Re-Engaging Law and Theology: Walter Dennis and the Need for an Episcopal Church Theology and Praxis of the Law

Abstract

On the question whether the Anglican Communion/The Episcopal Church has a theology of abortion, an important factor overlooked. It is the relationship between theology and law as understood in the Episcopal Church/Anglicanism. On reproductive choice, theologians, pastors, politicians, and activists rarely display an interest in the law, except on how to use it as a tool for a specific goals. I contend that the discourse on abortion (within the Church, and the body politic) would benefit from a more comprehensive understanding of the law. This practicing theology essay will introduce readers to the meaning and purpose of the law in a pluralistic and multiracial society. Through the work of William Stringfellow and Stanley Hauerwas and with special focus on the work and witness of Bishop Walter D. Dennis (Suffragan Bishop of New York 1979–1998), I seek to develop an Anglican/Episcopal synthesis for a theological praxis of the law