Parliament and the Incoherence of the Five Guiding Principles

This paper examines the Church of England’s internal conflict over the ordination of women and the role of the Five Guiding Principles. It highlights the theological incoherence of fully affirming women’s priestly ordination while simultaneously accommodating those who reject it. This compromise, rooted in the 1993 Act of Synod, effectively created two parallel churches. The paper traces how parliamentary pressure, especially from the Ecclesiastical Committee, forced the Church into granting structural concessions, most importantly Provincial Episcopal Visitors, that undermined sacramental unity. Many MPs prioritised protecting dissenters over promoting gender equality, which resulted in permanent division. This is briefly contrasted with the 2014 women bishops’ legislation, where Parliament was much clearer in its demand for full equality. It concludes by suggesting the Church’s current division over women’s ministry stems from decisions made in 1993, reflecting panicked compromises rather than coherent ecclesiology.