From Dr Christopher
Knight
Sir, - May I respond to
Bishop Michael Doe's review of Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's latest
book, Triple Jeopardy for the West (Books,
12 April)?
Bishop Doe is quite wrong in
denigrating Dr Nazir-Ali's prospectus (defending English culture
and institutional life against secularism, Islamism, and
multiculturalism) on the grounds that, as your reviewer puts it,
"The world has moved on, and we need more than reaction and regret
in order to apply the insights of Christian faith for the realities
that we now face." I beg to differ.
Dr Nazir-Ali's views are
those also held by the 70 million-plus conservative Anglican
Communion members belonging to GAFCON/the Fellowship of Confessing
Anglicans. And so Dr Nazir-Ali's book will appeal not just to
"disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" and the Sevenoaks stockbroker belt,
but to a very wide readership indeed. Of course, Dr Nazir-Ali was a
member of the founding committee behind the organisation of
CAFCON/FCA.
It perhaps says much about
the state of the Church of England (in both 2003 and 2009) that Dr
Nazir-Ali was first brutally overlooked for the see of Canterbury
and then overlooked for the see of Durham. He is the best
Archbishop of Canterbury we never had. Triple Jeopardy for the
West shows us just why.
It is my good fortune to
have been confirmed by Dr Nazir-Ali in 2005, and now to be a
postgraduate research student at the London School of Theology,
where the good Bishop is an Associate Fellow.
CHRISTOPHER KNIGHT
90 Crescent Drive
Orpington, Kent BR5 BE