So why then did over 20 bishops issue a minority report? Why are so many who wish to uphold Communion teaching and discipline not satisfied with the Pastoral Letter?

The difficulties are two-fold: the failure to express regret in the terms called for by the Windsor Report and the interpretation that must be put on the words quoted above when set in the context of the letter as a whole.

However, I think he deeply misunderstands the wider context in which I have attempted to articulate a "theology of staying put". He seems to think that this context represents a kind of general or even absolute vision of the Church and of salvation history. Thus, he looks in the index of my recent book, and sees that the Cross is mentioned many times, but the Resurrection not at all. How can this represent anything other than a truncated version of the Gospel? he wonders.

I first heard of Radner's book from clergy and laity who found it rather heavy going. Radner uses complex phrasing and extensive vocabulary. He moves with an air of mastery from century to century, theologian to theologian, concept to concept. This sense of mastery is heightened by the glowing praises on the back cover from the highest theological authorities. I strongly suspect that there may be readers who will not clearly discern the true shape of Radner’s argument.

What I learned from this work was how much emphasis the Center put on the creation and understanding of Core Values. Yes, they did have their participants write a mission statement for the new work, but they spend much more time helping the planters spell out the core values to be the foundations for this new congregation. Furthermore, they insisted that a new church should have three Core Values and no more than four! Over time I learned how true this is.

What Are Core Values?