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...]
Reformed and Catholic? Bradford Littlejohn on the quest for Identity in a Rootless Church
Reformed and Catholic? Searching for Identity in a Rootless Church By Dr. Bradford Littlejohn Director of the Davenant Institute Introduction: Reformed or Catholic? Ten years ago now, in 2009, the growing hodgepodge of congregations and bishops that protested against the spreading corruptions in the Episcopal Church formally banded together to form the Anglican Church in North America. Since that time, many other churches, like lifeboats from the sinking Episcopal Church, have … [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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
I AM
In stillness and silence Moses, the Lord’s Prophet, seeks and searches for God in Himself. What or who he searches for is what is not anything that he has experienced or encountered in the universe around him. In the universe are changing, moving, growing, and becoming beings. In himself he finds a changing, moving, becoming, being. He knows himself to be never the same, always changing, always becoming something that he was not before. Not only can he not step in the same river twice but he is … [Read more...]
Lent II
He is no unkind physician who opens the swelling, who cuts, who cauterizes the corrupted part. He gives pain, it is true, but he only gives pain, that he might bring the patient on to health. He gives pain, but if he did not, he would do no good. (St. Augustine: Sermon xxvii) Last week we contemplated the temptations that Jesus withstood on our behalf in order to draw us deeper into His love for God our Heavenly Father. And I pray that we came away with a real sense of His desire … [Read more...]
Being Moved Back to God
Look at all Nature, through all its Height and Depth, in all its Variety of working Powers; it is what it is for this only End, that the hidden Riches, the invisible Powers, Blessings, Glory, and Love of the unsearchable God, may become visible, sensible, and manifest in and by it. (Spirit of Love: ii.1, William Law) When God the Holy Trinity makes, He makes as Being, Knowing, and Love. What we mean to say is that He who Is, Knows what He does, and Loves to do it. The three names of Being, … [Read more...]
The Society’s 2017 Conference (16-18 February)
The Prayer Book's 2017 conference was held on the theme: Anglicanism: Catholic and Reformed - Revisiting the Reformation Legacy 1517-2017. It took place at St John's Church, Savannah, Georgia, from midday on Thursday 16th to midday Saturday 18th, February 2017. In the anniversary year of Luther's ninety-five theses which started the Reformation, this conference explored how Anglicanism emerged with an identity that is both truly reformed and enduringly catholic. And we are pleased to … [Read more...]
Trinity XXII 2016
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev. iii. 20) I think that it is probably the case that, more often than not, we do not think of God moving or coming towards us. Rather we think of our relationship with God as our moving or coming to Him. The most earnest of Christians come to the Lord with laundry lists of supplications and intercessions. Expecting to be heard and heeded, in … [Read more...]
Trinity I: Dives and Lazarus
Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. (St. Luke xvi. 25) Trinitytide is all about belief that grows into love. If Eastertide might be called the season of vision and knowledge, Trinitytide is about habituation to the good or the generation of love for God’s goodness. In Eastertide we were called to see and behold God the Father’s goodness in the historical life of … [Read more...]
Other Creatures and the Last End
Whether other creatures concur in that last end? Objection 1: It would seem that all other creatures concur in man's last end. For the end corresponds to the beginning. But man's beginning---i.e. God---is also the beginning of all else. Therefore all other things concur in man's last end. God is the beginning of all creation. By ‘beginning’ we mean the First Cause, Origin, Source, or Mover of all that is other than Himself. God makes time and space; He fills it with … [Read more...]
Infinite Goodness — Thomas Aquinas
Whether any created good constitutes man's happiness? Objection 1: It would seem that some created good constitutes man's happiness. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. vii) that Divine wisdom "unites the ends of first things to the beginnings of second things," from which we may gather that the summit of a lower nature touches the base of the higher nature. But man's highest good is happiness. Since then the angel is above man in the order of nature, as stated in FP, … [Read more...]
Thomas Aquinas Virtue Operative Power
Article 2. Whether human virtue is an operative habit? Objection 1. It would seem that it is not essential to human virtue to be an operative habit or a principle of activity. For Tully says (Tuscul. iv) that as health and beauty belong to the body, so virtue belongs to the soul. But health and beauty are not operative habits. Therefore neither is virtue. An operative habit is a principle of activity. A principle of activity brings about an effect. But, as Cicero writes, as health … [Read more...]
Thomas Aquinas on Gluttony
Summa: II, ii, 148, 1. Article 1. Whether gluttony is a sin? Objection 1. It would seem that gluttony is not a sin. For our Lord said: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man. (St. Matt. xv. 11) Now gluttony regards food which goes into a man. Therefore, since every sin defiles a man, it seems that gluttony is not a sin. Gluttony should not be considered as a sin since it relates to what goes into and does not come out of a man. Since no external and visible created thing is evil … [Read more...]
Thomas Aquinas On Covetousness
Summa: II, ii, 118, iv. Article 1. Whether covetousness is a sin? Objection 1. It seems that covetousness is not a sin. For covetousness [avaritia] denotes a certain greed for gold [aeris aviditas*], because, to wit, it consists in a desire for money, under which all external goods may be comprised. [The Latin for covetousness "avaritia" is derived from "aveo" to desire; but the Greek philargyria signifies literally “love of money": and it is to this that St. Thomas is alluding here]. … [Read more...]
Thomas Aquinas: Is Sloth a Mortal Sin?
1. It would seem that sloth is not a mortal sin. For every mortal sin is contrary to a precept of the Divine Law. But sloth seems contrary to no precept, as one may see by going through the precepts of the Decalogue. Therefore sloth is not a mortal sin. Sloth is not listed literally as what violates any of the Ten Commandments. The Commandments make no mention of sloth. So perhaps sloth is not a mortal sin. 2. Further, in the same genus, a sin of deed is no less grievous than a sin of … [Read more...]
Thomas Aquinas on Wrath or Anger
Thomas Aquinas Wrath or Anger St. Paul tells us, Be ye angry and sin not. Anger is a venial sin if it does not proceed to action. Certainly there is a place for righteous anger. Righteous anger hates the sin but not the sinner. Righteous anger is the justifiable detestation and opposition to sin that a man must have in his heart if he is to be saved. This kind of anger is best turned back upon the self. In that place, a man prays for the man whose sin has made him angry. … [Read more...]
Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas: Pride
Thomas Aquinas: Pride, Summa: II, ii. 162, 1. It would appear that Pride is not a sin. On the Contrary: Pride or superb is so called because a man thereby aims higher [supra] than he is; wherefore Isidore says (Etym. x): A man is said to be proud, because he wishes to appear above (super) what he really is; for he who wishes to overstep beyond what he is, is proud. Now right reason requires that every man's will should tend to that which is proportionate to him. Therefore it is evident that … [Read more...]
Septuagesima Sunday
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. St. Matthew xx. 16 The Church in her ancient wisdom is nothing if she is not keenly aware of the dangers that human nature poses for the process of redemption and salvation. Think about it. If the Church were not aware of human nature’s tendency to fall away from the vigilance that is required in the process of salvation, she would not provide seasonal themes in her lectionary that remind man of the … [Read more...]
1928 Ordo Calendars
St. Andrew's Academy: 1928 Ordo Calendars and more. http://whithornpress.standrewsalmanor.org … [Read more...]