by Martin Davie
This review is the first part of a six-part review of Theo Hobson and John Inge (eds) Created for love (Canterbury Press, 2024). I have divided the review in to six parts corresponding to the six parts of the book, because a very long review is difficult to read online.
Created for love is a collection of essays edited by the freelance Anglican writer Theo Hobson and the former Bishop of Worcester, John Inge and which has recently been published by Canterbury Press.
The subtitle of the book is ‘Towards a new teaching on sex and marriage’ and this subtitle explains the purpose of book, which is to pave the way for the Church of England to develop a new teaching on sex and marriage in the aftermath of the debate about these matters initiated by the Living in Love and Faith process.
As John Inge writes in the dialogue with Theo Hobson that forms the introduction to the collection:
….. From where I stand, there are at least two separate but interlinking issues. The Church of England is probably not yet ready to introduce same-sex marriage in church, but if we are to be supportive and affirming of gay people we have to accept that sex for them will have to take place without a marriage in church, and they should not be condemned for it. That is why some of us began to talk about relationships that are monogamous and faithful: the proper test for of whether sex in a relationship is to be affirmed or not, it seems to me. We need, therefore, two new teachings: one on sex and one on marriage. We need to argue for a change in teaching on marriage and, until that change happens, no longer put a blanket condemnation on sex outside marriage. As long as we do, we seem to be suggesting that committed monogamists relationship, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is on a par with a promiscuous lifestyle. There is also the question, which might not seem significant to many outside the Church, of whether the clergy should be allowed to enter into same-sex secular marriage. I think it would be odd for clergy not to be permitted to enter into relationships that they are able to affirm in their ministry. (pp. xiv-xv)
Inge further adds: