Article for the May Parish Publications. In Praise of Anglican Dullness.

On 25 March, Dame Sarah Mullally was enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Canterbury Cathedral. Most of the media coverage concentrated on the fact she was the first female Archbishop, however I was amused to see veteran broadcaster Anne Diamond on GB News (don't judge me) take a different angle, when in an off-the-cuff moment she candidly confessed the forth-coming enthronement of the new Archbishop, “does not excite me.” Her co-host, Stephen Dixon, clearly felt obliged to defend the idea that the enthronement was indeed exciting news, but to be honest, I was with Anne Diamond on this one.

It's not that I don't approve of Dame Sarah Mullally, she is by all accounts a calm, compassionate, and highly competent leader, she is a former cancer nurse who rose to become England’s youngest chief nursing officer, and from her time as Bishop of London demonstrated an ability to foster unity across diverse theological traditions in the Church of England. I only know these things by reputation and reportage, but I did meet her once at a funeral reception in Wakerley, and she seemed quite personable.

Neither is it that I have yet again been overlooked for the position, my time no doubt will come. The fact is, the Church of England is not intended to be exciting. If you want glitz and glamour with your religion, then you should look elsewhere – perhaps to one of those Mega Churches in the USA, with their arena-style auditoriums, high-energy worship, and Vegas-style special events. I am often heard to say that in Anglicanism, if cleanliness is next to godliness, then dullness must come a close second.

Anglicanism is temperamentally unsuited to excitement. It is about a careful and reasoned approach, one that is mindful of nuance, and holds conclusions tentatively. Anglican leaders do not make good rabble rousers, they are not cut out for sound-bites, and none of them are probably ever going to excite Anne Diamond.

It has always been thus, I have recently been reading Rev'd Richard Hooker's, 'Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity', first published in 1597, in which he argues for an English middle way between Roman Catholicism and North European Puritanism. Hooker argued that while the Roman Church had allowed traditions to develop which contradicted scripture, the Puritans in rejecting all venerable traditions were also being unreasonable.

Here's a classic quote from Hooker that illustrates his calm and balanced approach, and his defence of the threefold authority of scripture, reason, and tradition in the life of the Church,

 “What Scripture doth plainly deliver, to that the first place both of credit and obedience is due; the next whereunto is whatsoever any man can necessarily conclude by force of reason; after these the voice of the Church succeedeth.”

Some may wonder if the Church of England has remained true to the great trilogy of scripture, reason, and tradition, but what is certain is that Hooker's words would never make a headline on GB News, or any other contemporary broadcaster. Controversy, rage bait, extreme views, divisive debates - these are the things that generate viewing numbers and online clicks.

It is the duty of our new Archbishop to be a distinctly Anglican voice in the debates of our age, that is to be calm, reasonable, and balanced, and to try to bring extreme views to a common ground. However, in an age in which broadcasters feel the need to be 'excited', and to excite their audience, I suspect she may not be heard.

We should support our new Archbishop in our prayers. The official prayer for the new Archbishop of Canterbury reads:

Almighty God,

you call your Church in every age

to proclaim the Gospel of Christ:

look with mercy upon your servant Sarah,

and grant that, as deacon, she may care for those in need,

as priest, sustain us with the ministry of word and sacrament,

and as bishop, guard the faith

and build up the body of Christ in holiness.

Give her wisdom and kindness

that as archbishop, she may promote unity, seek truth,

and lead us in the way of righteousness and peace;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.