James Clark is the author of The Witness of Beauty and Other Essays, and the Book Review Editor at The North American Anglican. His writing has appeared in Cranmer Theological Journal, Journal of Classical Theology, and American Reformer, as well as other publications.
It is generally agreed among commentators that Anabaptists are the primary target of Article XXVI: “Whatever may have been the popular feeling on this subject among the advocates of reformation in general, there is no doubt that the Anabaptists (in conformity with their general principle, that the whole Church should be pure and sincere) held…
While Browne acknowledges four of the minor sacraments as legitimate rites of the church, he does not extend this recognition to the anointing of the sick: “Extreme Unction is an ordinance concerning which we differ from the Church of Rome more than on the other four. We admit the proper use of confirmation, confession, orders,…
In his review of Bishop A. P. Forbes’s An Explanation of the Thirty-Nine Articles—a new edition of which was recently published by Nashotah House Press—Gerald McDermott compares Forbes’s work to that of Edward Harold Browne and finds the former “deeper and richer,” with Browne being “decidedly Protestant in his approach, while Forbes is reformed catholic.”…
As seen previously, Browne readily grants that “four out of the five [minor sacraments] the Church of England admits, at least in a modified form.” However, it is important to note the qualification that they are admitted in a “modified form,” particularly with regard to private confession. Browne writes that “the Council of Trent anathematizes…
Protestantism, Revolution and Scottish Political Thought: The European Context, 1637‒1651. By Karie Schultz. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2024. 208 pp. $110 (hardback). Historians have often assumed that “political concepts traditionally associated with the modern state ‒ such as consent of the governed, parliamentary sovereignty or the election of magistrates” are correlated with “a process of…
It is widely recognized that the term “sacrament” has historically been a flexible one, even after the early church adopted it from the broader milieu of Roman culture into a specifically Christian context: “The commoner use of the word is either for a sacred rite in general, an outward sign of some more hidden reality—or…
It is a matter of historical fact—invoked by the Article and observed by Browne—that the early church conducted its public prayers in tongues “understanded of the people”: Greek, Latin, and Syriac were languages spoken by the great bulk of the nations first converted to Christianity; and therefore the earliest liturgies and translations of the Scriptures…
Concerning the practice of ordaining women, Browne is silent. This is not unusual for the time in which he wrote, when it was rare, but at least a couple of other commentators do touch on the subject. Thomas Rogers writes that those ordained “are to be men, not boys nor women,” and that they are…
In articulating what it means for ministers to be “lawfully called,” Article XXIII makes no mention at all of bishops: “The latter portion of the Article is somewhat vaguely worded…. It is but generally asserted, that lawful calling can only be given by those, ‘who have public authority in the Church to send labourers into…
Defending Sin: A Response to the Challenges of Evolution and the Natural Sciences. By Hans Madueme. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2024. 368 pp. $61.53 (hardcover), $29.99 (paper). For many years now, Christians who aspire to be thoughtful and informed have sought to emphasize the harmonious consistency of Christianity and science. On this perspective, conflicts between…
