Synopses & Reviews
This book seeks to explain the ways in which Anglicans have sought to practise theology in their various contexts. It is a clear, insightful, and reliable guide which avoids technical jargon and roots its discussions in concrete examples. The book is primarily a work of historical theology, which engages deeply with key texts and writers from across the tradition (e.g. Cranmer, Jewel, Hooker, Taylor, Butler, Simeon, Pusey, Huntington, Temple, Ramsey, and many others). As well as being suitable for seminary courses, it will be of particular interest to study groups in parishes and churches, as well as to individuals who seek to gain a deeper insight into the traditions of Anglicanism. While it adopts a broad and unpartisan approach, it will also be provocative and lively.
Synopsis
This book seeks to explain the ways in which Anglicans have sought to practise theology in their various contexts. It is a clear, insightful, and reliable guide which avoids technical jargon and roots its discussions in concrete examples. The book is primarily a work of historical theology, which engages deeply with key texts and writers from across the tradition (e.g. Cranmer, Jewel, Hooker, Taylor, Butler, Simeon, Pusey, Huntington, Temple, Ramsey, and many others). As well as being suitable for seminary courses, it will be of particular interest to study groups in parishes and churches, as well as to individuals who seek to gain a deeper insight into the traditions of Anglicanism. While it adopts a broad and unpartisan approach, it will also be provocative and lively.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: The Identity of Anglicanism (8,000 words) This chapter addresses the question of Anglican distinctiveness. After a brief outline of Anglican history, it discusses different understandings of Anglican identity, emphasising the close connections between polity and church order and the development of theology. It focuses on the question: what makes Anglicanism different from the other churches and denominations which emerged from the Reformation? A provisional answer suggests that the key theological methods which developed in the formative period of Anglicanism (sixteenth and seventeenth century) meant that there was very little that was unique to Anglican theology in relation to Christian doctrine. Instead, Anglicanism became a set of ways for approaching Christianity adopted in a specific context in relation to a particular set of practical problems and issues. The key theological theme is that of contextuality, provisionality and openness: this will be illustrated using writers from across the globe. Chapter Two: Norms and Methods in Anglican Theology I (10,000 words) This chapter addresses the question of fundamental theological norms and resources. It discusses the role of scripture and the writings of the Fathers through a detailed engagement with the key writers of the Anglican tradition, particularly from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. What emerges is a theological and apologetic tradition based upon the Fathers and the writings of the undivided church which often stands in tension with the more confessional theology of the Reformers: rather than a comprehensive and harmonious solution based upon a specific confession, there is a often a fundamental conflict in Anglican historical theology. Chapter Three: Norms and Methods in Anglican Theology II (12,000 words) This chapter moves on to develop the problem outlined in chapter two as it was shaped in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the emergence of Evangelicalism and ‘Anglo-Catholicism', as well as more liberal approaches to biblical interpretation and theology. The importance of context is also discussed, particularly in relation to the expansion of forms of Anglicanism across the world from the seventeenth century. Crucially, this chapter raises questions about post-colonialism and cultural assimilation which have profoundly affected the ways in which Anglican theology has developed in recent years. This chapter also addresses the ways in which Anglican identity has been shaped by its engagement in ecumenical dialogue with other theological traditions. Chapter Four: Liturgical and Sacramental Theology (8,000 words) This chapter expands into applied theology by discussing the relationships between theology and the practice of prayer and worship: perhaps more than any other western tradition, Anglicanism has been a religion of practice. The chapter discusses the importance of liturgy, architecture and spirituality in Anglican theology, looking in detail at the theologies embodied in liturgical texts and Anglican spiritual writers. Again detailed discussions of the classical writers will illustrate the key issues sometimes highlighting the tensions and conflicts over eucharistic and sacramental theology. Chapter Five: Moral Theology (10,000 words) This chapter addresses Anglican approaches to ethics, focusing in particular on the relationships between church and state, which were of vital importance in the early years of Anglicanism. The contextual differences between the provinces of the Anglican Communion in this area highlight the diversity across the world over the role of the church in the political order. In addition, other moral problems will be raised - including the currently contested issue of human sexuality - which again emphasise important questions about the role of the biblical and theological tradition in settling contemporary disputes and dilemmas. Chapter Six: Ecclesiology (10,000 words) This chapter discusses the development of the theology of authority and church order in the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. It highlights the problems inherent in a set of churches which developed with only a loose regard for one another rather than with a strong central control. It assesses the so-called instruments of unity, as well as the rise of democracy and synodical government in the local churches. Questions are raised about the theology and functions of episcopacy and ministry, as well as the role of the laity in decision-making. Conclusion: The future of Anglicanism (7,000 words) The final chapter addresses recent developments in Anglican theology, particularly the call for an Anglican Covenant and a greater degree of centralisation across the worldwide Communion. It asks the question as to whether Anglicanism will mutate into a set of churches with loose family resemblances, or whether it will develop into a global church with a strong central decision-making authority. I will conclude with a brief set of personal reflections on the future and tasks of Anglican theology.