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Re-telling the tale

This article responds to a reply by Bishop Pierre Whalon (in Theology) to an article originally published in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal in 2008. It aims to correct misunderstandings and misrepresentations and to refute criticisms of the original article. In doing so, it draws on recently published contributions to debate about the ‘polity’ of The Episcopal Church. The article also describes the context in which Whalon’s reply has been written and explains why the sentence of ‘deposition from the ordained ministry’ cannot be regarded as the equivalent of the withdrawal of a bishop’s licence.