Welcome to Perfect Freedom

Welcome to Perfect Freedom a new blog for exploring spiritual, theological and political issues from a liberal/radical Anglican perspective.

I can't promise never to talk about the Lambeth Conference or the current state of the Anglican Communion, but the thinking behind this blog is broader than today's headlines. 'News' rarely has the opportunity to acknowledge the genuine complexity of the simplest of issues. And there are plenty of excellent liberal commentators out there already making up for journalism's shortcomings.

So this blog is trying to be different rather than simply adding another voice to the liberal cause.

The name 'Perfect Freedom' is derived, of course, from the Collect for Peace in Morning Prayer (Book of Common Prayer):

O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord,
in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,
whose service is perfect freedom;
defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies;
that we, surely trusting in thy defence,
may not fear the power of any adversaries;
through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now I much prefer the Common Worship version to BCP but I do recognise this prayer's origins and more imoprtantly the beautiful truth that lies in the paradox that freedom is achieved through service. Only by giving of ourselves do we become ourselves. Jesus became Christ on the cross.

Perfect Freedom is also the title of what I still consider as the best statement of the liberal Christian tradition. Written by Brian Mountford it is short, concise, persuasive and totally engaging. Worth buying for your church library if it's not already there and while you're about it, buy another for your vicar.

Finally, Perfect Freedom is also the title of next year's conference of the Modern Churchpeople's Union. Now please don't be put off by the title. The MCU name may be an historical anachronism but it's a great group of thinking Anglicans (which reminds me of another web site).

To be a thinking Anglican is, of course, to ask questions; but not initially of others, always first of ourselves.

That is perhaps where a lot of the problems start. Not the practice of asking questions, but the reality that we lack the self-confidence to ask the deepest questions of ourselves first, and instead launch ourselves at others in an attempt to find security in our own prejduices and others' fears.

Lambeth was right to encourage people of difference to meet and talk together. Shame though that the circle wasn't as large as it could have been. Which raises some interesting questions about the nature of conflict.

Dave Ford