THE ANGLICAN VOCATION IN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY by Randall Nolan BA

371 Pages·2017·1.8 MB·English

A Mediating Tradition: The Anglican Vocation in Australian
Society
Author
Nolan, Randall
Published
2008
Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
School
School of Arts
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/159
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
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A MEDIATING TRADITION: THE ANGLICAN
VOCATION IN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY

by

Randall Nolan
B.A. (Hons.) (University of NSW)
B.D. (University of Sydney)
Grad. Dip. Min. (Melbourne College of Divinity)

School of Arts
Faculty of Arts

Griffith University

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

May 2007
ABSTRACT

The Anglican Church of Australia agreed to a national constitution in 1962. Yet at a
national level it is hardly a cohesive body with a sense of unity and common
purpose. Historically, Australian Anglicanism developed along regional lines, with
the result that diocesan separateness rather than national unity became enshrined as a
foundational principle of Anglicanism in Australia. This study questions this
fundamental premise of the Anglican tradition in Australia. It argues (1) that it is not
a true reflection of the Anglican ethos, both in its English origins and worldwide, and
(2) that it prevents Anglicanism in Australia from embracing its national vocation.

An alternative tradition has been present, in fact, within Australian Anglicanism from
the beginning, although it has not been considered to be part of the mainstream.
Bishop Broughton, the first Anglican bishop in Australia, was deeply sensitive to the
colonial context in which the Anglican tradition was being planted, and he adapted it
accordingly. So too, a century later, Bishop Burgmann of Canberra and Goulburn
argued for Anglicanism to embrace its national vocation. The views of both these
pioneering bishops were consistent with the national principle that lay at the heart of
the Anglican ethos from as far back as the English Reformation. The central part of
this study explores this national emphasis in Anglican thought, which is present in
the thought of Richard Hooker and received renewed emphasis in the writings of
Broad Church Anglicans like Coleridge, Arnold and Maurice in nineteenth century
England. The national principle did not disappear with the birth of global
Anglicanism. The principle of inculturation, always implicit in the Anglican tradition
in England, now became an Anglican imperative. The American Revolution
indicated that the vocation of each cultural expression of Anglicanism is intricately
bound up with the life of the particular society to which it belongs. A study of
Lambeth documents demonstrates this growing cultural awareness within global
Anglicanism. The present crisis of authority in the Anglican Communion should not
be allowed to divert attention away from the national vocation of each particular or
national church, in keeping with one of the central tenets of the English Reformation.

Important theological and ecclesial issues are at stake. It is very easy for
Anglicanism to lapse into an in-house conversation, forgetting that doctrine is part of
a human and not just an ecclesiastical conversation. At the heart of the Anglican
ethos is a ‘reconciling method’. In a fragmented world, Anglicanism is called to be a
mediating presence, engaging with the differences that threaten to divide nations and
communities. The Anglican via media needs to be released from ecclesiastical
confinement to do its proper work within national life. So too, the notion of
‘comprehensiveness’, long considered to be a central aspect of the Anglican ethos,
needs to be placed at the service of the national and international community,
especially in a post-colonial world. Conversation and community need to take
precedence over fragmentation and hostility. The Anglican tradition was made for
such a time, and needs to apply its theological and ecclesial resources to broader
issues than its own survival. Ultimately it is a question of integrity: whether
Anglicanism is prepared to embody its vision of unity within its own life, and to
share it with the wider human community; whether it is willing to live with the risks
of engagement, accepting that the ongoing tension between gospel and culture is part
of its vocation.

The final section of the study will seek to apply these insights to the Australian
context. Anglicanism has, in fact, been part of the Australian story from the
beginning of European settlement. It must not retreat into a private religious world,
or assume a comfortable establishment status as it tended to do in the decades after
Federation. It needs to be part of the ongoing debate about Australia – what Australia
is and what it stands for. The Anglican tradition must both engage in the
conversation about Australia and act as a prophetic and mediating presence,
especially at the points of tension which cause fractures in national life. Particular
attention will be paid to three key themes in Australian life: the Anzac tradition, race,
and land. Each of these presents Anglicanism with both a challenge and an
opportunity. Australia needs the insights and resources that the Anglican tradition
brings, and Anglicanism needs to grasp that it is both Anglican and Australian. It
must therefore get its own house in order for the sake of the nation.
DECLARATION

This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in
any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis
contains no material previously published or written by another person
except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. While drawing on
many sources, the structure and the argument of the thesis are my own
work.

………………………………….
Randall Nolan
May, 2007
CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction 1
Anglicanism and the Australian Story 4
The Writings of Bruce Kaye 9
Identity and Vocation 13
The Argument in Outline 16

PART 1 FORMING A ‘NATIONAL’ CHURCH

1 Before and After the Constitution 21
Towards a National Constitution 22
The Quest for Autonomy 23
Diocesan Separatism 27
The National Constitution 33
The Problem of National Unity 35
The Unfinished Agenda 42
Conclusion 47

2 Alternative Voices: Broughton and Burgmann 51
William Grant Broughton 56
Broughton’s Background 57
The Collapse of Establishment 58
The 1850 Bishops Conference 62
A Lasting Legacy 66
E.H. Burgmann 68
The Formative Years 68
The Bush Bishop 70
A Great Patriot 75
Conclusion 77
PART 2 THE NATIONAL IDEA IN ANGLICANISM

3 The Changing Face of Ecclesia Anglicana 80
The English Reformation 82
Developments after Hooker 86
The Anglican Evangelicals 90
The Oxford Movement 94
Conclusion 98

4 Broad Church Views 102
Samuel Taylor Coleridge 104
Thomas Arnold 108
F.D. Maurice 111
William Reed Huntington 118
William Temple 121
A ‘Church in Society’ Tradition 124
Conclusion 130

5 The Anglican Communion 135
Cultural Diversity within Britain 140
The American Experience 144
Lambeth Documents 153
Autonomous Provinces 166
Conclusion 170

6 The Shape of a Mediating Theology 173
Inculturation and the Via Media 175
A Post-Colonial Communion 180
The ‘Static’ and ‘Mystical’ Via Media 186
Doing Theology Contextually 192
Beyond Fragmentation 196
A Matter of Integrity 208
Conclusion 213
PART 3 BEING ANGLICAN AND AUSTRALIAN

7 Joining the Australian Conversation 217
Religion in Australia 221
The Australian Settlement 230
The Radical Nationalists 235
The Age of Uncertainty 242
The Enigma of Manning Clark 247
Conclusion 253

8 In Search of the Nation’s Soul 257
Nation and Community 259
National Myths and Assumptions 265
The Spiritual Meaning of Anzac 266
The Question of Race 276
The Land and its People 286
Conclusion 293

Conclusion: A Church for the Nation 298
The Recovery of Corporate Memory 301
Living with Difference 306
An Australian Church 309

Glossary 312

Bibliography 318
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In 1995 I attended a residential school in Auckland, New Zealand, organised by the
Melbourne College of Divinity. Dr. Graeme Ferguson, who had earlier served as
Principal of the United Theological College in Sydney during the formative years of
my theological studies, was one of the principal speakers at the conference. His
passion for contextual theology, which had earlier left its mark on me, was rekindled.
Although I now belong to the Anglican tradition, I nevertheless wish to pay tribute at
the outset to his visionary leadership and his passion for a theology of engagement.

While the spark which ignited this thesis was kindled in New Zealand, the
subsequent work has taken place in Australia, the United States, Wales and Japan. I
am grateful to Griffith University for allowing me to pursue my research in this way.

I am indebted to my Associate Supervisors, Professor Wayne Hudson and Dr
Rosemary Gill, for their helpful suggestions in the early stages of my research when
the project was beginning to take shape. Dr. Don Edwards, my Principal Supervisor,
has consistently provided both encouragement and astute criticism from beginning to
end. I owe him a considerable debt of gratitude and respect. His comments were
always insightful and appropriate. I have no doubt that his partnership in this project
was a crucial factor in enabling its completion. The flaws in this work, however,
remain my own.

I am grateful to the Parish of St Alban’s Anglican-Episcopal Church, Tokyo, for
providing both time and funds for study leave at St Deiniol’s Library, Harwarden,
Flintshire, in August 2006. The time spent in the library enabled me to sharpen my
insights into the Anglican Broad Church tradition. My thanks also to the staff of the
library, which is an excellent facility by any standards.

To my wife Fran, who has walked this journey with me from the beginning, I am
especially grateful for endless patience, encouragement and trust.

Tokyo
May 2007
INTRODUCTION

I begin this discussion a decade ago, at the first National Anglican Conference held
at the Australian National University, Canberra, in February 1997. The conference
was the first of its kind, a popular rather than a legislative gathering. Anglicans from
all over Australia – laity, clergy and bishops – came together to focus on the theme,
‘Exploring Our Future: Anglicans in Australia in the 3rd Millenium’.1 This theme
suggested that the Anglican Church of Australia was a church on the move, open to
new possibilities and willing to engage with Australian society. During the first
session Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley addressed
the conference, encouraging and exhorting Anglicans to engage in the life of the
nation. In their presence, the conference sang an Australian hymn with a decidedly
Australian theme. In subsequent sessions, prominent Australian academics and
commentators discussed social and political issues affecting Australian society and
how the Anglican community might respond. Leading Anglican speakers explored
how Anglican Christianity was managing its Australian experience. Indigenous
Anglicans were prominent, highlighting how far Anglicanism in Australia had come
since 1788, when the Reverend Richard Johnson arrived, full of faith and perplexity,
with the First Fleet.

It was a promising moment in the history of this Australian church. The popularity of
the conference, I suspect, was an indication that Anglicanism in Australia was
feeling its way forward as an Australian church. However unconsciously, these dual
threads of its life – being Anglican and being Australian – were being woven
together. The conference, after all, was a self-styled ‘national’ one, with Australian
political and community leaders gracing the platform, Australian songs being sung,
and indigenous Australians being given an honoured role in the proceedings. Was not
the theme of the conference declaring that the future of this church was intertwined

1The programme and addresses of the conference are printed in the National Anglican Conference
Journal, published by Church Press Ltd. as a supplement to Church Scene, March 21, 1997.
1