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Bishops of the Church of England. Living in Love and Faith
Welcome
Contents
Foreword
Note to the reader
An invitation
An invitation with a challenge
An invitation offered in hope
An invitation to examine ourselves
An invitation to perceive the love of Christ among us
PART ONE. Reflecting: what have we received?
CHAPTER 1. The gift of life. A meditation on the Gospel of John
CHAPTER 2. The gift of life in relationship
CHAPTER 3. The gift of marriage
The foundations of marriage
Mutuality – sharing life through love
Fruitfulness – bringing life to others and bringing others to life
Marriage as a sign
Marriage and the gift of sex
Marriage – the gift that can be lost
CHAPTER 4. The gift of learning
The cornerstone: sources of authority
Touchstones: the pursuit of truth
History
Science
Stepping stones: connecting with context
Living stones: lived experience
Encounters. Meet DAMON, CHERRY, JORDAN AND DAN
Meet some people at ALL HALLOW’S CHURCH
Meet ESTHER
Meet JOSH
PART TWO. Paying attention: what is going on?
CHAPTER 5. Society
Relationships. A changing picture
Singleness
Relationships in numbers
Marriage, relationships and fulfilment
Marriage, procreation and the well-being of children
Fertility rates in numbers
Friendship and loneliness
Sex
Sex and fulfilment
Sexual activity in numbers
Commodification
Freedom and consent
Identity and self-understanding
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation in numbers
Gender identity
Gender and sex
Society’s response
CHAPTER 6. Science
Scientific study of sexuality and gender
The science of sexual orientation
The science of gender identity. Origins of gender identity
Gender transition
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents
The science of variations in sexual characteristics: intersex
The medical sciences, sexuality and gender. Sex and well-being
Sexual orientation and gender identity as diagnoses
Mental health and social stigma
Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts
Gender transition procedures
Conclusion
CHAPTER 7. Religion
A multireligious society
Christian churches
The Church of England
Marriage. Divorce and remarriage
Marriage and civil partnerships
Same-sex relationships
Responses to trans people
The Anglican Communion
Encounters. Meet MAT, NATALIE, JADE, MEGAN AND JEMMA
Meet JAMES AND ANNA
Meet SHARON
Meet EMMA
PART THREE. Making connections: where are we in God’s story?
CHAPTER 8. A story of love and faith with hope
Divine and human love
Faith in love
Hope of glory
CHAPTER 9. A story that embraces all of life
The body
Relationships
The family
Power and pain
Reality check
CHAPTER 10. A story about being human
Dignity
Diversity
Identity
Identity in time, place and community
Identity in Christ
Dying and rising
Conclusion
CHAPTER 11. A story about being Church
Holiness
Inclusion and exclusion
Disagreement and communion
Conclusion
CHAPTER 12. A story about ways of human loving
Loving to the end: self-denial and abundant life
Celibacy
Marriage
Sex
Conclusion
Encounters. Meet WILL
Meet SOPHIE
Meet AUSTIN
Meet MIA AND HER FAMILY
PART FOUR. Seeking answers: how do we hear God?
A shared foundation
The road ahead
CHAPTER 13. The Bible
Human and divine
God’s purposes
Different approaches
Context matters
Historical context
Canonical context
Reading some relevant texts
Genesis 19 (with reference to Judges 19)
Leviticus 18.22 and 20.13
Romans 1.26,27
1 Corinthians 6.9-11
1 Timothy 1.8-11
Conclusion
Unity and authority
Evaluating the voices
Human and divine?
Disagreeing about authority
Disagreeing about the Bible’s message
Deep disagreements
The Church of England’s position
Conclusion
CHAPTER 14. Church
Listening to the tradition
Tradition and the Bible
The Bible and the Church
The rule of faith
Creeds
How does the tradition shape our reading?
The Church of England’s tradition
The Book of Common Prayer
The Articles of Religion
The role of bishops
Listening to and as the whole body
Conciliarity and communion
Taking counsel together
Power and inclusion
Voices from the margins
Conclusion
CHAPTER 15. Creation
Listening to science
Natural knowledge. Affirming natural knowledge?
Questioning natural knowledge?
Conclusion
CHAPTER 16. Cultural context
Church versus world?
Gospel and culture
Cross-cultural learning
Engaging with the cultures around us
Conclusion
CHAPTER 17. Experience and conscience
Experience
Conviction
Conscience
Identity and conviction
CHAPTER 18. Prayer and guidance
Depending on prayer
Gifts of guidance
Prayer and reason
Encounters. Meet AMELIA
Meet BEN
Meet JACK
Meet ZOE
Meet CHLOE
PART FIVE. Conversing: what can we learn from each other?
SCENE 1. A conversation about marriage
SCENE 2. A conversation about sex and relationships
SCENE 3. A conversation about gender identity and transition
SCENE 4. A conversation about the life of the Church
Encounters. Meet some people at ST PHILIP’s UPPER FRINTON
Meet some people at ST PAUL’s CHURCH HOWTON HILL
Meet some people at ST MILDRED’s CHURCH
An appeal
Glossary
Endnotes
Index of biblical references
General index
Copyright