Owners? No, ‘custodians’

Sir: Upon the publication of my article “The Politically Correct Pulpit” (March 2017), I was contacted by Anglicans about a major theological problem the piece touched upon. As I wrote, the Melbourne diocese has produced a sign which runs, “We are proud to acknowledge the Wurrundjeri people as the traditional owners of this land”. After pressure from Archbishop Freier, this sign is now displayed outside many parish churches.

I am very reliably informed that in the 1960s and early 1970s, when Aboriginal land rights were being intensely debated, Anglican theologians determined that humans do not “own” land: instead, they have “custody” of it. So it was determined that Aboriginal peoples are traditional “custodians” of this land, not its “owners”. The doctrine commission enshrined this as the national church’s position, and it was taught in theological schools for decades.

So, the Archbishop’s new sign is contrary to doctrine;…