Liberal Faith in a Divided Church [Paperback]

This book offers a strong defence of the liberal tradition within Christianity. In particular it highlights the importance that classic Anglicanism has always given to balancing the claims of Scripture, Tradition and Reason and hence to accepting the inevitability of diversity within a single Church. Clatworthy shows very clearly what is at stake in today s debate within the Anglican communion and how tragic it would be if a fundamentalist uniformity were to triumph over a reasoned diversity --Professor Paul Badham, Department of Theology, University of Wales, Lampeter

For a long time, liberals in the Church of England have been exposed to jibes that they offer a watered-down version of Christianity and have trimmed their sails according to the prevailing winds of secularism. This kind of name-calling leaves many naturally liberal Churchpeople feeling bruised, defensive, and uncertain as to whether they are really representing historic Christian teaching. Now there are signs of a fight-back. Jonathan Clatworthy s book is one manifestation of this. Clearly written, with a firm grounding in the historical and intellectual background of contemporary debates, and plenty of common sense, he argues for the properly theological truth of liberalism. This work will encourage many to move from the defensive to speak out all the more strongly for the rightness as well as the humaneness of a liberal approach. --George Pattison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford

Everything you hoped you'd never need to know about fundamentalism, and were afraid might be true. If you have ever been disturbed by the seemingly invincible advance of literalists and harsh judgementalism within Anglicanism this is the book which will give the confidence to resist. Clatworthy's arguments and evidence, if anything can, will lead to a resurgence of robust diversity and the intellectual, theological basis upon which it rests. A great deal is at stake. This book is not afraid to takes sides. Are you? --Richard Kirker, Chief Executive, Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement

Jonathan Clatworthy is the General Secretary of the Modern Churchpeoples Union, the main liberal christian organisation in the UK. He was worked as a parish priest, university chaplain and lecturer in Ethics. He Lives in Liverpool.