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...]
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...]
Three Key Resolutions of the 2018 General Convention in Austin
Among the plethora of resolutions passed at the Convention, the following three stand out as being of particular note: A068 Plan for the Revision of the Book of Common Prayer which, despite its title, actually does NOT initiate a comprehensive revision but instead provides for the development of more alternative and trial liturgies. B012 Marriage Rites for the Whole Church, which extends the authorization of "continued trial use" of the liturgies for same-sex unions and that they be … [Read more...]
Two Statements Issued before and after the TEC General Convention: from Communion Partners and Province IX Bishops
The first of the two statements made in regard to provisions for same-sex partnerships and the relation of these to the Anglican Communion was issued by the Communion Partners of the Episcopal Church following the 79th General Convention, meeting in Austin, TX, The second Statement below was issued earlier by the Province IX Bishops and in it they draw attention to their resolve to walk apart if need be in order to uphold their fidelity Scripture. (At the very end below will also be found the … [Read more...]
Options for Prayer Book Revision put forward by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to the General Convention
In response to the mandate from the previous General Convention to prepare a plan for the “Comprehensive Revision of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer , the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) first identified four options: (1) initiating the process of full Prayer Book revision at the 79th General Convention; (2) spending the upcoming triennium (2019-21) gathering and analyzing data so that the 80th General Convention could make an informed decision in 2021 regarding … [Read more...]
Two Responses to the TEC Marriage Task Force proposals
The Revd. Canon Jordan Hylden of the Diocese of Dallas and a member of the Marriage Task Force has written his own powerful response to the latest proposals and this is set out below. The Task Force records that it had sought input from all thirty nine Provinces of the Anglican Communion over a period of five weeks and evidently was able to obtain seven of which it recorded only one as positive (from the Episcopal Church of Scotland, though it was stressed that in regard to that … [Read more...]
Dr Samuel Bray on one example of the perils of Liturgical Revision
The following is but a summary of a most commendable and thorough article exploring the dangers of revising a classic text (in this case the General Confession of the BCP dating back to 1552) by Professor Samuel L. Bray of UCLA and Notre Dame schools of Law. For the full text of the article go to http://northamanglican.com/and-apart-from-your-grace-there-is-no-health-in-us/ “AND (APART FROM YOUR GRACE) THERE IS NO HEALTH IN US” WEIGHING THE MERITS OF A LITURGICAL … [Read more...]
From Clubs to Communion: in a Different League ?
It is said that the Metropolitan Club in New York founded in 1891 –with J.P. Morgan as its first President –was launched in consequence of outrage that a certain other Club had failed to elect particular gentlemen to membership. In the world of gentlemen’s social clubs it is clear thus that, in the case of difficulty, one answer is simply to set up a new one, even if the more recent clubs tend to be looked down upon by the older or more exclusive ones. (A mischievous … [Read more...]
Drawing a line: From Gallicanist Anglicans to an Anglicanist Pope?
For the Anglican eWay of June 2nd 2018 Manifestly, through most of its existence, the Church of England both before and after the Reformation has been shaped and influenced by developments in the Continental Christianity of the West and thus Catholicism and the Reformers. In recent times both Anglican and Catholic liturgical approaches have been influenced by parallel intellectual currents, as the post-Vatican II Eucharistic texts amply demonstrate. But looked at … [Read more...]
William Law: The Spirit of Love continued
[Love-2.1-13] Had I an hundred Lives, I could with more Ease part with them, all by suffering an hundred Deaths, than give up this lovely idea of God. Nor could I have any Desire of Eternity for myself, if I had not Hopes, that, by partaking of the Divine Nature, I should be eternally delivered from the Burden and Power of my own Wrath, and changed into the blessed Freedom of a Spirit, that is all Love, and a mere Will to Nothing but Goodness. An Eternity without this, is but an Eternity of … [Read more...]
Advent IV
Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. (Isaiah xxxii. 16) You can say what you will about the old Book of Common Prayer, which we use exclusively in this church, but what you cannot say it that it is not honest and forthright about the struggles which any human being finds in his journey towards salvation. Indeed, perhaps its most brilliant contribution to the history of Christianity lies in its full appreciation of the spiritual warfare … [Read more...]
Advent III
Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another? (St. Matthew xi. 2) We have said that Advent season is all about our preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas time. Our preparation is rooted in history and hope. Historically speaking Jesus Christ, the Desire of God, was made flesh some two-thousand years ago in ancient Palestine. The historical Jesus began to summon and carry followers to God’s Kingdom long ago, beginning in time and space through His Incarnation … [Read more...]
St. Thomas Aquinas, On the Creed, Part Seven
Then, again, if one were willing to believe only those things which one knows with certitude, one could not live in this world. How could one live unless one believed others? How could one know that this man is one’s own father? Therefore, it is necessary that one believe others in matters which one cannot know perfectly for oneself. But no one is so worthy of belief as is God, and hence they who do not believe the words of faith are not wise, but foolish and proud. As the Apostle … [Read more...]
Advent II 2017
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity…(St. Luke xxi. 25) Advent is that season which is all about preparing for Christ’s coming. What is coming to us is what endures forever and never passes away. With eager expectation, we await the one permanent and eternal thing that is all-important and all-defining for the life of any Christian. In the cyclical life of the Church, once again we prepare for the … [Read more...]
St. Thomas Aquinas on the Creed, Part Five
The fourth effect of faith is that by it we overcome temptations: “The holy ones by faith conquered kingdoms” [Heb 11:33]. We know that every temptation is either from the world or the flesh or the devil. The devil would have us disobey God and not be subject to Him. This is removed by faith, since through it we know that He is the Lord of all things and must therefore be obeyed. “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, strong in faith” [1 … [Read more...]
Trinity XIX
There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. (Jeremiah xxx. 13, 14) Our opening verses come to us from the 30th Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is describing the spiritual man who suffers the punishment of … [Read more...]
Reasoned Existence
The Ancient Greeks became convinced that the balanced life was essential to the mind’s discovery of Divine truth since it conditioned the body and soul to the service of God. Of significant importance was the virtue of temperance or moderation- sophrosone, sometimes translated as self-control. We think of that virtue specifically in relation to food, wine, and sex but the Greeks meant something more all-encompassing than that. They taught of a moderate disposition in relation to all things, … [Read more...]
Trinity XVII
From His position in Heaven Jesus continues to exercise his magnetic power on all creatures; all feel deep within themselves His summons, His injunction to ascend. (Paul Claudel, ‘I Believe…’) Trinity tide is all about the flow of God’s Grace into the hearts of faithful souls who desire to ascend ultimately back to God the Father. In this season our Collects, Epistles, and Gospels help us to acquire this Grace. Grace is essential and necessary for our salvation and it is given to be embraced … [Read more...]
Revising the Liturgy of the Episcopal Church: Can a thousand flowers bloom ? – A PBS Colloquium in Dallas on 20th October
A One Day Colloquium of the Prayer Book Society USA at the Church of the Incarnation Dallas 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday 20th October, 2017 Tickets available via the following links: http://liturgyrevisionpbs.bpt.me http://liturgyrevisionpbs.brownpapertickets.com Exploring the proposals for a “Comprehensive Revision” of the liturgy of the Episcopal Church to be considered by the General Convention in 2018 This Colloquium will explore the implications of the mandate from … [Read more...]
Audio of two further Sessions including Dr Arnold Klukas opening the Session on Liturgy Now at the PBS 2017 Conference
Recordings of two further sessions of the PBS Conference can be accessed below. In the first, Dr. Arnold Klukas, the recently retired Professor of Liturgy at Nashotah House, gives the lead presentation. He opened a discussion of the challenges facing the Anglican liturgical heritage if it is to preserve authentic continuity. He was joined in reflecting upon the different contexts of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom by Fr Gavin Dunbar, Dr Jesse Billet and Fr. … [Read more...]
Audio of Drs. Joan O’Donovan, George Westhaver and Jesse Billet, from the PBS Conference 2017
Audio recordings of the Papers given by three more of our principal speakers at the 2017 Conference can be accessed below: The Papers given were: The Public Authority of the Church in the Cranmerian Tradition, by Dr. Joan O’Donovan, University of Edinburgh Incarnational Reading: A Tractarian View of the Authority of Scripture by The Revd. Dr. George Westhaver, Principal of Pusey House, Oxford “The Holy Scriptures, or … [Read more...]
Audio of Professor Oliver O’Donovan and Fr Gavin Dunbar at the PBS Conference 2017
Recordings of two further Sessions at the PBS Conference of 2017 are now available below. They comprise Session II, Sanctification by Dr. Oliver O’ Donovan, Professor of Moral Theology, Edinburgh and formerly Regius Professor at Oxford and Session III The nature and future of the Reformation liturgy by The Revd. Fr. Gavin Dunbar, PBS President … [Read more...]
Audio of Professor Neil Robertson from the PBS Conference 2017 now available.
We are delighted to make further recordings of the main Sessions of our 2017 Conference available now and also wish to advise that a print edition with all the texts and summaries of the interlocutor discussions etc. will be made available in due course. By clicking on the virtual buttons below you will be able to hear the remarks of Dr. Neil Robertson Professor of Humanities, University of King’s College Halifax in SESSION IV, “It is required that you do awake your … [Read more...]
Father Gavin Dunbar PBS President Writes in the Living Church on Prayer Book Revision
The Article is online and in the current edition of the Print Edition of the Living Church http://livingchurch.org/covenant/2017/03/28/rediscover-the-gospel/ By Gavin Dunbar Editor’s note: This piece appears in the April 9 issue of The Living Church, as part of the Necessary or Expedient teaching series on prayer book revision. Mark Michael’s “Are we done with the ’79 prayer book?” is the well-known first piece in the series. Further essays in the series will appear here in … [Read more...]
William Law: The Spirit of Love, ii.
Look at all the Variety of Creatures; they are what they are for this only End, that in their infinite Variety, Degrees, and Capacities, they may be as so many speaking Figures, living Forms of the manifold Riches and Powers of Nature, as so many Sounds and Voices, Preachers, and Trumpets, giving Glory and Praise and Thanksgiving to that Deity of Love which gives Life to all Nature and Creature. (The Spirit of Love: ii. i. 4, William Law) There is a strange suggestion that the finite … [Read more...]