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Letter in Church Times (May 21) about Dr Bernard Randall from the Ven Norman Russell
What needs to be added to LLF resources is a biblical analysis of Critical Theory with respect to gender and identity.
Anglican Mainstream
May 26, 2021
Sir
The dismissal of Dr Bernard Randall from the chaplaincy at Trent College which was widely reported in the Press brings into focus the concerns of many clergy, teachers and others about freedom of speech and thought. Over recent years, we have heard a lot in the Church about speaking truth to power, which in practice usually means offering free advice, welcome or not, to political and business leaders. What Dr Randall has done is more profound, unmasking the unseen principalities and powers which are increasingly reshaping the default ways of thinking within our culture. One does not have to be brave as a bishop or priest to go with the flow and declare from a pulpit or platform that climate change is an urgent issue requiring attention, but what Dr Randall has done has been personally costly. He has spoken truth about a culture which is becoming increasingly oppressive and is quick to victimise its critics; he has done so in a way which is a model of courtesy and respect. There are many Christians and others who share Dr Randall's views and are afraid to say so publicly, fearing that they will be pilloried, find themselves in court, or even lose their livelihood.
Readers of the Church Times may be generally aware of Critical Theory with its roots in Marxism and Freudian pseudo-science, and aware of how that has shaped the politics of race, gender and identity, but it is probably not at the forefront of the thinking of the average Christian in the pews, mystified by why what Christians have traditionally believed is changing. If Dr Randall's decision to unmask the unseen powers which are becoming mainstream in our culture were to become the catalyst for serious engagement across the Church with these issues, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise. Moreover, it is highly relevant to the upcoming debates on Living in Love and Faith.
Living in Love and Faith has been meticulous in endeavouring to give a voice to those in our church who have found traditional church teaching and practice difficult or even oppressive. It has also sought to represent biblical teaching fairly and it offers a variety of views on how the bible should be read. What in my view needs to be added to the LLF resources is a biblical and theological analysis of Critical Theory with respect to gender and identity.
The Venerable Norman Russell
Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury 2005-2010
