The WINDSOR Report -- of 1971 and of 2004

I have been thinking about the name adopted for the Report of the Archbishop's Commission. As I have indicated earlier, since a recent Anglican report was called "The Virginia Report" presumably because the last meeting of that Commission was at The Virginia Theological Seminary in the USA in 1997, so it seems that the title of "The Windsor Report" was adopted for the Eames Report of 2004 because the last meeting of the Commission was at Windsor in England.

Since the Anglican Communion Office made an agreement with SPCK for the latter to be publisher, the Report needed a title that would be remembered! Thus "The Windsor Report", which the unsuspecting could think had the approval of the House of Windsor.

But what short memories and narrow vision the Anglican Communion Office must have! There has already been a Windsor Report! It was published in 1971 and was the first ARCIC [Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission] Report. And its subject was on Eucharistic Doctrine - ironic when you come to think of it because this latest Windsor Report of 2004 is all about preserving Eucharistic Communion (not with Rome!) but amongst Anglicans.


The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon October 14, 2004