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.
In order to discuss the thorny statement in Article XXI that general councils “may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God,” it is first necessary to establish what precisely a general council is, as well as whether and how a general council differs from an ecumenical council. In referring to councils,…
“By virtue of being a kind of natural knowledge of God, beauty can prepare non-Christians for the supernatural grace of Christ that is found in the Gospel. Granted, the same could be said for other kinds of natural knowledge, but I believe beauty is particularly suited to our age as a means of witness.” …
What does it look like when a defender of pluralistic liberalism critiques Christian nationalism (i.e., Christendom) without resorting to charges of racism, kinism, and so forth? Sober criticism of this sort has been scarce in the year since Stephen Wolfe’s book on Christian nationalism was published. As it so happens, though, an attempt at serious…
The declaration contained in Article XX—that “the Church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies, and authority in controversies of faith; and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s word written”—has been much attacked by Puritans both old and new. As Browne observes, “The origin of…
The First Lords of the Earth: An Anthropological Study. By Alice C. Linsley. Self-published, 2023. 336 pp. $35 (cloth), $30 (paper). The narrative of the Bible, focused as it largely is on the ancient Hebrews, tells us a great deal about them, how they lived and functioned as a group. Yet much about the nature…
It is not by happenstance that the first mark of the visible church is said to be that “the pure word of God is preached.” To be sure, the sacraments must be “duly ministered,” but in the absence of sound doctrine, even Baptism and the Eucharist will avail only so much. Making doctrinal purity a…
Some commentators today assert that we must be prepared to do whatever is “necessary” to combat evil in the world.[1] Lest this be misconstrued as an uncontroversial exhortation to be courageous and resolute in resisting evil, it is further alleged that in this process we will often be forced to choose the lesser of two…
When moral and political injustices abound unchallenged, the wronged contemplate violence as a recourse. For Christians who live in such a time, two questions arise: does violence better conform the world to Christ, and is violence committed for righteousness’ sake justified? French sociologist Jacques Ellul considered these questions at length in a book on the…
The Authentic Reactionary: Selected Scholia of Nicolás Gómez Dávila. Edited by Michael J. Moynihan and Joshua Buckley. Translated with commentary by Ramon Elani. North Augusta, SC: Arcana Europa, 2023. xxxiii + 206 pp. $22 (paper). In an age where conventional modern pieties are failing, attempts to recover traditional and reactionary thought are to be expected….
Browne’s treatment of Article XVIII—focused as it is on showing that baptism is necessary for salvation—is unusual compared to many other commentaries on the Articles. It is, however, in keeping with his prior advocacy of ecclesiastical election: if we are saved by “only the name of Jesus Christ,” as the Article says, and if those…
