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.
Evangelical Theological Aesthetics: A Theology of Beauty and Perception. By Ryan Currie. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2025. 300 pp. $45 (paper). The Roman Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) once said of contemporary Protestant theology that it “nowhere deals with the beautiful as a theological category” (4). Although Balthasar’s statement rang true for many…
As we have seen, there are multiple Articles that were written to address points of controversy between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, only for the latter to shift toward the tenor and practice of the former in recent years (see comments on Articles XXIV, XXX, and XXXIV). In the case of…
King of Kings: A Reformed Guide to Christian Government. By James Baird. Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2025. 120 pp. $21.98 (hardcover). The effort to renew classical Protestant political thought has been ongoing for the past few years, with Stephen Wolfe’s The Case for Christian Nationalism serving as a major impetus for the publication of…
That Blessed Liberty: Episcopal Bishops and the Development of the American Republic 1789-1860. By Miles Smith IV and Adam Carrington. South Bend, IN: Prolego Press, 2025. 179 pp. $22 (hardcover). In the ongoing search for Anglican identity, contemporary American Anglicans have understandably looked to the historic Church of England for guidance. However, Miles Smith IV…
It is worthwhile to address a few words to Browne’s discussion of the historical evidence pertaining to St. Peter’s alleged presence and bishopric in Rome, not concerning the evidence itself (whether for or against the traditional Roman claims), but with respect to the conclusions that may be drawn on the basis of this evidence. Browne…
Making Disciples: Catechesis in History, Theology, and Practice. By Alex Fogleman: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2025. 220 pp. $29.99 (paper). For those who are interested in restoring the practice of catechesis, the task of finding a suitable catechism should pose no difficulty, as there are many options readily available, both old and new. The question of…
Compared to many other commentators on the Articles, Browne takes a special interest in affirming what has traditionally been known as the magisterial cura religionis, or care of religion: It has been observed in a former Article, that the Jewish state may be considered in some respects as a model republic; and that, notwithstanding the…
It should come as no surprise that Roman Catholics, by and large, do not accept the validity of Anglican orders, as to do so would severely undermine their own claim to be the One True Church. Ever since the Church of England became independent, then, Romanists have lodged a number of arguments against those orders….
As Browne observes, it is commonly agreed with respect to the Homilies that The kind of assent, which we are here called on to give to them, is general, not specific. We are not expected to express full concurrence with every statement, or every exposition of Holy Scripture contained in them, but merely in the…
This Article upholds the logic of Article XX—in which the normative principle of worship is affirmed—and extends it. As the church “hath power to decree rites or ceremonies,” so “every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish, ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man’s authority.” Hence, “It is…