Tim commented on my classification of a ‘Protestant Neurosis’ – my suggestion that for some people the pressure to interpret the Bible correctly can be overwhelming, because the right attitude to Scripture is seen as the hinge of salvation. As I’m not wanting to be at all partisan about this, and as I am quite convinced there are lots of Anglo-Catholic neuroses, I thought I’d identify one and ask people if they could think of any more! Working definition of a neurosis – seeing something as a salvation matter when it isn’t. All in the eye of the beholder of course…

The clearest one for me is to do with correct ritual and procedure – that, for example, if the priest touches something with their hands (other than the host) during the eucharistic prayer then it’s all gone wrong. The neurosis is: the Eucharist is only properly conducted when the presider keeps thumb and first finger pressed together from the point of washing hands through to the washing up at the end; and underlying that is precisely the post-Corpus Christi innovations of Eucharistic theology. An example of this in my own experience was when John Sentamu played his drums in the middle of the prayer at an area gathering in Stepney – it caused uproar amongst some of my more catholic brethren.

Any more? I’m sure there must be one involving cottas.