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…
“Beatific Friendship” was originally printed as a chapter in The Scholar-Gipsy. Upon Dr. Ron Dart’s retirement in 2023 from a long teaching career at the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford BC, Canada, friends suggested doing a Festschrift in his honor — not uncommon for a retiring academic. Ron wanted something different though: a “Liber Amicorum”…
Simmons: Confronting Witt’s “Icons of Christ”Confronting William G. Witt’s “Icons of Christ” The Priestess Question, and other Evils of “Christological Subversion” The Priestess Question and Egalitarianism Egalitarian Christianity is IncoherentThe Debate So Far: Witt has produced two responses to my two essays and promised more. However, he has not responded to several decisive arguments. First:…
Deep Anglicanism: A Brief Guide, 2nd edition. By Gerald R. McDermott. Nashotah, WI: Nashotah House Press, 2024. 400 pp. $15.49 (paper). In the ever-expanding market of introductory books on Anglicanism, it seems meet and right that Fr. Gerald McDermott, the retired Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson School of Divinity and the author of some…
Growing up in the Church of England the Book of Common Prayer (“BCP”) was more of a tool and a reference point than anything else. By the time I came along, it was not the exclusive liturgy of the Church, and modest attempts to modernize the liturgy were being made in the form of the…
“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against you; but I will teach you good and the right way.” – 1 Samuel 12:23 “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.” – Isaiah 60:12 Intro Almost 200 years…
An existential threat is beginning to come into focus, one that mainline Protestantism has barely begun to engage with sincerely and that could cascade into generations of failure and decline. I am speaking of the future of historic church properties—which are facing a crisis of purpose and financial security that could result in many of…
There has been no other book in the world’s history that has transformed lives and civilized society more than the Christian Bible. Not surprisingly, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledges the Bible as the number one best-selling book in the world. Christians do not find the popularity of the Scriptures surprising because traditional practice…
Simmons: Confronting Witt’s “Icons of Christ”Confronting William G. Witt’s “Icons of Christ” The Priestess Question, and other Evils of “Christological Subversion” The Priestess Question and Egalitarianism Egalitarian Christianity is IncoherentWitt Responds Witt responded to my first essay in this series. In response to earlier criticisms of his book, Witt announced that there were “key chapters”…
This year, we mark the 500th anniversary of the congregational hymnal. It was created in 1524 out of the Reformation with hymns by (who else?) Martin Luther, that great advocate of catechizing church members by singing doctrine in the vernacular. Lutherans got a head start on Anglicans, who had to wait more than three centuries for…