Osborne Report Published

Back in the 80s, before the publication of “Issues”, the Church of England commissioned a report on homosexuality. The so-called “Osborne Report” (named as such because it’s chair was the Rev June Osborne) was never formally published back then, but has now been released by the CofE. You can download it here or read below.

Click to access osborne_report.pdf

It’s fascinating reading. The outcome was basically a call for the Church of England to work towards some kind of deeper theology around the area of human sexuality, sexual identity and relationships. The specific recommendations were:

One further immediate thought. There has been much comment elsewhere about how this report was essentially junked and then Issues in Human Sexuality created. However, it seems clear to me that whilst the House of Bishops did choose not to publish this paper, it did respond to it. Section 349 reads,

and on reflection that is exactly what the House of Bishops did in issuing “Issues” and then over the past two decades increasingly officially enforcing that position at Bishops’ Selection Conferences.

Your thoughts? If you take the time to read the report, what are the bits that stand out to you? Is anything in it prophetic? Is there content that could obviously be revised 30 years on?

2 Comments on “Osborne Report Published

  1. *CTRL Fs* What, no mention of the quiddity of homosexuality that is anal sex, and the evils thereof? What politically correct madness is this? 
     ;0) 

  2. Hey, Ryan, let’s leave it to the Akinolas of the Church and his ilk like Martin Ssempa expert on gay anality, to make merry sport of that quiddity. But reading through, Osborne strikes me as laying out the territory in a much more even-handedly than its successors – and I suppose this is not surprising since it had both women and one well-known out gay priest on its committee. No wonder it was junked by their lordships.

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