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Anglicans/Questions Answered by Expert Professor Noel Cox
| Subject | Date Asked |
| powers of the PCC to determine who presides | 4/23/2012 |
| Q: Is it the case that a PCC can pass a resolution concerning "those presiding and preaching to be, as ... A: The PCC can pass such a resolution, as it is qualified. The position of these who preside and those ... | |
| The Anglican church of New Zealand: position on what happens after human life ceases? | 3/6/2012 |
| Q: I had an opportunity recently to attend a funeral service for an active believer from the Church of ... A: The Bible is clear that, after the death of our bodies, we all will face God's judgement, and also ... | |
| What's the difference? | 1/23/2012 |
| Q: When visiting new cities I often browse the phone book for available churches. I've noticed that ... A: The Episcopal churches will be the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The ... | |
| Baptism | 1/15/2012 |
| Q: I was baptized in the Church of England. At the time the CofE wouldn't baptize black babies in ... A: The best answer would be to look at the politics of the Episcopal Church today. It is liberal and ... | |
| Eucharist | 12/18/2011 |
| Q: Professor Cox, I’m a Methodist, but I frequently worship our Lord in a small Episcopal parish. Is ... A: You are quite right to have ambivalent feelings in such a situation. The belief that Eucharist lacks ... | |
| Paradise and Kingdom | 9/2/2011 |
| Q: This question was presented to our adult prayer class and no one seem to know; how to answer it. ... A: This depends on whether you mean the advent of God's Kingdom as foretold in the Book of Revelation, ... | |
| How a Female becomes a Male? | 8/4/2011 |
| Q: Gospel of Thomas Saying 114:- Unless a female becomes a male, she cannot enter into the Royal ... A: While a literal interpretation may make sense, only by understanding the deeper meanings of the ... | |
| Matthew 13:22 | 7/25/2011 |
| Q: Professr Cox, Could you please explain Matthew 13: 22 for us and also; what would be a good theme ... A: Jesus Christ Himself explains Matthew 13:22 more fully in Mark 4:18-19, "And others are the ones ... | |
| Ruth in the Bible | 7/21/2011 |
| Q: Ruth in the bible was said to be of excellence. When Ruth went to Boaz are we to take it that she ... A: Ruth is a model of loving kindness, but it would appear clear that she did indeed sleep with Boaz ... | |
| Assurance of Salvation | 7/5/2011 |
| Q: I asked a question about the unforgivable sin a year ago, and I stumbled along the answer you gave ... A: We have an assurance from Jesus Christ that we shall be saved: "He who believes and is baptized will ... | |
| Heaven or a New Earth | 7/3/2011 |
| Q: I recently read your answer to a question that addresses where we will end up for eternity. You ... A: I would suggest that Philipians 3:20-21 is consistent with the belief that we will live in eternity ... | |
| Rulers | 6/29/2011 |
| Q: Greetings Professor Cox, In my class at the University; we are discussing: "Who are the rulers of ... A: The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The ... | |
| relationships and religion | 5/10/2011 |
| Q: I have (had) a boyfriend that is extremely religious. He is a lay reader, youth representative for ... A: This is an interesting question. Some have said that a couple should have similar religious ... | |
| Biblical References | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: I am puzzled when I listen to the constant and obsessive references to homosexuality by some, not ... A: There are indeed far more references to such matters than to homosexuality. I believe that this ... | |
| Marriage | 3/15/2011 |
| Q: Do you think that gay marriage could be conducted in an Anglican church? If not, what theological ... A: Quite so, but in this case I think it would be fair to say that the very concept of two men ... | |
| Demons | 3/15/2011 |
| Q: Does official Anglican teaching include demonic possession? Is this something we have left behind in ... A: There is no official position. The Church is open to accepting that demonic possession can occur, ... | |
| Marriage | 3/15/2011 |
| Q: Do you think that gay marriage could be conducted in an Anglican church? If not, what theological ... A: Jesus made no mention of homosexuality in the context of marriage, but the authority of the Old ... | |
| International law and deposed monarchs | 12/25/2010 |
| Q: As I understand, as stated by Dr. Kerr: "The rules of International Law [govern] the various modes ... A: I agree broadly with the above. However, I am not convinced that the exercise of the honours ... | |
| Dynastic Law | 12/19/2010 |
| Q: I've been reading some articles over the internet stating that hereditary Dynastic rights can expire ... A: One of the difficulties is that we have to distinguish between the principles of international law, ... | |
| Dynastic Law | 12/16/2010 |
| Q: I've been reading some articles over the internet stating that hereditary Dynastic rights can expire ... A: Legal rights can expire without the intervention of a court - the latter is declaratory rather than ... | |
| spiritualism | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: What is the Anglican church's attitude towards Spiritualism? Can you be a spiritualist and also a ... A: There is no official position. Many Anglicans in the past were spiritualists, though this is rarer ... | |
| willfun sin | 11/8/2010 |
| Q: I just had a question about the bible and Gods word. If you could help me I would greatly thank you. ... A: I believe that there is always hope - even for Christians who willfully sin. They have a chance to ... | |
| Anglican prayer bead and the rosary and Christianity at large | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: Professor Cox: I'm glad and thankful I found you here on All experts. Let me tell you a little ... A: There is no reason at all why you cannot use a Roman Catholic rosary. As an aid to prayer it is ... | |
| Evil | 10/22/2010 |
| Q: Would you mind taking the time to answer some of my questions? I am worried that some paths that I ... A: I would consider evil to be the deliberate commission of an act, or an omission, knowing that this ... | |
| Gnostic Gospels | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: I recently watched a fascinating programme exploring the Lost Gospels.In your opinion, why have ... A: The Church of England isn't able to change the Bible to include new books. The present collection ... | |
| Death and the Afterlife | 10/1/2010 |
| Q: I keep wondering how to respond to the question that people often ask when a loved one has died: ... A: The simple answer would be with Jesus in Heaven. I'm sure that many people do feel the presence of ... | |
| Death and the Afterlife | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: I keep wondering how to respond to the question that people often ask when a loved one has died: ... A: The Bible is vague as to the details of what happens to us after death, other than to say that ... | |
| theology, sola fide, justification by faith, apostolic succession, episcopate | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: How does the anglican church differ from the lutheran church? A: The short answer is not greatly. This is evidence by the Porvoo Common Statement of 1992, by which ... | |
| Liturgy | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: I am a Roman Catholic who recently attended an Episcopalian funeral service and I was struck by how ... A: Similarities are due to a number of factors. Firstly, the Anglican liturgy comes from the Roman ... | |
| Church Services | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: Our parish is part of a team. Our own PCC decided to arrange a Mattins Service (not a Communion) on ... A: Firstly apologies for the delay in answering this question, but I was on a retreat, and forgot to ... | |
| Ecumenical View | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: i have studied Hans Kung's book, Theology for the Third Millennium: An Ecumenical view. i would like ... A: It is hard to say that there is a common position in the Anglican communion. However this form of ... | |
| PCC (powers)measure 1956 | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: As a village historian, I am exploring the effects of the switch from Vestry government to Parish ... A: The difficulties you highlight are important. Without going into detail, I would conclude that the ... | |
| alpha | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: I am an Anglican and I just heard some things about the Alpha course. I was told they encourage ... A: Speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, is anciently acknowledged - it is found in the Bible - but is ... | |
| Old Testament | 12/30/2009 |
| Q: Do you see the Old Testament as an allegory, a collection of folk tales and highly symbolic? Is it a ... A: I would say that the Old Testament is a mixture of all the above. It is important largely from an ... | |
| devil | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: How do Anglicans view the devil? I kind of belive in fallen angels and such. I do not like when ... A: Yes, that was my meaning. Eschatology, or the end of days, is described in the Book of Daniel and ... | |
| devil | 12/16/2009 |
| Q: How do Anglicans view the devil? I kind of belive in fallen angels and such. I do not like when ... A: The Anglican view is not as certain as that of the Roman Catholic Church. Officially we share the ... | |
| canon law and A.R.T.I.C | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: Is it possible to view NZ Canon law online? And how does it vary to Britain's? What happened to ... A: The New Zealand canons can be found at http://www.anglican.org.nz/canons/Canonsindex.htm. They ... | |
| Women's Ordination | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I realize that the issue of women priests is now settled in many of the provinces of the Anglican ... A: This is a hard question to answer in a brief reply. The ordination of women priests does not ... | |
| Judgement of non-believers | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I have been concerned about the question of non-believers not being accepted by God. In a recent ... A: This is a belief which emphasises the unconditional parental love of God and God's plan to redeem, ... | |
| Judgement of non-believers | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I have been concerned about the question of non-believers not being accepted by God. In a recent ... A: There is, unfortunately, no clear answer. Very conservative protestant denominations maintain that ... | |
| question about the Anglican Church | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: So do angelicans base there beliefs on the bible? what is the book of common prayer? Is the bible ... A: Yes, they can marry. I am unaware of any Anglican or Episcopal on-line seminaries. Vocational ... | |
| question about the Anglican Church | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: So do angelicans base there beliefs on the bible? what is the book of common prayer? Is the bible ... A: The Book of Common Prayer is simply the Anglican collection of liturgy and prayers, derived from the ... | |
| priests who move away | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: What is your opinion of a parish priest who, when he got a job as Dean of a cathedral and left his ... A: I would say that there are two aspects to consider here. Firstly, theologically-speaking, pastoral ... | |
| Episcopal priets and parishoners | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: What is the views of the Episcopal Church with regards to a priests having a relationship with a ... A: There is no absolute prohibition on this, as there might be, for instance, in the case of a ... | |
| Question | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: I had asked you earlier about same sex marriage and you provided me with an excellent answer and ... A: This is correct, and is largely the result, I understand, of limited understanding or indeed ... | |
| Question | 4/15/2009 |
| Q: I have a question, to be clear, not from a legal perspective but strictly your opinion and thoughts ... A: Scripture is clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. Although homosexual relationships ... | |
| Confirmation | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: KINDLY LET ME KNOW THE BIBLICAL BACKGROUND OF SERVING HOLY COMMUNION ONLY TO CONFIRMED COMMUNICANTS. ... A: This is based on Church tradition rather than biblical authority. The rationale is that the ... | |
| The Anglican Church and Abortion | 12/13/2008 |
| Q: Please could you tell me which parts of scripture the Anglican Church refers to to support it's ... A: Essentially this is based on the You may care to view the briefing paper at ... | |
| al fatiha | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: I am an anglican and I am marrying a muslim. As part of the engagement she would like for us to say ... A: In my opinion the al fatiha is not blasphemous. It calls for God's guidance, and recognises His ... | |
| salvation | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: how did the anglicans achieve spiritual salvation? A: The Anglican view of salvation is somewhere between the protestant evangelical belief in faith in ... | |
| Blessing | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: I have never been blessed and I would like to be blessed Anglican. I do go to church and have tried ... A: Although the practice does vary from province to province, normally a blessing is offered as an ... | |
| God command of killing | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: Cox An Atheist asked me if your God Jesus is love and love us then why He command Saul to killed ... A: I am surprised that you write that "It shocked me that you said that command came from God not ... | |
| God command of killing | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: Cox An Atheist asked me if your God Jesus is love and love us then why He command Saul to killed ... A: The command to destroy the people of Amalek came from God, not Jesus, and this is also an Old ... | |
| Throne and Lamb | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: according to Anglicans Who is sit on the Throne in Revelation 4:10 and who is the lamb in ... A: This is rather outside the subject area I am comfortable answering - I am a canonist rather than a ... | |
Anglicans
Answers by Expert:
Professor Noel Cox
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions on theology, Anglican ecclesiology, and ecclesiastical and canon law.
Experience
I am Professor of Law, and a barrister (advocate). I am also undergoing training for ordination as a priest (in the Dioceses of St Davids and Auckland). Formerly based in New Zealand, from 2010 I have been head of the law school at Aberystyth University, Wales. I am a Distinguished Academic Associate of the Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University.
Organizations
Association of Lambeth Degree Holders;
Australasian Law Teachers Association;
Commonwealth Lawyers Association;
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans;
Legal Research Foundation;
The Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society;
The Burgon Society (Fellow);
Credo Cymru - Forward in Faith Wales;
The Foundation of the College of St George;
The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral;
The Friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell;
The Friends of St Davids Cathedral;
The Royal Historical Society (Fellow);
The Society of King Charles the Martyr;
The Society of Legal Scholars;
The Ecclesiastical Law Society;
Honourable Society of the Inner Temple;
Affirming Catholicism;
The Mission Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda;
International Commission and Association on Nobility;
Irish Peers’ Association;
Centre for Law and Religion.
Publications
Church and State in the Post-Colonial Era: The Anglican Church and the Constitution in New Zealand (Polygraphia (NZ) Ltd, Auckland, 2008);
“The Anglican Church and its decision-making structures” [2008] New Zealand Law Journal 121-124;
“The Revenge of the Arcane Exclusion Clause: The Civil Registration of Marriage and the Royal Family” (2005) 5(2) Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal 179-204;
“The nature of ministerial authority in the Anglican Church in New Zealand” (2005) 119(2) Churchman 105-136;
“The Symbiosis of Secular and Spiritual Influences upon the Judiciary of the Anglican Church in New Zealand” (2004) 9(1) Deakin Law Review 145-182;
“Dispensation, Privileges, and the Conferment of Graduate Status: With Special Reference to Lambeth Degrees” (2002-2003) 18(1) Journal of Law and Religion 249-274;
“The Influence of the Common Law and the Decline of the Ecclesiastical Courts of the Church of England” (2001-2002) 3(1) Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion 1-45
Education/Credentials
Apart from my legal training I have an MTheol from the University of Auckland (on the validity of Anglican Orders), an MA from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Examination in Theology (a "Lambeth degree", on the basis of the legal authority of the Anglican church in New Zealand), and an LTh from the University of Wales Lampeter.
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