tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post8158886646984519651..comments2023-12-24T20:48:11.634+00:00Comments on Opinionated Vicar: Sorry, more women bishops stuff.David Keenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-23096738224818539512008-07-15T22:27:00.000+01:002008-07-15T22:27:00.000+01:00Its a question of what you do with authority, do y...Its a question of what you do with authority, do you use it to lay down the law and squeeze out people you don't agree with (Thatcher, Blair), or do you use it to encourage unity (Mandela). Ok Im not sure Williams is doing great on the unity thing, but that's more to do with people who are determined not to have it than it is with him.David Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-18037551494496474442008-07-15T18:19:00.000+01:002008-07-15T18:19:00.000+01:00Tim - if Jesus had a different model in mind, all ...Tim - if Jesus had a different model in mind, all modern Christian churches have failed miserably.<BR/><BR/>Rowan Williams may only have authority in the C of E, but he hasn't led even that.ThunderDragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022244110521962876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-83473796810707899812008-07-15T15:37:00.000+01:002008-07-15T15:37:00.000+01:00Williams decision is to listen and try to keep peo...Williams decision is to listen and try to keep people on board, which given the amount of stick he gets for it, is quite a courageous thing to do. I'm not sure he communicates as well as he should do, but there are so many partisan voices getting quoted in media and blogs that he'd need about 10 full time press officers to stay on top of it all. <BR/><BR/>He has more to do than just respond to David Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-7006453598056039262008-07-15T10:20:00.000+01:002008-07-15T10:20:00.000+01:00The question is, whether Jesus originally intended...The question is, whether Jesus originally intended Christian pastors (they are not referred to as 'leaders' in the New Testament) to be 'leading a massive religious organisation... (with) people looking to him for decisions and for leadership' at all. Or did Jesus have a different model in mind?<BR/><BR/>The problem is that the secular world is applying secular criteria of leadership to bishops Tim Chestertonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13676859074652475474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-43400575437421089102008-07-15T08:44:00.000+01:002008-07-15T08:44:00.000+01:00He's not leading a country - but he is leading a m...He's not leading a country - but he is leading a massive religious organisation. He has people looking to him for decisions and for leadership, and he simply isn't providing it.<BR/><BR/>The difference between them comes down to this: Brown can't make a decision; Williams won't. <BR/><BR/>They both have the same basic role - to provide leadership for their respecive organisations. Neither is.ThunderDragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022244110521962876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-19928372264786846712008-07-14T22:47:00.000+01:002008-07-14T22:47:00.000+01:00I think, as the Sunday Telegraph 'power list' show...I think, as the Sunday Telegraph 'power list' shows, that we use non-religious criteria for evaluating religious leaders, whether from business or politics. Rowan Williams isn't leading a country, so he doesn't have to take snap decisions, and he can, quite rightly, resist pressure from other people to do so. <BR/><BR/>Brown seems to decide one thing, then change his mind or do it half-heartedly.David Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872644403415655350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35594660.post-83796785403180522522008-07-14T18:58:00.000+01:002008-07-14T18:58:00.000+01:00Maybe I was being unfair to Rowan Williams in comp...Maybe I was being unfair to Rowan Williams in comparing him to Gordon Brown - but that certainly is the impression that the general public has!ThunderDragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09022244110521962876noreply@blogger.com