A conference on the theology of marriage in the light of equal marriage was hosted by the LGBT Anglican Coalition in September 2014 at St John’s Waterloo.
Recognising current unease in the Church of England over same-sex marriage, the conference explored whether there is a theological basis for expanding the definition of marriage. If so, what might a theology of equal marriage include?
Resources from the conference can be downloaded here. Resources will be added as soon as they become available.
Professor Adrian Thatcher, University of Exeter:
Adrian’s website has material from the conference – click here
In favour of equal marriage – PDF
Conference Address (follow instructions to download and play in a media player)
Rev Dr Charlotte Methuen, University of Glasgow – Conference Address
(Follow instructions to download and play in a media player)
Marriage in history and tradition PDF
Tina Beardsley & Susan Gilchrist
Workshop: Love’s constancy & legal niceties: transgendered perspectives on marriage PDF
Simon J. Taylor
An invitation to the feast:A positive Biblical approach to equal marriage PDF
Colin Coward
Liturgies for same sex blessings and marriages PDF
Dan Barnes Davies
Digest of Thatcher and Methuen talks PDF
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For anyone critical of the movement towards acceptance – or not – by the Church of Same-Sex Marriage, these items, from the web-site of the LGBT Anglican Coalition in the U.K., are well-worth the time and effort taken to examine them in detail.
Especially rewarding are the talks given at various times by Professor Adrian Thatcher, University of Exeter, whose theological interest in the history and aetiology of marriage has produced some outstanding results – in terms of the different cultural settings, circumstances, and understandings within which the institution of marriage has been undertaken.
When critics of Same-Sex Marriage say that there has been little or no theological examination of the grounds for such a measure, these studies may well prove otherwise.
I suggest that these same critics might learn something useful from these articles on the LGBT web-site – whether or not they are prepared to think outside of the institutional square on such important issues.
Father Ron Smith, Christchurch, New Zealand
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