THE EXPOSITORY TIMES 351
expression of Anglicanism is still vigorous, valid illustrious past in a church built by sea-captains and
and badly needed. It echoes Dr Michael Ramsey’s merchants, but which is now proving over-large
comment that ‘All the noise comes from the shallow and difficult to maintain. The other was United
end of the swimming pool’. Methodist, with a smaller, one-storey church built
largely by employees of the local steelworks. Previous
ROBERT JEFFERY
pressure from above to unite had foundered on the
Oxford
question ‘who is going to move?’ and had done little
good. In the end it was clear to Nzacahayo that his
work was to promote a happier relationship between
AMALGAMATION OR NOT? them by nurturing the strengths they each had and
Paul Nzacahayo, Four Churches in search of a Future: not to try any more coercion.
the Challenges and Opportunities of Amalgamation He has encouraged all the congregations to face
(Buckley and Deeside, and Glannau Methodist the problems by choosing to see them as challenges
Circuits, 2004. £5.00. ISBN 1–901231–48–8). and opportunities, reviewing their traditions, style,
In 1993 the Revd Paul Nzacahayo of the Rwandan strengths and attitudes, and then building on their
United Methodist Church came to Edinburgh to best characteristics.
study for an MTh at New College. His wife and Two of the most valuable aspects of this book are
children managed to escape the genocide of 1994 the inclusion of all the hurdles and pitfalls encountered,
and joined him. On arrival, he had very little English, and of anonymous members’ unvarnished opinions
but by 1999 he had graduated with MTh, MBA and whether of outright opposition, lukewarm acceptance
PhD. or hearty agreement.
It was clear by then that he could not return to This fresh look at amalgamation could be a
Rwanda. He was received into the British Methodist dependable resource for other churches, not just
ministry in 1999 and appointed a minister in the Methodist, wondering how to cope with similar
Buckley and Deeside Circuit of the North Wales situations.
District. In his care were two English-speaking MARGARET BATTY
congregations in Connah’s Quay, and in Flint Edinburgh
a Welsh-speaking and an English-speaking
congregation. All had been affected by changes
in or loss of local industry and all had problems
GENDER AND LEADERSHIP
with finance and buildings. The options before
them ranged from complete legal union, to loose In Does Christianity Teach Male Headship? (eds.)
partnerships, to remaining as they were, so he David Blankenhorn, Don Browning and Mary
learnt their individual histories and researched the Stewart Van Leeuwen (Grand Rapids, MI and
experiences of other churches. Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2004. £10.99. pp. xvi + 141.
In Flint, the dilapidated building of the Welsh- ISBN 0–8028–2171–5), eleven contributors debate
speaking congregation had had to be abandoned, and the issue from a variety of perspectives. Six defend
they had met for several years in the English-speaking ‘equal-regard’ marriage and five offer criticisms from
church, paying rent for its use and keeping their a range of positions. The strength of the book is this
separate identity. Just as Nzacahayo arrived, these breadth – self-consciously liberal theologians are
two congregations amalgamated under a new-name placed side-by-side with Evangelicals and Catholics,
‘Emaus’ with its reminder of Emmaus (Emaus in which means that very different arguments are
Welsh) where the travellers’ confusion and hope- used to prove the same point. The central question
lessness turned to shared confidence and hope. is less about male headship and more about the
After five years, the ‘mixed’ congregation continues problem of men – how can men be persuaded to
to develop its ‘resurrection’ identity. participate in familial relationships and does this
In Connah’s Quay, the two Methodist churches require them to assume a position of authority
have different social traditions. Before Methodist over the woman? This becomes extremely pressing
Union in 1932 one was Wesleyan, proud of its – a point on which all the writers agree – given the
352 THE EXPOSITORY TIMES
huge numbers of single-parent households in the stalemate, he notes: ‘Progress can yet be made by
Western world (usually headed by the mother). some careful probing of each of the opposing fronts.
The essays, with the notable exception of Robert That is the service that this book will attempt.’ The
Godfrey’s unsophisticated proof-texting, turn out book then proceeds in four chapters, entitled The
to be far more nuanced than might be expected Traditional Position and the Pressures for Change,
– for several authors, including Don Browning, The Value of Human Life, The Morality of Acts
Ephesians 5 turns out to be a more subversive text of Killing, and Slippery Slopes, to examine the
than it might appear on first reading. It calls for a arguments put forward by advocates of change, to
transformation of the responsibilities of men towards summarize these succinctly, and then to respond to
women and children against the Aristotelian political them.
and social structures of New Testament times. Even This is a tough programme for the reader, but
the previous Pope is shown by Lisa Cahill to be it allows a rigorous and consistent discussion.
something of a feminist when it comes to equal Professor Biggar is very fair in his accounts of
regard marriage. The question of the transience of his opponents’ arguments and in his summaries,
political conditions and the permanence of doctrine and remains on course in his responses. His
is most thoughtfully discussed in what is probably probing is always positive. He is even-handed in
the best and most balanced essay in the collection his criticisms, as when examining the distinction
by Daniel Cere. Similarly, in a provocative piece, between biological and biographical life, he writes:
Maggie Gallagher suggests a form of male headship ‘It is our judgement, then, that neither O’Donovan
conceded by the mother to ensure some sort of nor Finnis nor Grisez succeed in arguing away,
visible relation with the children. Some writers offer either theologically or philosophically, the good
solutions and call for policy change – John Witte, sense of drawing a distinction between biological
for instance, suggests different forms of marriage and biographical human life . . . To endorse the
for people with different levels of commitment. The distinction is one thing, however; to accept the
final essay by Don Browning intelligently answers definition of its terms is another.’ The following
some of the critics. There may be no conclusions, but discussion ranges widely to examine the lives of the
there is much that provokes thought in a collection of differently abled, concluding: ‘. . . this theological
essays that encourages dialogue and allows all voices account of the value of the life of the human
to be heard. This might even prove to be the most individual has two advantages over Harris’ (and
important aspect of the book – even where Christians Rachels’) atheistic philosophical alternative: it is
disagree they can begin to recognize that they can coherent and it fosters community.’
talk to one another. This is a book which could be used with a dis-
MARK D. CHAPMAN cussion group not afraid of hard work, or where the
Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford leader was prepared to do some preliminary work. It
will serve students in Sixth Forms and at university
well as a manageable but comprehensive introduction.
TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL? Professor Biggar’s definitions of terminology, which
correct the errors found in many school textbooks,
Nigel Biggar, Aiming to Kill: The Ethics of Suicide
will be particularly useful at these levels.
and Euthanasia (London: Darton, Longman & Todd,
2004. £10.95. pp. 220. ISBN 0–232–52406–8). PATRICK ALLSOP
Inevitably much of the running in the debate St Paul’s School, London
about Euthanasia has been made by those advocating
a change in the current law, perhaps most notably
James Rachels and John Harris, though there have
MILL ON GOD
been notable contributions from Christian writers
such as Oliver O’Donovan. Professor Biggar Alan P. F. Sell, Mill on God: The Pervasiveness
explicitly aims to consider the arguments for change and Elusiveness of Mill’s Religious Thought
from a conservative and Christian viewpoint. After (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004. £15.99. pp. 210. ISBN
recognizing that the debate has become almost a 0–754–61666–5).
