Methods of Bible Study. By W.H. Griffith Thomas. Dallas, TX: Gideon House Books, 2016. 89 pp. $6.99 (paper). One of my favorite aspects of Anglicanism is our emphasis on the Scriptures. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion insist on the Bible as our ultimate authority. The Book of Homilies begin with an exhortation to the importance of…
It doesn’t seem fair – those laborers who worked all day in the hot sun received only as much as those who came in the last hour. The owner of the vineyard is too generous, and for one reason or the other, he is grossly unfair. In fact, he is unfair because he is too…
Where is the center of gravity in Cranmer’s Order for the Lord’s Supper (of 1552, Cranmer’s final version of the Communion liturgy) and to what extent does the 1928 American Prayer Book affect or move this center? Before beginning, let me clarify my approach. The following observations represent the thinking of someone steeped in the…
St. Paul begins our epistle with an exhortation. “Be followers of me and note those who so walk that you have us for a pattern.” St. Paul is not holding himself out as an alternative to Christ—for we are called to follow Christ. Rather, he is saying that his life and the lives of other…
I travelled these roads with my father once, Long ago. I gallop my mount across the clouds Far from home. Beneath the oceanic heavens Soar his prayers like an eagle above me, Clutching the fasces, a bundle of rods And an axe, closely bound Like a father and his sons, One as the sun…
What follows are some observations about trends in Anglican Clergy Formation and Anglican Ministry, and some talking point proposals about how dioceses and seminaries can respond to these trends proactively. Overall Thesis: Clergy formation and ministry are undergoing a time of transition in America. Residential seminary is giving way to more diocese-based training. Full-time positions…
Then likewise he shall say, O Lord, open thou our lips Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Minister. Praise ye the…
If I’m perfectly honest, the General Confession is possibly the single greatest reason that I prefer the 1928 Book to the 1979 Book. And I will get into why that is a little further on. In his Rule, St. Benedict lists twelve steps on the topsy-turvy ladder of humility (chapter seven). The first of these…
So, a while back I embarked on a project to talk through the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer, but I quickly abandoned it. I’m not even going to link to it. I was trying to go through systematically, with some theological and historical rigor. What I realized is that projects like that…
After giving his talk, the venerable old Dominican friar came and sat near me, sipped his beer, and began to ask me questions about myself. Before long, it became clear to him that I was not Catholic but Anglican. As seems almost inevitable among intelligent Catholics, the discovery that I am an intelligent Protestant with…