A Theologian Reflects on Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, due for publication in early 2018
You can now listen to the lecture by The Very Rev’d Professor Dr Martyn Percy, with the response by Dr Andrew Cameron, on our podcast station below.
Professor Percy will also be expanding on the same topic as a journal article in a future edition of our quarterly publication St Mark’s Review.
Please note that there is no ‘official’ Australia Anglican position on the matters before the Royal Commission because the final report has not been released yet and ‘official’ positions are only those agreed to by annual Synods of the Anglican Church of Australia, and those of the Dioceses in Australia. It is commonplace for statements and commentary to be made by senior clergy in the Anglican communion — such as the Very Revd Dr Percy, who is a senior clergy person in the Church of England (our U.K. ‘cousins’). The view expressed should, therefore, be regarded as his own, albeit that many Australian Anglicans might agree.
The Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abusewill be released in early 2018. Already it is clear that many Anglican organisational structures were not conducive to hearing the vulnerable, and complicitly ignored Jesus’ expectation never to cause the downfall of ‘little ones’ (Matt. 18:1–10). In this lecture for Anglican church members and leaders, theologian The Very Revd Professor Dr Martyn Percy will reflect theologically on the implications of the Commission’s findings. What can be our proper ongoing responses, both toward victims of such abuse, and to the watching world? How may the Church move forward as a redeemed and responsible people?
WHEN: Monday 14 August, 7:30pm
WHERE: St Mark’s National Theological Centre, Sulman Room (View map)
The Very Revd Professor Martyn Percy is the Dean (or Head) of Christ Church, Oxford, one of University of Oxford’s largest colleges, as well as being Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Oxford.
He writes and teaches on modern ecclesiology, and as well as being a member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, is a Tutor for the Said Business School. He is also Professor of Theological Education at King’s College, London, a Professorial Research Fellow at Heythrop College, University of London, and Visiting Professor at the Centre for the Study of Values, University of Winchester. From 2004-14 he was Principal of Ripon College, Cuddesdon. Martyn, besides having the curious distinction of being the only living theologian to feature in Dan Brown’s 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, was described in the journal Theology as the British Theologian closest to being a ‘missionary anthropologist’.
Martyn has held number of roles in public life, serving as a Director of the Advertising Standards Authority, and as an Adjudicator for the Portman Group (the self-regulating body for the alcoholic drinks industry). He has served as a Commissioner of the Direct Marketing Authority, and is an Advisor to the British Board of Film Classification.
