Mr. Nazir-Ali's criticism needs to cover the "entire theological front" in the Church of England, front to backend, theology proper to eschatology. And probably a good sweep in the episcopal bench too.
Church of England's new baptism service condemned by former bishop
Michael Nazir-Ali criticises new 'culturally appropriate' wording being trialled until April as C of E 'dumbing down' own teachings
Michael Nazir-Ali, former bishop of Rochester, said the whole thrust of the service of 'deliverance from sin and protection from the devil' had been set aside. Photograph: Sean Dempsey/PA
The Church of England is testing a new version of the baptism service in which parents and godparents are no longer asked to "repent sins" and "reject the devil".
The new wording – which is being piloted in 400 parishes until April – was devised in response to requests to couch the ceremony "in culturally appropriate and accessible language".
In the current version of the service, dating back to 1998, the vicar asks: "Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?", prompting the reply: "I reject them."
Parents and godparents are then asked: "Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?", to which the expected reply is: "I repent of them."
No mention of the devil or sin is made in the new version; parents and godparents are instead asked to "reject evil, and all its many forms, and all its empty promises".
The amended version has no formal status at the moment as it has not been formally approved by the church's governing body, the General Synod.
But the move has been fiercely criticised by former bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali, who has accused the church of "dumbing down" its own teachings.
"Because of [the church's] anxiety to make everyone feel welcome and its desire not to offend anyone, the new service, almost entirely, does away with sin and the need to repent from its personal and social manifestations and consequences," Nazir-Ali wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
"The whole thrust of the service of deliverance from sin, protection from the devil and regeneration by water and the Holy Spirit – based on the teaching of Jesus himself – has been set aside and replaced by a 'welcome' which seems to have no basis in the promises of God, the faith of the parents and godparents, or of the church as a whole."
The former bishop said the church should be trying to communicate "crucial areas" of its own teaching rather than simply eliminating them, adding: "It is best to call a halt to this perhaps well-meant effort before it further reduces the fullness of the church's faith to easily swallowed soundbites."
The bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, used a tweet to point out that the new version had yet to be approved by synod, adding: "And I'm rather hoping that it won't! It's only out for 'experiment'. Or killing off."
A Church of England spokesman rejected suggestions that the new version represented a break with centuries of Anglican tradition, saying that the current service had twice been amended since it was introduced almost 16 years ago.
"In 2011 a group of clergy from the Diocese of Liverpool brought forward a motion to the General Synod of the Church of England requesting materials to supplement the baptism service 'in culturally appropriate and accessible language'," he said.
"Specifically the motion requested new additional materials which would not replace or revise the current baptism service but would be available for use as alternatives to three parts of the service."
The spokesman said the House of Bishops – which makes up a third of the synod – had agreed on a trial of the new service but added: "The texts have no formal status without approval by general synod."
The new wording – which is being piloted in 400 parishes until April – was devised in response to requests to couch the ceremony "in culturally appropriate and accessible language".
In the current version of the service, dating back to 1998, the vicar asks: "Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?", prompting the reply: "I reject them."
Parents and godparents are then asked: "Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?", to which the expected reply is: "I repent of them."
No mention of the devil or sin is made in the new version; parents and godparents are instead asked to "reject evil, and all its many forms, and all its empty promises".
The amended version has no formal status at the moment as it has not been formally approved by the church's governing body, the General Synod.
But the move has been fiercely criticised by former bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali, who has accused the church of "dumbing down" its own teachings.
"Because of [the church's] anxiety to make everyone feel welcome and its desire not to offend anyone, the new service, almost entirely, does away with sin and the need to repent from its personal and social manifestations and consequences," Nazir-Ali wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
"The whole thrust of the service of deliverance from sin, protection from the devil and regeneration by water and the Holy Spirit – based on the teaching of Jesus himself – has been set aside and replaced by a 'welcome' which seems to have no basis in the promises of God, the faith of the parents and godparents, or of the church as a whole."
The former bishop said the church should be trying to communicate "crucial areas" of its own teaching rather than simply eliminating them, adding: "It is best to call a halt to this perhaps well-meant effort before it further reduces the fullness of the church's faith to easily swallowed soundbites."
The bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, used a tweet to point out that the new version had yet to be approved by synod, adding: "And I'm rather hoping that it won't! It's only out for 'experiment'. Or killing off."
A Church of England spokesman rejected suggestions that the new version represented a break with centuries of Anglican tradition, saying that the current service had twice been amended since it was introduced almost 16 years ago.
"In 2011 a group of clergy from the Diocese of Liverpool brought forward a motion to the General Synod of the Church of England requesting materials to supplement the baptism service 'in culturally appropriate and accessible language'," he said.
"Specifically the motion requested new additional materials which would not replace or revise the current baptism service but would be available for use as alternatives to three parts of the service."
The spokesman said the House of Bishops – which makes up a third of the synod – had agreed on a trial of the new service but added: "The texts have no formal status without approval by general synod."
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