Two polls conducted by the Gallup organization indicate that the Church of England clergy adhere more closely to orthodox Christian beliefs than the church’s laity.
Among Anglican clergy, including several bishops who participated, two out of three believe in the Virgin Birth as historical fact. Sixty-two percent accept New Testament miracles as historical fact, while 32 percent consider them to be the interpretation of the gospel writers. Seventy-seven percent believe in Christ’s bodily resurrection.
In contrast, a nearly identical Gallup poll of Church of England parishioners indicates that 52 percent of the laity believe in the bodily resurrection. Only 31 percent regard New Testament miracles as fact, while 45 percent say they are interpretations.
Correction
An article in the December 14, 1984, issue misrepresented a statement by Abe Funk, executive director of the Baptist General Conference (BGC) of Canada. Funk was paraphrased as saying the Canadian BGC would reflect a slightly more conservative stance than its American counterpart in the area of biblical inerrancy. The article should have reported that the Canadian BGC statement on inerrancy is “more definitive” than that of its American counterpart. “The Canadian statement on Scripture—which varies slightly from the U.S. statement—is an attempt only to speak to issues of the day,” Funk said, “and is in no way to reflect our unhappiness with the U.S. statement.”
