The Relative Positions of the Presider, Table, and Assembly at Communion Part I
When, in John’s Gospel, Jesus meets with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, she comments on the disagreement between Samaritans and Jews regarding where God had appointed sacrifices to be offered — Mount Gerizim or Zion. Jesus replies, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain,…
How the quest for Christ brought me to the Church of England
“Abide with Me” I. From Rome The grand question When I was a Roman Catholic, I once offered the theme of Jesus’ question to Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” for a weekend retreat. I was nearly 30 and hoped I would finally be able to answer that question. I knew Jesus…
Is the Eucharistology of the Anglican Reformation Patristic? – Part 3
Part III of III: After Article 29 SUMMARY OF PAST TWO ESSAYS In Part One of these essays, I sought to demonstrate that the Fathers held a real, objective view of Christ’s presence under the form of bread and wine, and that this can be distinguished as differing from the view of the “Jewel-school” of…
Sunken Island
Leaving, we took the path of least resistance, paved and prone to floods; returning now, we tramp through mud to lawns awash with silt. The walls we never mended here, the banks we never built, have left us bare. The life once tended here, its honed and hard-won peace, these currents with relentless ease…
Book Review: “Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World”
Bevins, Winfield. Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World. Prosper, TX: Anglican Compass, 2020. 168pp. Paperback $17.99. When I was returning to my Anglican/Episcopal roots as an adult, rediscovering the Book of Common Prayer was the most important contributing factor. Two other books, however, were almost as influential as the BCP: Robert Webber’s Worship…
An Homily for Them Which Take Offence At Certain Places of the Holy Scripture Part 1
THE great utility and profit that Christian men and women may take, if they will, by hearing and reading the holy Scriptures, dearly beloved, no heart can sufficiently conceive, much less is any tongue able with words to express. Wherefore Satan, our old enemy, seeing the Scriptures to be the very mean and right way…
Is the Eucharistology of the Anglican Reformation Patristic? – Part 2
II of III: A Comparison of Formularies In part one of my essay I argued that the Church Fathers and the “Jewel School” of Anglican theologians teach a different thing with regard to the Holy Eucharist. I also asserted (without argument) that there is a real difference between the teaching of the Jewel school and…
Is the Eucharistology of the Anglican Reformation Patristic? – Part 1
I of III: Fathers vs. Reformers The Challenge “Show that Hooker and Jewell and Ussher don’t know what they’re talking about. Until that happens, it is hard to take seriously these arguments that one cannot hold both “the faith” of the Fathers and of the Reformers.” Thus Mr. Ramsey threw down a gauntlet back in…
Against the Liturgical Optimists
Within American Christianity, and especially within American evangelicalism, we have seen a rise of interest in liturgy. Taking a quick look at InterVarsity Press’s site, one finds recent titles such as The Liturgy of Creation, Liturgy of the Ordinary, and The Liturgy of Politics. At Conciliar Post, Wesley Walker has compiled a list of articles…
A Historically Grounded Anglican Identity
The Future of Orthodox Anglicanism is a product of the first annual Anglican theology Conference held at Beeson Divinity School in 2018. The original participants who contributed to this collection, in the words of the Book of Common Prayer, include “all sorts and conditions of men.” That is, they encompass both members of continuing Anglican…