The Lambeth Call on Human Dignity explores what it means to be made in God’s image and celebrates the uniqueness and value of each person. It also names ways in which human dignity can be undermined by personal and systemic injustice or abuse of power.
Colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, inequalities of land use, health, education religious persecution, oppression of human rights, war, conflict and exploitation or prejudices on the bases of race, gender or sexuality threaten human dignity.
The Revd Dr Robert Heaney is Professor of Theology and Mission at Virginia Theological Seminary and was part of the Lambeth Conference Design Group. He also supported the group working on the Lambeth Call on Human Dignity chaired by Archbishop Howard Gregory. He reflected on the purpose of the Lambeth Call.
The breadth of the Lambeth Call
Sexuality is a major part of the Lambeth Call on human dignity, but the breadth of the Lambeth Call on human dignity is important to Robert Heaney. As he reflected on the work of the Lambeth Call group that drafted it, he said: “The group were keen to say that there are a range of issues at work in the world and in the witness of the Church that relate to who human beings are and we wanted to speak to the breadth of issues that relate to what it means to be human beings made in the image of God.”
We are God’s Image Bearers
In describing section one of the Call, he said: “We are God’s image bearers. That image is borne in diversity. To be made in the image of God, to be called to love one another, in the fullness of what it means to be human and the fullness of what it means to be those who give glory to God, depends upon God’s rich and diverse creation. Diversity is inherent in what it means to give honour and glory to God and what it means to be a human being. Those were the big themes in section one.”
He continued: “It is God’s intention to have this intercultural community. That of course on the one hand creates what we call contextualisation. The Gospel coming alive in the context and culture of a people. But inevitably when you come together as a global Church, those contextualisations and those receptions of the Gospel – different languages and different places – can also create tension between different groups. We wanted to name that as well.”
Facing our past
“In section two we agreed that Anglicanism and the Communion has a particular history, and we must face it. Anglicans have been involved in dehumanising others. This is clearly faced. We name the legacies of colonialism, of enslaving others and abuses of power as a counter witness to the Gospel. We are saying, ‘here is what the Gospel teaches us about what it is to be a human being, but here is the history that these traditions have lived, and we want to name that’. I think that this group was bold,” he said. He explained that Archbishop Howard’s location in the Caribbean helped them call out the abuses and have the boldness to name them.
Endnotes to the Lambeth Call
Professor Heaney stressed the importance of the endnotes to the Call. He said: “With the language we use, we wanted to relate to resources and research and academic study. For example, the phrase, ‘imperialist Anglicanism’ – someone like Rowan Strong has written a book defining what he means by that. We were careful about our language, and we name colonialism and imperialism and economic systems. We name prejudice on the basis of gender and sexuality. These are forces that dehumanise people. We cite previous and ongoing discernmet so, of course, Lambeth 1.10 was not ignored”
What does he want this call to convey?
Looking ahead to the Call and webinar, he said: “This Call marked a distinct moment in Anglican history. Some of the most contentious and controversial issues that divide us were faced squarely and set in the context of faithful discernment.
My hope is that through this webinar and series on Human Dignity, people, provinces, and leaders of the Communion will reflect on what action is needed in response to the Call. In context, and across diverse contexts, the world watches as we seek to practice the redemptive and reparative Gospel we preach.”