The local and international effects of the ideological agenda of the diocese of Sydney--the largest, richest, and most influential diocese in the Anglican Church of Australia--are explored in this commentary. Over the past few decades, Anglicans in Sydney have increasingly modeled themselves on the sixteenth-century English Puritans, altering church services to strictly oppose the equality of women in the Church and preventing the Church's blessing of same-sex partnerships and the ordination of gay people.With this increasing religious fundamentalism, it is theorized that a schism within the...

Sydney Anglicans, always ultra-conservative in terms of liturgy, theology and personal morality, have increasingly modelled themselves on sixteenth century English Puritanism. Over the past few decades, they have added radical congregationalism to the mix. They have altered church services, challenged church order, and relentlessly opposed all attempts to ordain women as priests, let alone bishops. Muriel Porter unpacks how Australia's largest and, until recently, richest diocese developed its ideological fervour, and explores the impact it is having both in Australia and the Anglican...