[Articles of Faith] 19 Mar 2008-- Michael Poon's recent article on the Global South reveals a possible divergence between South East Asia and the African provinces. But it also contains this remarkable assertion: 'Gafcon holds before the Communion a new and unfamiliar utopia that is post-modern to its core. Webmasters and web bloggers render synodical processes irrelevant. They preside over web blogs in the virtual worlds of their own fabrication. Its power in shaping public opinion on ecclesiastical authorities simply cannot be ignored. A communion that is no longer dependent on patient face-to-face encounters and governed by geographical proximity: it is a Gnostic gospel that renders the Cross in vain.'
Gafcon 'gnostic'? Incredible. As this blogger says, the crisis in Anglicanism appears to be deepening on a daily basis. It has got to the point where my newsdesk has little understanding of what is going on, and has even less interest. The layers of schism, counter-schism, suit and counter-suit seem unending. In that sense, perhaps, the sense of having many 'spheres' of knowledge is gnostic, as is the need to be an 'initiate' to get a handle on it.
Chris Sugden's response to Poon's essay was understandably sniffy.'Canon Dr Michael Poon appears not to know what the GAFCON Pilgrimage really is, and has exercised a creative imagination on this. His view therefore gives no basis for a reasonable comment,' he told me. Meanwhile, Chris has sent out letter appealing for funds to help bishops and their wives travel to Gafcon, as Thinking Anglicans reports.The gnostics wrote little down and passed on their 'gnosis' or knowledge by word of mouth. No doubt, in today's world, they would all indeed be bloggers. So Poon perhaps has a point. But in the overall scheme of things, it is a small point. Whatever their sins, I really think it a little unfair to level this ancient heresy at the modern-day 'orthodox'.
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