Anglican Communion in crisis: how Episcopal dissidents and their African allies are reshaping Anglicanism

Abstract

Anglican in Crisis: How Episcopal Dissidents and Their African Allies Are Reshaping Anglicanism. By Miranda K. Hassett. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2007. 320 pp. $39.50 (cloth). This gem of a book based on Miranda Hassett's dissertation in anthropology urgently needs to be. read and discussed by many throughout the Anghcan Communion. It will appeal to those still trying to understand what happened at Lambeth 1998 as they prepare for Lambeth 2008, as well as others looking for a fresh perspective on the global Anglican controversy. Hassett studied Anglicans in Uganda and in America who were forming transnational alliances before and after Lambeth 1998, alliances that are transforming the practice of Anglican Christianity. Rather than chronichng just a North-South realignment, Hassett personalizes the relationships between fellow Anglicans behind the scenes of those global debates. A third of Hassett's book is a summary of conversations with Anglicans in Uganda and the United States with reflections on how other Anglicans might learn from these relationships. In a welcome departure from more standard anthropological studies, these Anglicans are not Hassett's subjects but rather her consultants in an accessible book written in a literary rather than scholarly style. As encouraging as Hassett's version of global Anglicanism is in this book, she does not lose sight of the breakaway and controversial nature of transnational alliances. She points, for example, to the website of the American Anghcan Council (AAC), which bears the title Road to Realignment. She notes that realignment here captures the idea of connection along lines of affinity, whether within or across diocesan or provincial boundaries, rather than connection or belonging through the older Eurocentric structures of the Communion (p. 153). And Hassett does an excellent job of placing this innovation in historical context. Historically, Anglicans have respected jurisdictional boundaries that prevent bishops from crossing over and between dioceses or provinces without the permission of the local bishop. These boundaries are now being crossed by several African bishops even though the bishops of the Anglican have not intentionally agreed to change the juridical relevance of these historical boundaries. Though the bonds of affection between bishops have historically held the Anglican together, jurisdictional boundaries and the authority of local bishops are not covered by any binding agreements. And there is the rub. A number of efforts throughout the Anglican have been associated with addressing this vacuum through covenants, transnational alliances, parallel Anglican dioceses, alternative episcopal oversight, conscience clauses, and even extended conversation in diocesan conventions and synods. Yet few who are energized by such efforts appreciate that Anglicans are free to leave but no authority exists for expelling Anglicans from the Communion. Hassett provides sociological evidence that transnational alliances are actually common in many contexts, though the church is slow to capitalize on their global networking opportunities. In advance of Lambeth 2008 Anglicans would do well to consider the possible role these alliances might play in transforming cross-boundary relationships. They could be a temporary accommodation until the Anglican decides on how to proceed. …