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LEAD STORY Going forward	As the Church of England nears its next crossroads, Christopher Hill, the Bishop of Guildford, speaking in a personal capacity (and offering no clues as to the conclusions of the Guildford Group) considers the context within which provision will be made for those who cannot accept women bishops
Blessings of silence	Nicholas Turner on why a civil partnership church blessing would be not merely illegal or inappropriate but impossible
What did they mean?	Gerry O’Brien is not happy with the House of Bishops’ pastoral statement on the Civil Partnership Act, and much prefers Archbishop Akinola’s straight speaking
Gracious patriarchy?	Margaret Laird former Church Commissioner, appreciates Archbishop Benson’s unexpectedly generous and unpatronizing attitude to women
Broken asunder	George Austin continues his study of the roots our current crises by looking back to the debate in the Sixties over marriage and divorce, and how the CofE took the wrong turning
Why worry?	Richard Simons goes from don’t-give-a-damn to outright panic after reading last month’s ND
What do they want?	David Nicholl argues that it will be the liberals who will be asking for a new province
When will they ever learn?	Geoffrey Kirk enjoys the recent Diocese of Southwark centenary history as the best practical means of getting what they want
The Catholic ‘party’	Aidan Nichols OP noted Roman Catholic scholar, gives a fresh perspective on the rise and fall of Anglo-Catholicism, and the hopes and fears of an Anglican Uniate church
God’s priestly fool	A Parish Priest necessarily remaining anonymous, shares his painful experience of adjusting his priestly vocation to his mental illness , not without some telling remarks on the current state of the church
Before Da Vinci	Simon Heans Vicar of St Barnabas, Beckenham, on the precursors to Dan Brown’s bestseller, and other related nonsense and conspiracy theories from a century earlier
30 days
LETTERS
Correspondents NIGERIA Douglas LeBlanc gives a sympathetic portrait of Archbishop Peter Akinola MALAWI Bright Sonani, correspondent for The Nation, on the recent episcopal election Australia Philip Murphy on the portrayal of the church in Neighbours
Arts, Books and other Reviews Theatre John Grainger on Guys and Dolls ART Nelson and Napoleon at Greenwich books Pope Benedict’s Way of the Cross Joseph Murphy-O’Connor’s Paul: his story Solrunn Nes’ Mystical Language of Icons Michael Faber’s The Fahrenheit Twins Endpiece On proms and promming
The joint is jumpin	Alan Edwards antiquarian bookseller in Kent, wants to be an enthusiast, but is not at all sure how to go about it
GHOSTLY COUNSEL	Dealing with dislike
DEVOTIONAL	The urgent work of prayer
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS	Defence of the common faith
The Way We Live Now	Male-female differences
Patrick Reardon	Love of the world
TOUCHING PLACE	St Peter’s, Brooke
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