Anglican Mainstream

AN ABSTRACT SUMMARY OF:  "CRY OUT MY BELOVED CHURCH!", A PUBLICATION BY DR. GEORGE N. MALEK
A RESPONSE TO ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU’S PREFACE TO: IN THE EYE OF THE STORM, BY GENE ROBINSON
 

Homosexuals, gays and lesbians in open (same sex) relations have the full support of the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu. Tutu has shifted the centre of his morality of sexuality from love to the notion of justice. He has given his full support to same sex marriage in open practice, granting them as far as he is concerned, full rights and privileges that the Church gives to heterosexuals in matters of service and ordination. In his own defence Tutu is willing to defend his own understanding of the Bible as a book he takes to be the "Word of God", but at once rejects many parts of it as having been racists, sexists and used to justify many evils. It is quite clear that his move is a welcomed move by advocates of "human rights" movements.

The issues at stake are the Bible as a reliable book for the Church to follow, the definition and nature of the God the Church has historically worshipped, and the identity of the Church. Having shifted the axis of morality to his notion of justice, Desmond Tutu is now shifting the authority of the Scripture from the Scripture itself to the authority of the interpreter of the Scripture. In this case Desmond Tutu is the interpretative authority at hand. This is in contradistinction to Luther’s doctrine that relied on the Scripture alone (even though behind Luther’s emphatic stand was the matter of how he, too, interpreted what the Scripture has to say). Pushing the Scripture aside as the book of the Church (no matter Tutu’s double talk), the Church is forced into an open game to be a defendant in the ongoing trial in which she presently finds herself by the advocates of "human rights".

In his response to Archbishop Tutu, Dr. Malek examines the theological, the ethical and moral issues, the identity of the Church and the identity of the God of the Church, to present a challenge to Tutu’s understanding of the nature of the Sacrament, the nature of moral creatures, the nature and identity of the Church, and the nature and identity of the pastoral ministry.

The publication presents an excellent introduction of the man, Desmond Tutu himself, and proceeds with the theological response, followed by the politico-philosophical response and closes by the pastoral response. The reading of the publication is a must for both the theologian and the ordained clergy.

The full text of the publication can be read HERE.

Dr. Malek can be reached by e-mail on: ecuminst@xsinet.co.za.
 

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