The Testing and Discerning of Spirits.
There are so many problems with the academic, intellectual, scholarly, theological, and pastoral reasoning and lack of integrity in this sermon, it is almost hard to know where, or best to begin.
Such a sermon needs to be analysed simultaneously through multiple disciplines, including its theology, its pastoral implications and impact, and the wider effects of this sermon upon the local and national church, and lastly upon its part in writing history. This is not even a comprehensive list through which to analyse the sermon and Simon’s position.
The sermon is divided into three parts, of roughly equal length, and they, to a large degree, depend upon each other for their integrity, or rather lack thereof. Each supposedly informs and builds the argument of the other, in reality, the twisting of history, theology and psychology in each part, totally undermines the whole sermon.
The nature of ‘Absolute Truth’ in a pick and mix world.
One of the main and blatantly obvious psychodynamics of this sermon; it is a gross example of self-exaltation, achieved by the demonisation and scapegoating of ‘others’, in this case, a much maligned, oppressed, and vulnerable people group, the LGBTQIA+ community. In doing so Simon elevates his own righteousness, holiness, and authority. This is done, in part by the bold proclamation that he, (Simon Ponsonby) is the oracle or avatar of the divine message; ‘absolute truth’. There is no sense of humility or self-reflection on his part, either upon his own very limited understanding, his own deeply sinful nature; the conservative evangelical notion of the human heart (even his own), being wicked and deceitful and bent towards pride. He perpetuates here, the myth of the holiness and divine authority of the Priesthood, the ordained, and of his own position – as being somehow able to contain this ‘absolute truth’. The self-exaltation is not just an idolatry itself; it is the desperate attempt of a dying tradition of theology and ecclesiology to maintain its power and control over the church, and over the already oppressed; to control the beliefs, behaviours, and bodies of those who are his subjects.
This is the myth that the Priesthood are the guardians of their ‘absolute truth’. His fear of the post-modern era is that it has seen the erosion of patriarchal truth, by virtue of the sciences. When they talk, as Simon does here of ‘absolute truth’ it is coded language for the justification of their own ultimate authority, power, and control over the church. What they, and Simon fear, as being the immoral, unethical soup of post-modern relativism, is in fact the encroachment of the sciences, and the truth of science, and human experience, praxis, and wisdom, upon their own authority, which they claim is a manifestation of their absolute truth.
If their absolute truth, is not absolute truth, then their authority is lost. As I and others will show, Simon in his sermon here is not teaching or preaching absolute truths, but a very poor manipulation of truth, in history, theology and psychology. Whilst he points the finger at the ‘liberalism and relativism’ of modern theology, informed by both science, praxis, and human experience, labelling it ‘a pick and mix’ of whatever truths you choose to believe, he is indulging exactly this ‘pick and mix’ approach to truth, in his own versions of history, theology, and psychology. It is a shameless hypocrisy of the worst possible kind, because he is using his failure to apply academic, intellectual, scholarly rigour and discipline to the arguments he presents as ‘absolute truth’, and he is doing so, in order to exalt his own authority as a theologian, preacher and teacher and stigmatise, demonise, pathologize an already marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed people group.
This is a priest, using his considerable privilege, platform, and huge influence within his own tribe, to curse another people group, as a community and as individuals. I will return to his use of cursing towards the end of this critique.
The Dunning Kruger Effect.
To achieve this self-exaltation at the expense of others, there are two obvious contributing factors. The first is known within psychological analysis, as the Dunning Kruger syndrome or effect. This syndrome afflicts many who assume themselves to be experts or authorities in one field, science, or discipline; to believe they are therefore an authority in other sciences or disciplines. They may not even be an expert or authority in their own discipline. What matters in the psychoanalysis of the Dunning Kruger syndrome, is that they believe they are an expert and authority. This self-belief corrupts both their true analysis of their own ability, and their character, they believe themselves and their understanding, to be greater than they are.
I have heard Simon preach many, many times, and one of his biggest failings and weaknesses, has been a continual dismissal of the liberal theology and theologians of the last thirty years, often men and women of far greater intellectual, academic, scientific, and scholarly rigour, research, and theological depth than his own. I have heard him dismiss with disdain, liberal theology, theologians, and thought, too often. This is rooted in several things, Simon’s personal insecurities, the frailty of his arguments, and again the attempt to exalt himself, and his own understanding, as being greater, better than theirs, and, as he claims in this sermon, that he is preaching ‘absolute truth’ inferring all else is lies.
The Hermeneutics behind the Sermon.
Behind Simon’s dismissal of the theology, and the science, disciplines, and scholarly rigour of the last thirty years, are his own hermeneutics. Simon’s theology is rooted in the Anglican tradition of ‘Scripture, Tradition and Reason’. As such, there is a consistent refusal on his part to acknowledge the reality and rapid advancement within most sciences, and of the development of the sciences by virtue of technology, medicine, research, and the knowledge sharing that has created such rapid advances; the world wide web, or information highway.
A Reformation of Protest against a dying Patriarchy.
The church is going through a Reformation, in its theology and practise, every bit as great as the Protestant Reformation. This time the reformation is being technology and science led. Simon is still abiding in the mindset and theology of modernism, an almost equivalent anachronism, as being unable to see the significance of the printing press in reforming theology and the church during the first protestant reformation. He is part of a second reformation of protest, yet seems unable to grasp that science is truth, as much as his version of theology might be truth.
The Reformation may have felt it had dispensed with the Pope and a Magisterium, but the Pope was not replaced by the sole authority of, ‘Sola Sciptura’, but by the interpretation of ‘Sola Scriptura’ in the hands, hearts and minds of tens of thousands of little popes; the pastors and priests. Each six-foot above contradiction, in their pulpits. These are the days of transparent Perspex pulpits, which we accept, as if they subliminally suggest a transparency in the preachers position, a shift from didactic authoritarianism? A hint at vulnerability, or learning together?
Not a chance. The preacher preaches, the church claps in obedience and acquiescence.
Theology is often referred to as the queen of the sciences, and is highly dependent upon them all, if it is to be truly authoritative. Simon’s misuse of history and science, as Charlie Bell has already pointed out, is abysmal.
In each of Simon’s three sections of, history, theology, and psychology, he indulges both flawed science, history, and experience, to substantiate his argument, whilst his reasoning in each is deeply flawed, if not deliberately, and intentionally skewed to favour his presupposed starting point.
This is the preaching, teaching and theology of someone trapped in the cyclical, closed circuit/heart and mind thinking of their own tribe, echo chamber, and his closely guarded and sealed bubble and church subculture; the dogmatic of a very narrow school of theologians, priests, and pastors. As such it lacks any ability to be either self-reflective and aware, or self-critical, the kind of blindness that stops one seeing the gaping holes and flaws in one’s own argument. Someone too frightened to admit that they might be wrong, or to the use contextual analysis of a much wider sphere of disciplines and sciences, by which to reflect on their own limited vision, opinion, findings, and understandings. Simon here suffers a classic case of Dunning Kruger syndrome.
The use of professional oratory and rhetoric skills.
One last glaring dissonance which jars heavily upon many listeners who are either LGBTQIA+ or allies, to the extent it leaves one almost stunned in unbelief, is the chasm between Simon’s compassionate tone of voice and delivery, and the words of hate he uses to describe us. I was dumbfounded on first hearing this sermon, and have had to go back and study it, several times over, to begin to understand how such a gulf could exist in a person’s lack of self-awareness and reasoning, to find an explanation for it.
Ponsonby’s tone, oozes compassion. This draws the listener and audience in, because it soothes the listener, making them believe this is God’s heart of compassion, being reflected by the preacher and teacher. I know the preacher well, perhaps better than many. In every other sermon I have heard him preach I know this to be a genuine and authentic reflection of his heart. Simon is a man of deep compassion.
I am so shocked and sickened by this sermon and its content, that I have had to question whether in this case, the compassion is real, or feigned?
The problem is, whilst the preacher’s voice oozes, and conveys a stance of compassion, his words drip hatred, judgement, condemnation, exclusion, and rejection, towards us as LGBTQIA+ people. Ponsonby is demonizing, stigmatising, and pathologizing us, pouring shame upon us, all in the name, and supposedly for the glory of his God?!
There are two possibilities; either his tone and compassion is genuine and authentic, or it is feigned. Priests have a long history, as masters of rhetoric and oratory, for being able to put on a ‘personal voice of piety’. I have a local priest who does this powerfully, and the gulf between his voice used to lead communion in a worship service, in solemnity, gravity and supposed awe and reverence of God, is a world away from the voice he uses with his mates whilst watching the rugby in his local, they could not be further apart. In one, he is trying to impose reverence of an imagined wrathful God, in the other he is trying to bond with a pub full of working-class labourers and factory workers, (to save them). Neither is authentic. There is a measure of appropriateness, but there is also a measure of acting. In charismatic circles, cultivating a speaking voice of ‘compassion’, is de-riguer. (The charismatic church, is supposedly, all about healing – one has to be seen as being compassionate, for a congregation to trust the preacher as God’s instrument of healing.) Yet this cultivated voice becomes natural with repetition, and with enough hours in the pulpit, as natural as flying a plane.
Welcome to the new church order of platform and celebrity speakers, it is an art form, and religious theatre, at its very best and worst.
Saving Gays from Hell? A theology?
The other alternative is that Ponsonby is being totally authentic, sincere, and true to himself here. If that is the case, how can he not see that the cursing, hateful words he speaks, to his LGBTQIA+ listeners and their allies, conflicts, and jars totally with the tone of his voice, so much so, as to create both confusion and revulsion in them?
His continual refrain in both introduction and conclusion, of ‘We love you’, simply does not wash, it is meaningless, a clanging cymbal, after we have been so cursed by his authority, power and words.
I happen to believe here that it is not an either/or situation, but that both theories are applicable.
I believe Ponsonby is being sincere and authentic in both his tone and his choice of words, and this is only possible, because he, like so many of his tribal mates, genuinely believes that by converting gay and LGBTQIA+ people to being straight; he/they, are saving us and gay people, from hell.
One of his tribe, former principle of Wycliffe college proclaimed,
‘95% of this nation are going to hell if they don’t have the gospel preached to them’.
Another of Simon’s, ‘mates’ whom he has frequently boasted of being close with is, Ian Paul. Paul on his blog site only this week was enthusing with one of his fans, who wrote in response to his article on Matthew 21,
‘The CoE is chock full of worldly sin lovers who, very often, live lifestyles that God has made clear he will punish with hell-fire.’
These anecdotal snapshots of the church sub-culture Simon Ponsonby belongs to, are of vital importance in understanding him, and his motivations. Whilst Ponsonby and Paul, would perhaps never be so crass, as to preach hell as the final, destiny for those who enjoy same-sex relationships, it is their cultural and theological position and home. Ponsonby was clearly alluding and pointing forwards to hell as the destiny for those who enjoy same-sex relationships, in his recent St Aldates Church, ‘Unscripted’ podcasts. Using Ephesians chapters 4 and 5, and their verses on sexual immorality, to equate that same sex relationships of any kind, are sexual immorality and anyone who enjoys them, therefore cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
He knows, we all know, that the binary biblical literalism and fundamentalism he is trapped within, inevitably leads to Revelation 21, and the sexually immoral being thrown into hell. Let him tell us otherwise?
If we believe in the eternal separation of those who enjoy same-sex relationships for eternity, then of course, its easy to believe in segregation and separation in the here and now, ‘for the purity of the church’. Yes, these are things some would happily be martyred for, or at least willing to tear the Church of England to pieces over.
For sure, passions run high, and I will, no doubt be reviled as heretic.
Simon sounds so compassionate, and is being compassionate in his preaching of this violently homophobic sermon, because he believes he, as God’s anointed and appointed, is saving us, LGBTQIA+ people, from hell. He has convinced St Aldates Church that it is their mission too.
The applause for this sermon, froze me to the very core of my being.
This sermon is a classic case of ‘messiah complex’ or, ‘white saviour syndrome’. Here, I am using ‘white’ not in any racist sense, but in the long analysis of empire and colonialism, where whiteness has always been understood to be superior. It is self-evident that Simon believes he holds the superior revelation and absolute truth regarding queer people, in the same way colonialists believed their ways, their theologies, their beliefs, were far superior to any indigenous peoples, that they felt duty bound to convert, or erase them, their identities, language, culture and beliefs.
This sermon is homophobia being embedded, maintained, and perpetuated in a parish church.
One of the largest, most successful, student outreach churches in the country.
I don’t know exactly what year this sermon was preached in St Aldates Church, Oxford, except that it is pre-Covid and pre the new Rector, Stephen Foster. What it does do, is create and prove the justification of the 18 years of campaigning against LGBTQIA+ people, their dignity, equality, rights, and spiritual freedom, by the previous Rector, Charlie Cleverly and Simon Ponsonby, as his right hand man and ‘Pastor of Theology’. There is so much evidence of this campaigning, readily available online. Letters, articles in the press and media, both local and national, even a ‘Pray Away the Gay’ conference, all of which confirm the deep prejudice and the ignorance of the church leaderships stance towards us.
The Oxford Student LGBT Societies, Safe Churches Project.
The students who created the Oxford Safe Churches Project, to maintain any kind of objectivity, have to rate churches on the hard evidence of the churches and leaders last available teachings. I think it totally reasonable, rational, and logical, that St Aldates was rated as Red, and a 1, in the light of this homophobic sermon and the podcast teachings.
Until Simon Ponsonby and the new Rector, Stephen Foster make a clear and definitive statement about their theology, beliefs and pastoral policy and practise towards LGBTQIA+ people, we can only assume that this sermon and the podcasts are their normative and operative theology.
It appears to most of us observing closely, that Stephen Foster is employing HTB Network Churches policy of secrecy and silence over St Aldates Church, about their theology and practise, is for the purpose of sucking in as many students as possible, to convert them from their gender, identity, and sexuality, to being heteronormative, and/or celibate.
This sermon is definitive apologetics for conversion therapy, almost identical, but even worse than Gumbel’s Alpha pamphlet on ‘The Christian Attitude to Homosexuality’. Until both are openly and publicly repented of, I remain convinced St Aldates Church is a dangerous place to be if you are LGBTQIA+, believe in the joy of same-sex relationships, and do not want to be sworn to life-long celibacy, or at some stage, suffer coercive teaching and efforts to make you straight?
Chrissie 