The Oath of Canonical Obedience

The Oath of Canonical Obedience by Gerald Bray

The oath of canonical obedience, sworn by all ordained ministers of the church of England, raises vital questions of conscience and integrity. Something which should foster confidence and trust instead arouses suspicion of being vague, ambiguous and idiosyncratic.

As Gerald Bray observes, “Though apparently straightforward enough (and rarely burdensome), these canons have in fact caused considerable disquiet in recent years, particularly among clergy who believe (rightly or wrongly) that episcopal power in the church is increasing and that it is more likely to be abused in the future than it has been in the past. The reasons for this belief are both institutional and spiritual.”

“The whole concept of ‘canonical obedience’ needs to be thoroughly reworked. The basic principle has a certain validity, but there are too many uncertainties and ambiguities in the existing canons for them to inspire much confidence in any practical attempt to enforce church discipline and unless this can be corrected, such attempts are likely to cause more difficulties than they will resolve.”

It may be read online or downloaded as PDF.

First Published 2004: 52 pages

ISBN: 0 946307 51 2

EAN: 9780946307517

Price: £2.50

Other booklets by the same author:

LS16 Language & Liturgy

LS18 Sacraments and Ministry in Ecumenical Perspective

LS32 A Christian Theological Language

LS67 Heresy, Schism and Apostasy

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