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A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613456400646144 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Duncan, Graham A |
| author_browse | Duncan, Graham A |
| author_facet | Duncan, Graham A |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26056 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:26.058Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/26056 A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches Duncan, Graham A vermaak@verizon.net Vermaak, Roche Francois Marriages Constitution G-6.0108 Blessings Same-gender unions Ceremonies Adopting act of 1729 The book of confessions Authoritative interpretation Unity and purity report Book of order Presbyterian church (u.s.a.) 2005 peace Sexual orientation Ordination Gay and lesbian G-6.0106b Installation Definitive guidance Permanent judicial commission General assembly Special commission of 1925 UCTD Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. Since the 1970s, the Presbyterian Church in the United States has dealt with its most divisive issue ever: same-gender relationships. Two polity debates have occurred simultaneously: 1) The ordination and/or installation of partnered gay and lesbian Christians as church officers, i.e. deacons, elders, and ministers of the Word and Sacrament; 2) The permissibility of ministers to perform and officers to participate in same-gender blessings and marriages, both liturgical and civil. This period is characterised by an absence of theological discussion and formulation of biblical and/or theological statements. Rather, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and its predecessor churches, the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and Presbyterian Church in the U.S., all used polity to guide them. This is in line with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, which decided in 1927 to solve controversial theological issues, not through theological discussion, but through polity. Since 1978, various polity processes have guided and shaped the two debates to form the current policies: 1) Presbyteries send overtures to General Assemblies, which, in turn issue “definitive guidance” statements and Authoritative Interpretations; 2) General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commissions (GAPJC) issue Authoritative Interpretations in both remedial and disciplinary cases, after complaints have moved through the ecclesiastical courts at Presbytery and/or synod level; 3) The 173 Presbyteries vote on amendments, approved by General Assemblies, to amend the Book of Order. The most notable amendment was the addition of G-6.0106b in 1997. This writer argues that G-6.0106b in the Book of Order, requiring “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness,” is a form of subscription, and, therefore, contrary to the entire history of the Presbyterian Church, which has rejected all forms of subscriptionism since 1706. Subscription to five standards briefly existed from 1910-1925, and was rejected by the 1926 and 1927 General Assemblies of the PCUSA. One ordination standard is now elevated above all other standards and, since 1997, there have been three attempts to rid the Book of Order of this requirement. W-4.9001 and G-6.0106b in the Book of Order reflect the changes made in the Westminster Confession of Faith in the 1950s, allowing for the divorce and remarriage of officers; namely marriage is between a man and a woman. Yet, it is used to exclude partnered gay and lesbian Christians from ordination and/or installation, and from participating in same-gender liturgical marriages. The debates have created camps of conservatives, centrists, and liberals, which consistently threaten the peace, unity, and purity of the church. Thousands of evangelicals and conservatives, opposed to partnered gay and lesbian officers, have left the denomination for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Additionally, Special Organisations, which are not accountable to the denomination, have added to the tension and created intolerance of others’ views. Copyright Church History and Church Policy unrestricted 2013-09-07T02:18:39Z 2009-10-02 2013-09-07T02:18:39Z 2009-09-01 2009-10-02 2009-07-04 Thesis Vermaak, RF 2009, A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26056 > C203/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26056 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07042009-213526/ © 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Marriages Constitution G-6.0108 Blessings Same-gender unions Ceremonies Adopting act of 1729 The book of confessions Authoritative interpretation Unity and purity report Book of order Presbyterian church (u.s.a.) 2005 peace Sexual orientation Ordination Gay and lesbian G-6.0106b Installation Definitive guidance Permanent judicial commission General assembly Special commission of 1925 UCTD A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title | A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title_full | A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title_fullStr | A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title_full_unstemmed | A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title_short | A historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation, and same-gender marriage debates in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor churches |
| title_sort | historical study of the polity of the gay and lesbian ordination and or installation and same gender marriage debates in the presbyterian church u s a and its predecessor churches |
| topic | Marriages Constitution G-6.0108 Blessings Same-gender unions Ceremonies Adopting act of 1729 The book of confessions Authoritative interpretation Unity and purity report Book of order Presbyterian church (u.s.a.) 2005 peace Sexual orientation Ordination Gay and lesbian G-6.0106b Installation Definitive guidance Permanent judicial commission General assembly Special commission of 1925 UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26056 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07042009-213526/ |