What does it mean to be Christian in the Anglican tradition? What does it mean for Anglican unity and mission? Amid confusion and discord about those questions today, the witness of classical Anglicanism, embodied in the Prayer Book, Articles of Religion, and classical divines like Richard Hooker, remains at the core of any answer. That’s why, as we draw near to Easter, and to the season of renewal and regeneration, we are pleased to announce the Prayer Book Society’s next theological … [Read more...]
The Way of the Cross & the Way of Salvation
Image above by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay Words from the Gospel of John 19: 16 – 17 So they took Jesus, and he went out,bearing his own cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”,which in Aramaic is called Golgotha A Sermon 19thApril 2019 AMR In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost….. AMEN Having just heard in the uniquely striking way (that happens only on Good Friday) the Passion narrative of St John’s Gospel -- we should perhaps remind ourselves just how distinctive St … [Read more...]
Letter from London: From Brexit to “Nixit” Part II
Fog in Parliament: Continent not isolated…. An Allegory of Europe c, 1781 The course of events in Britain generally and in the House of Commons especially, with regard to the proposed “Brexit” (for which a clear majority of the people voted by Referendum) is manifestly perplexing, not merely to the British but even more deeply to those overseas. This is far from surprising since matters have clearly failed to progress in any way that would seem reasonable. Yet in fact, … [Read more...]
The origins of Anglicanism – about so much more than a divorce…
A short reflection suggesting the need to widen and reframe the historical context and not reduce it merely to a desire for an annulment which Henry had every reason to suppose would in fact be granted The current Pope has stated that “most Catholic marriages are invalid”[1]an observation which, not unreasonably, has attracted a degree of attention. Whatever is to be made of the implications for the current state of the Roman Catholic church, his comment can help us … [Read more...]
The Curious Case of Admiral Byng
“il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres”. THE CURIOUS CASE OF ADMIRAL BYNG The month of March brings with it the anniversary of one of the stranger episodes in the history of the British Royal Navy – namely the execution in 1757, on his own Quarterdeck, of Admiral John Byng an event which occasioned the famous remark of Voltaire in Candide that in this country, “il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les … [Read more...]
Thomas Cranmer, His Life and Martyrdom (21st March, 1556)
In the week when we recalled the anniversary of Cranmer's execution, it is fitting to cite a short biography (as set out in the celebrated 11th Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica of 1910-11) THOMAS CRANMER (1489-1556) Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, born at Aslacton or Aslockton in Nottinghamshire on the 2nd of July 1489, was the second son of Thomas Cranmer and of his wife Anne Hatfield. He received his early education, according to Morice his secretary, from “a … [Read more...]
An Address of 1845 to the Bishop White Prayer Book Society
An Address to the Bishop White Prayer Book Society (of 1845) by Joseph Reed Ingersoll Introduced and transcribed by Richard J. Mammana The Bishop White Prayer Book Society (BWPBS) is one of the few survivors of the multitude of local American organizations formed in the nineteenth century to promote distribution of the Book of Common Prayer. Based in Philadelphia, and affiliated closely with the Diocese of Pennsylvania, the BWPBS was established in the year 1834 “with the view … [Read more...]
Why I am still an Anglican by Dr. Roberta Bayer
What possible reason could there be for someone who is Anglican/Episcopal and faithful to the theology of historic Christianity, not to be drawn to that greatest of churches within the Western tradition, the Roman Catholic Church? It is remarked by many that over the last few decades there has been a steady movement of Anglicans to Rome whenever the leaders in the Episcopal or Anglican Church advance teachings which do not accord with Scripture. Yet, the migration to Rome is … [Read more...]
Lessons for Lent : Chastity (from the Archives)
Virtus vel voluptas? Lorenzo Lotto: Allegory of Chastity, c. 1505, .National Gallery, London nhttps://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.288.html The Revd. Samuel L. Edwards in 1986 wrote a long article for the Newsletter of the Evangelical and Catholic Mission which he later summarized for the Journal of the Prayer Book Society in 1995, under the heading: Sexuality and the Christian. The article set out with his usual clarity four lines of thought. First, he reframed our … [Read more...]
Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth – A Sermon in the Season of Epiphany
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Sermon Notes: Alistair Macdonald-Radcliff For an audio version: https://www.theadventboston.org/sermon-by-fr-macdonald-radcliff-january-27-2019/ In the name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost…. AMEN The joy of the Lord is your strength (from the Book of Nehemiah from the First Lesson The full texts are appended) I can but be mindful today that we are in this Mass, on the recovery side so to speak, of the Annual Parish meeting. I am … [Read more...]
A Sermon in the Season of Epiphany
The Baptism of the Lord Sermon Notes A. Macdonald-Radcliff For an audio version please go to: https://www.theadventboston.org/sermon-preached-by-fr-macdonald-radcliff-january-13-2019/ (The Readings of the day are appended Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 89, Acts 10:34-38, Luke 3:15-16, 21-22) In the name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost… It is striking that the Church calendar, after the great Feast of Christmas plunges rather rapidly after Low Sunday into two particularly … [Read more...]
Ten Reasons to be Anglican/Episcopal (Part II)
What is the Anglican Way and why is it good? Part II The following series of short reflections relates closely to a series first put out in the precursor to the Anglican Way which was then known as The Mandate by The Revd. Dr. Peter Toon, in 1997 A M-R (The final five of ten reflections are included in this second post under this heading) 6 The Anglican Way looks to the Early Church perspective When asked to explain the foundation of the Anglican Way as a living … [Read more...]
Ten Reasons to be Anglican / Episcopal (part I)
What is the Anglican Way and why is it good? Part I The following series of short reflections relates closely to a series first put out in the precursor to the Anglican Way then known as The Mandate by The Revd. Dr. Peter Toon, in 1997 A M-R (The first five reflections are included in this post and the second five in Part II the post which follows) When you go online or search a directory for “churches” you soon find a bewildering assortment of names, types and denominations. As … [Read more...]
How Turkish was your Turkey? And how does your Turkey connect to the Prayer Book?
How Turkish was your Turkey? And even more important, how does your Turkey connect to your Prayer Book? (Be assured that it certainly does.) A M-R The modern day mass farmed turkey widely served in America at Thanksgiving (and very commonly in Britain on Christmas day where it has tended to supplant the goose) is not it seems a very direct descendant of the ‘small, bright- eyed’ turkeys that were probably served at the famous initial Thanksgiving meals initiated by English settlers in … [Read more...]
The Centenary of the Armistice ending The First World War, A Sermon Preached upon Remembrance Sunday
The Grosvenor Chapel Mayfair REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 11th November 2018 Commemoration of the Centenary of the Armistice ending the Great War Requiem (Setting by Gabriel Fauré) With Choir and Orchestra Directed by Richard Hobson The Service opened with the gathering in silence of the Congregation and the entry in procession of the Sacred Ministers and the laying of a wreath of Flanders Poppies to the recitation of the traditional words of Lawrence Binyon taken from his poem For the Fallen. … [Read more...]
The Filioque Clause and the underlying theological issues – An Article by The Revd. Dr. Daniel Newman
Recent days have seen the publication of an historic Agreed Statement between Anglican and Oriental Orthodox theologians on the Procession and Work of the Holy Spirit. The statement was originally signed a year ago the previous October after lengthy discussions by members of the Anglican Oriental-Orthodox International Commission (AOOIC) but was only published at this year’s meeting of AOOIC, which took place in Lebanon. … [Read more...]
PART II of A Response to ACNA’s Proposed 2019 Prayer Book * by Drew N. Keane
By Drew Nathaniel Keane (*This original article was first published online on Covenant, the weblog of The Living Church to whom grateful thanks is most warmly extended) This first section of the article (published here earlier) covered the proposals for Morning Prayer, Baptism.This section now looks at the proposals for Holy Communion and the Lectionaries in the forthcoming ACNA Prayer Book By way of introducing this second Section of the original Article it … [Read more...]
Anglican Way, Fall Edition (Print)
The Society is pleased to be able to release the online version of the Fall Edition of the Print Magazine featuring “The Articles of Religion,Part III,’ The Revd. Gavin G.Dunbar “Beyond Imagination: The True Meaning of Creation”, Dr.Paul Julienne ‘Is the Prayer Book an Evangelistic Liturgy?” The Revd. Gavin G.Dunbar “Justification by Faith in Anglican History” Bishop FitzSimons Allison “A Response to ACNA’s Proposed Prayer Book 2019” Drew Nathaniel Keane And more…… Please note the … [Read more...]
Justification by Faith in Anglican History
By Bishop FitzSimons Allison (This article comprised one of the Papers given at this year’s Prayer Book Society Conference in Savannah in February, 2018) Part I There are an unlimited number of ways that the biblical and PrayerBook teachings on Justification can be distorted or denied. However, they all share one factor, sin. God’s righteousness, Luther thought, was the righteousness that condemned the unrighteousness and Luther knew himself to be a sinner and thus God’s … [Read more...]
Papal toe kissing and the Chinese kowtow…
(European emissaries kowtow before the Chinese Emperor c. 1800) Has Pope Francis too rashly kissed the proffered toe of President Xi Jinping ? When it comes to extravagant postural gestures from those seeking to treat with them, the Papacy and the Imperial Chinese Court have long histories replete with a perhaps surprising degree of symmetry. Chinese Emperors were honoured with the kowtow (kau tauin Cantonese or koutouin Mandarin) which was a form of prostration in which … [Read more...]
A Response to ACNA’s Proposed 2019 Prayer Book * (PART I)
By Drew Nathaniel Keane (*This article was first published online on Covenant, the weblog of The Living Church) The Anglican Church in North America has been preparing a new revision of the Book of Common Prayer for several years. Its Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force began gathering feedback once working drafts were made available for use in 2013. The task force is near the end of the work, and the texts now available can be found … [Read more...]
On the Three Legged Stool of the Anglican Via Media
The Anglican Via Media upholding a real Anglican continuity from Richard Hooker to Charles Gore and beyond…. A.M-R It is striking that Richard Hooker is so often spoken of by Anglicans even though there is often a want of attention to what exactly he actually said. The one thing almost always attributed to him illustrates this point: namely the image of Anglicanism’s “three legged stool” whereby Anglicanism is deemed to rest upon Scripture, Tradition and Reason. Charming as the image of … [Read more...]
The under reported story of militant Fulani attacks on Christians in Nigeria
Since 2001, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies has estimated that up to 60,000 Nigerian have been killed in violence between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. According to statistics provided by the Institute for Economics and Peace, 1,229 people were killed in 2014, up from 63 in 2013 and Benue State seems to be the hardest hit in recent times. Barely five days to the end of Governor Gabriel Suswam’s administration in May 2015, over 100 farmers and their family members were … [Read more...]
Is the Prayer Book Evangelistic ? – Part I
Is the historic Prayer Book an evangelistic liturgy? Can a church that uses one of the classical Prayer Books (England 1662, USA 1928, Canada 1962) fulfill the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations”? By the Rev. Gavin Dunbar It is a mark of our time that many Anglican and Episcopalian Christians would answer these questions in the negative. The Prayer Book may be good for some things - but not evangelism. So runs the current wisdom. So prevalent is this view, … [Read more...]
A Labor Day divertissement…. the ecclesial feline phenomenon
Felix in fide An ecclesial feline, review….. (Far from obscure Jude of St John's Savannah with Fr. Dunbar) The subject and domain of the cat is dangerous, even though it be a common one in the life of churches. In large part this is consequent upon the very strong but deeply divergent views that the cat can arouse. Moreover, as Lynne Truss once pointed out (the sometime literary Editor of the BBC’s now defunct journal The Listener), in an article in The Guardianof London (7thDecember, … [Read more...]
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