The current climate is characterised by increasingly controversial debate concerning the relation between church and state or church and the nation. The Commission’s deliberations have been marked by wide divergence on the issue, with a not unexpected tendency for those with links to the established church to be more ready to see the benefits of establishment, together with the risks of abandoning it, and those from radical or new church backgrounds relatively eager to perceive new opportunities afforded by the ‘demise’ of Christendom and the Constantinian tradition, if not indeed to hasten such demise where it is not yet complete. And of course this dichotomy goes much wider than the mere issue of establishment. We would be remiss if we did not stress at this point a fundamental division in Evangelicalism which has largely restricted progress in this area and which ultimately may prove irreconcilable.
Both Christian and secular media regularly address the theme, and arguments pro and con the established order frequently appear to fall into line with the nature and political/theological stance of the respective publication. Numerous books relating to the role of the established church appear with each successive year. The Commission has inevitably found itself having to adopt a balanced approach to the debate whilst seeking to explore viable ways forward, and perhaps inevitably this gives rise to criticism that ultimately the project is self-limiting in its scope.
