In Depth:  Peter Jensen

This address by Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney was given on February 18 2008 and, though still completely relevant, needs to be read in that context.

The decision of our bishops not to attend the Lambeth Conference is the culmination of ten years of thought, prayer and action.

One of the gravest weaknesses of contemporary Christianity is the little attention paid to the wrath of God. We have become sentimental and have so stressed the love of God as to become unwilling to talk about his wrath.

In part this is because the culture will not let us do so. There is an outcry whenever the clear teaching of the Bible is given in public. Church members have to live in this world. They do not want their minister to talk about unpopular or divisive subjects. The minister is aware of this and he is tempted to soft-peddle on matters that are scriptural. Among them is the subject of God’s wrath.