Farrer in the Pulpit: A Systematic Introduction to His Sermons

Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2004 by Slocum, Robert B

At its most basic level, the bread of the eucharist shared by the community gathered provides "the immemorial bond of common food," so that "those who build their bodies from one loaf are one body; just as those who draw their being from common parents are one blood."29 Those who share the blessed bread "have their common existence from a common stock. "30' Of course, when we share the bread of the eucharist, "we do not merely stock our bodies from the same stuff as Jesus used for stocking his." Our sharing the eucharist is our sharing Jesus. We have nothing as Christians "but what we draw from Christ."31 The bread is Jesus' body; we feed on him, and his body unites us.

Farrers understanding of sacramental theology translates directly into application relative to how we are to live our lives. In the eucharist we receive Jesus in our mouths and hearts, so "that we may go and be Jesus in our place and calling, and in relation to all those with whom we have to do."32 Bodily, we are to share the eucharistie sacrifice. In our own lives we are to live out Christ's dying and rising that is at the heart of the eucharist.

The church is to live in openness-to doubts, questions, differences of opinion and perspective. Farrer warns that "the spirit of faction, and of that self-hatred which is the twin of self-righteousness, can so bedevil religion as to make it a form of positive evil, and a blinding of the heart." In this light, religious believers are often seen by the world to be "grinders of axes" who do not judge with "unbiased appreciation" due to "fear of disturbing their prejudices or cherished beliefs."33 Farrer may be likened to the Episcopal theologian William Porcher DuBose (1836-1918), who states that "truth is only made known and indeed only knows itself in conflict with error."34 DuBose trusts the "collective mind of the church which sooner or later excludes what is spiritually false and includes what is spiritually true."35

Farrer strongly criticizes "the cowardice, the unwholesomeness, the stupidity and the implicit lack of faith" of some at Oxford University who were "going about here and advising their friends never to think or study along any line which raises religious doubt." The "worst" advice for an inquiring mind, Farrer states, "is to tiy not to think." He offered advice that was "positive, not negative," urging his hearers not to run away from "disquieting considerations," but to "feed your soul on God" and believe that "God is able to persuade you of his own truth by the revelation he has made."36 The church may even learn something true and valuable from surprising sources. It would be well, Farrer states, for the church to listen even to "our own heretics," and seek to understand what drove them into heresy, instead of being most concerned to condemn and suppress them7 .37 The church "need be afraid of no questionings," Farrer states, "as long as you allow a fair field and no favor," and do not weight the scale against faith.38

Eschatology