Deaths, Splits, and Such

A couple items of interest this morning in the theological news.

First, it would appear that a group of Episcopals will withdraw from the Episcopal Church to form an Anglican Church in North America. I personally regret this. It is an all too familiar occurrence in Protestant church history. I obviously don't know the situation in any detail. Perhaps the leadership of the Episcopal Church is incorrigible.

But it seems to me it is one thing to leave a parent group in protest over injustices perpetrated on others (like leaving the Methodist Church over its support for slavery) and another to leave in protest of the ordination of a gay bishop (where one is protesting a church leader, as the Donatists did when they left the church in the 400's). I wonder the fate of a group founded on separatism and that of a church left without loyal opposition in its midst.

Like I said, I don't know the details.

Second, William Placher has died. This is quite a shock, since he was just on our campus a year ago this time. The shock to those who know David Dungan, a New Testament scholar, is even greater, since he was just with them at SBL last week.