believe that Scripture
and/or the order of nature render all homosexual behaviour intrinsically
sinful, and therefore the normalization of any homosexual intimacy in
liturgical and sacramental practice would so radically depart from the Church's
historic teaching and practice that it would cut to the very integrity of the
biblical historic Faith. Even though homosexuality has never been the subject
of an ecumenical council or the cause of Church division, normalizing any
homosexual behaviour, and thus, arguably, changing the Church's understanding
and teaching regarding marriage and sexual propriety, would be considered by
some due cause for delegitimising such a Church.
[5.5] There are others among us who believe that statements
of Jesus and admonitions of Paul which call all within Christian community to
lives of mutual upbuilding and fidelity open the door to re-evaluating at least
committed homosexual relationships. For some, the refusal to normalize those
homosexual relationships that are intended to be "life-long committed
relationships . . . characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and
respect, careful, honest communication and the holy love which enables those in
such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (Resolution D039,
from the 73rd General Convention) is the perpetuation of discrimination,
prejudice, and injustice.
[5.6] Many Christians believe homosexual relationships as
described in 5.5 to be holy and to indicate God's blessing on their unions. The
Church's unwillingness to bless such unions or to accept individuals in such
unions as appropriate candidates for ordination is seen as an oppressive
betrayal of Christ's love and the denial of the unfolding of the Holy
Spirit.
[5.7] The challenge we now face is how to maintain the unity
of the Church in the face of such intense disagreement. Despite the common
Faith that makes us one, we confess that on the issues surrounding human
sexuality just now, we are of different minds. The depth and complexity of
human sexuality are reflected in the multiple understandings and
interpretations held by thoughtful people. There are at least three major
perspectives: (1) Homosexuality is constitutional, i.e., an unchangeable given.
Some believe this form of sexuality is a gift of God and therefore good in and
of itself. As a gift of God, homosexuality is to be accepted and affirmed by
those of this sexuality and those who support them. Others argue that even if a
given, homosexual behaviour is nonetheless an offence against nature and may be
contrary to the will of God. (2) Homosexuality is a psychological reality that
might be changed through therapy. (3) Homosexuality is a social construct of
gender identification and therefore malleable.
[5.8] Regardless of the origin of homosexuality, there are at
least two contrary positions regarding homosexual intimacy: (1) Homosexual
genital expression is always sinful and is not acceptable within the Christian
ethic. (2) Some homosexual genital expression is legitimate and Christians
should lend pastoral support for such relationships. Neither the complexities
nor the issues end here.
[5.9] Some understand the conflict sparked around
homosexuality to be a matter of justice calling for redress of grievances and
violence suffered by homosexual persons at the hands of both Church and
society. Others see it as a pastoral issue, calling for compassion. Some
believe that the intent of long-term faithful relationships among homosexual
persons should be adequate grounds for normalizing them. For others intent does
not address the issue. In a world in which all things have been corrupted by
sin, neither our affections nor our intentions alone can be dispositive. Some
see questions about homosexuality linked to questions about heterosexuality,
while others object vigorously to making such connections. Some believe there
is in homosexuality an inherent disposition to promiscuity, which undermines
any argument that such unions should be blessed. Others are offended at this
suggestion, and point to the high rate of heterosexual promiscuity in reply.
Still others feel the Church is paralyzed by debates about this issue which
distract us from pressing needs for attention to mission. Others would say this
is an integral part of our mission.
[5.10] To overcome the painful disagreement present among us
over these matters, some believe compromise is necessary to preserve the unity
and peace of the Church, while others believe that compromise with the truth as
they understand it is not possible.
Questions about Same-Sex Blessings
[6.0] The question before the Church is whether some
homosexual relationships are, like some heterosexual relationships, open to the
blessing of God through the Church, or are they always inherently sinful? And
for those who believe that at least certain homosexual practices are sinful,
the question must be raised, "how sinful"?
[6.1] We have insisted there are no doctrinal grounds for
inhospitality to homosexual persons as members of the Church. What, then are
the grounds for refusing to bless the relationships of homosexual couples who
are prepared to commit themselves to the same standards and vows as do
heterosexual couples?
[6.2] The Episcopal Church is committed "to support" those
whose relationships of sexual intimacy are other than those of marriage. As
noted above, it calls all such persons, whether heterosexual or homosexual, to
standards of life-long commitment, "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual
affection and respect, careful, honest communication" and the kind of "holy
love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image
of God" (Resolution D039, from the 73rd General Convention). The question
remains, does extending this support include pronouncing the Church's blessing
on such relationships?
[6.3] Those who argue for the Church's blessing see it as an
ecclesiastical support for the difficult task of sustaining long-term faithful
unions. They contend that the Church need not choose between supporting
heterosexual marriage and supporting the concerns of homosexual relationships.
Just as the Church's blessing on Christian marriage is for the sake of the
common good as well as for the psychological, physical, spiritual, and
emotional well-being of the partners, so the Church's blessing on relationships
of homosexual couples may be argued on grounds that have little to do with
homosexuality per se.
[6.4] Those who argue against the Church's blessing believe
it is a contradiction in terms to bless relationships that involve behaviour
proscribed by God. More broadly, they object that changes in the Church's moral
teaching on this question will impair the larger witness and mission of the
Church.
[6.5] Liturgy provides cohesion for the Anglican Communion,
and it is through our liturgies that we define what we most deeply believe as
Christians. Because at this time we are nowhere near consensus in the Church
regarding the blessing of homosexual relationships, we cannot recommend
authorizing the development of new rites for such blessings.
[6.6] For these reasons, we urge the greatest caution as the
Church continues to seek the mind of Christ in these matters. This will require
a diligent and perhaps painful willingness on the part of the Church to engage
in focused conversation among all of us, and an openness to the guidance and
movement of the Holy Spirit. We urge the Church to cherish all members of the
Body of Christ without fail, and to seek always for the fullness and diversity
of that unity we are called to in Christ (Rom. 12:4-8).
[6.7] We call upon the Church to develop and provide pastoral
support and spiritual guidance and specifically to provide prayers as we
wrestle and discern the will of God with regard to human sexuality and its
various expressions.
Questions about Ordination
[7.0] There is a subset of questions that needs further
exploration. Chief among them is whether unmarried, non-celibate persons,
heterosexual or homosexual, should be ordained. In our polity, ordination is at
the discretion of the bishop as overseer in the community of faith with the
advice and consent of the Standing Committee. Sexual discipline and holiness of
life must be a very serious consideration for bishops, Standing Committees, and
Commissions on Ministry as they discern what constitutes a "wholesome example
to all people" (BCP 544).
[7.1] We affirm the responsibility of Dioceses to discern and
raise up fit persons for the ministry of word and sacrament to build up the
body of Christ in that place. We call on bishops and Standing Committees to be
respectful of the ways in which decisions made in one Diocese have
ramifications on others. We remind all that ordination is for the whole
Church.
Living in Disagreement
[8.0] Our present conclusion is that equally sincere
Christians, equally committed to an orthodox understanding of the Faith we
share, equally looking to Scripture for guidance on this issue, are deeply
divided regarding questions with respect to homosexuality. It will be crucial
for all parties in this debate to ask God's blessing on their ever-deepening
conversion in Christ, and to pray for God's love and forgiveness to be granted
to all. Faithfulness and the courage to offer love and acceptance to those with
whom we disagree is the great need of the moment.
[8.1] For these reasons, we believe it is imperative that the
Episcopal Church refrain from any attempt to "settle" the matter legislatively.
For a season at least, we must acknowledge and live with the great pain and
discomfort of our disagreements. The act of trusting those with whom we
disagree intensely bears witness to the reconciling power of God, which is
always beyond our imagining. Sensitive restraint and mutual forbearance is
needed rather than a vote that might "win" the argument for some and leave
others seemingly rejected. "Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak,
slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness" (James
1:19- 20).
[8.2] At the Lambeth Conference in 1998, the bishops of the
Anglican Communion addressed questions of human sexuality. Although
overshadowed by a controversial Resolution on Homosexuality, the report, Human
Sexuality, was well crafted, and we believe it remains relevant to the present
discussion. We share the principal conclusions of the report:
Clearly some expressions of sexuality are inherently contrary
to the Christian way and are sinful. Such unacceptable expressions of sexuality
include promiscuity, prostitution, incest, pornography, paedophilia, predatory
sexual behaviour, and sadomasochism (all of which may be heterosexual and
homosexual), adultery, violence against women and in families, rape and female
circumcision. From a Christian perspective these forms of sexual expression
remain sinful in any context. We are particularly concerned about the pressures
on young people to engage in sexual activity at an early age, and we urge our
churches to teach the virtue of abstinence.
All human relationships need the transforming power of Christ
which is available to all, and particularly when we fall short of biblical
norms.
We must confess that we are not of one mind about
homosexuality. Our variety of understanding encompasses:
i) Those who believe homosexual orientation is a disorder,
but that through the grace of Christ people can be changed, although not
without pain and struggle.
ii) Those who believe that relationships between people of
the same gender should not include genital expression, that this is the clear
teaching of the Bible and of the Church universal, and that such activity (if
unrepented of) is a barrier to the Kingdom of God.
iii) Those who believe that committed homosexual
relationships fall short of the biblical norm, but are to be preferred to
relationships that are anonymous and transient.
iv) Those who believe that the Church should accept and
support or bless monogamous covenant relationships between homosexual people
and that they may be ordained.
We have prayed, studied and discussed these issues, and we
are unable to reach a common mind on the scriptural, theological, historical,
and scientific questions that are raised. There is much that we do not
understand.
(Called to Full Humanity, Section 1 Report, pages
16-17)
[8.3] We encourage the continuing examination of God's gift
of human sexuality. We urge Church leaders everywhere, both within our own
household of faith and in other denominations, to join us in seeking the mind
of Christ and the wisdom of God. But the responsibility for doing so is not
reserved to theologians and ecclesiastical leaders alone. All those who bear
the name of Christ share such responsibility. We believe that by patience,
prayer, and continuing study, with forbearance and charity for all, God will
guide the Church through this season of conflict to a place of reconciliation
and peace for all. Let us support each other in love and prayer.
Prayer
Guide us, O God, in our continuing consideration of human
sexuality to be responsive to and respectful of all persons, their ideas and
experience. Convert and empower us to listen penitently and, with humility, to
speak honestly with one another. Set our disagreements within the mutual
knowledge and love which we experience in you as Holy Trinity. Whenever we
experience fear, anger, or mistrust with one another, give us new hope and
consolation in your never-failing love for your children. In all things, let us
submit our ideas to your thoughts, our desires to your will, and our actions to
your purpose. In our diversity as members of the Body of Christ, help us find
our way, through Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer. Amen.
The Members of the Theology Committee:
The Revd Michael Battle, PhD
Ellen Charry, PhD
The Rt
Revd Theodore A Daniels, DD
The Revd Ian T Douglas, PhD
The Rt Revd
William O Gregg, PhD
The Revd Canon James E Griffiss, PhD
The Rt Revd
John W Howe, DD
The Rt Revd Robert W Ihloff, DMin
The Revd Mark
McIntosh, PhD
The Rt Revd Henry N Parsley, DD
Russell R Reno, PhD
The Rt Revd Catherine S Roskam, DD
Kathryn Tanner, PhD