Exchange of the week A right Royal sermon?

To The Times

The sermon delivered by the Most Rev Michael Curry was, I believe, seriously misjudged and distorted what was otherwise a delightful and moving occasion. A wedding sermon should be addressed primarily to the bride and bridegroom, who are themselves ministers of the marriage sacrament, and overheard by the congregation. It certainly should not seek to harangue the world at large. It should illuminate the significance of marriage, mention some of its joys and sorrows, and the opportunities and demands that it brings, and indicate the religious resources available to meet these lifelong guides to happiness.

All of which can be achieved in five to seven minutes. This will not bring the preacher world fame, but it may well contribute something important to a marriage service, whether in a Royal chapel or a village church. The Very Rev Trevor Beeson, dean emeritus, Winchester Cathedral

To The Times

Given that some have implied that Bishop Michael Curry’s homily was somehow unorthodox, impromptu or even un-anglican, it is worth noting its tight theological construction. It began, and ended, appropriately, with quotations from Martin Luther King. The central metaphor, around which the rest was built – that of love as fire – was carefully thought out. Fire is an explosion of energy from hitherto inert but potentially combustible material. The suggestion, therefore, was that humans are similarly inert, but potentially inflammable and infectiously transformed by love.

Behind this, of course, is not merely the Song of Songs, but the teachings of Jesus. This is classic Christian preaching and meticulous craftsmanship. Stephen Prickett, Regius professor emeritus of English language and literature, University of Glasgow