| A year ago, a distinguished ecclesiastical lawyer, a diocesan chancellor, indeed, approached me about a virtual Anglican church that his son had told him of: Anglicans in Second Life. He asked whether I would take it theologically seriously as a bishop.
Second Life is an extraordinarily flexible virtual community, made possible by advanced animation technology for computer games. Yet it is anything but a game. It links with the rapidly growing social-networking developments now offered by the internet, and the result really is the possibility of a “second life”, as millions of people step out of their first lives for many hours each week.
They live through “avatars”, their online selves, in a completely absorbing electronic world, where features of flesh-and-blood life are enacted with an advanced level of pictorial realism.
Conversation, serious business transactions, music, the arts, and even spirituality are all available. Early in 2007, a number of Anglicans started getting together through a shared — and publicly available — group within Second Life.
There were already a number of other religious groups on Second Life, mostly based in the United States, and most coming from the Charismatic tradition. In April 2007, the community started to grow more rapidly, and, under the leadership of Mark Brown of the New Zealand Bible Society, purchased “land”, and constructed a cathedral.
The cathedral is self-consciously gothic-revival in style — thus very Anglican — centred around the Compass Rose at the transept crossing. There are now several services a week, and a ministry team, part lay, part clergy. There is also Bible study, prayer, and general discussion.
Pastoral encounters abound: people wander around the cathedral and precincts to view the art exhibitions that are hosted there, and fall into conversation. The time after services often serves as an opportunity for the unchurched to ask what is going on, or ask questions — often very searching ones — about theology.
It was decided — and both my ecclesiastical lawyer colleague and I endorsed this as important — that there are no sacramental services. Sacraments are personal, even physical, encounters. “Virtual” is not (quite) real. In baptism, the priest needs to know that the answers to the questions and the profession of faith are real. In the eucharist, real bread and wine are consecrated and really shared.
I believe Second Life Anglicans could, however, come close to the concept of making a “spiritual communion”, if they shared in a virtual eucharist. Anglicans have defined themselves by scriptures, sacraments, creeds, and apostolic ministry in the Lambeth Quadrilateral. People are now probing how far this can be stretched.
THIS IS NOT a “play church”, though the use of avatars rather than real names makes for complications as to what is a real identity. But Christians in real religious communities customarily take another name and the identity of a saint.
Those involved are very clear that this is different from other Churches in Second Life (and there are many of them): they decided that Anglicanism had something distinctive to offer, and this is how many members of the group think of themselves — though, as with “real” Anglicanism, the group is ecumenical. One of the ministry team is a Methodist. There are more than 420 members.
There are many other issues, of which the group is well aware, not least the opposition between “real life” and Second Life, and the dangers to vulnerable, real people in spiritual counselling, confession, and advice. But all can come: the disenchanted, the unchurched, seekers, those on the fringe. This is just like most Anglican churches, especially our cathedrals.
There are also questions of geographical boundaries: this is a global virtual church. And how can those who lead ministerially be known to be real clergy or duly authorised? This is now being explored carefully.
A SMALL GROUP of people with legal, clerical, and communications backgrounds, and from the academic worlds of mission and cultural studies, met in my home in May to spend a stimulating day discussing how to move forward, and to formalise what is happening.
Those around my dining table were joined on screen by international Second Life Anglicans gathered at their cathedral. They contributed to the discussion effectively, turning it into a global event.
All were conscious that only once in ten years is it possible to bring most of the world’s Anglican bishops together, and the intention is to generate interest at the Lambeth Conference, where a fringe event on the subject has been scheduled for tomorrow night.
This is a rather different fresh expression. There must be learning from others, for example i-Church and St Pixels. Legal and canonical questions arise, especially in relation to questions of charitable status and liability.
It is clear to me that those who visit the cathedral in Anglican Second Life find a real ministry of word and prayer, of daily Office, and spiritual encouragement. I want to stand alongside those who are exploring these new opportunities for mission as Anglicans. It will be a refreshing change from other subjects at Lambeth.
The Rt Revd Christopher Hill is Bishop of Guildford.
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