We are thrilled to announce a significant new chapter for The North American Anglican! In recent years, American Reformer has proven itself to be a steadfast defender of orthodox, biblical Christianity across the American Protestant landscape. As The North American Anglican brings the distinct insights of the Anglican context to the efforts of Christian renewal taking place at American Reformer, we are pleased to assure our longtime readers that our mission has not changed. Rather, we enter this partnership confident that it will only further the mission of North American Anglican.
The Mission: Restated
The North American Anglican has been publishing orthodox Christian theology in the Anglican tradition in one form or another since 2008. Since the very beginning, we have been actively engaged in the work of renewing the church by a return to the sources of orthodox Anglican unity.
Over and against the old divisions of warring factions, we’ve taken a principled stance to prioritize the work; orthodox theology and homiletics, a ressourcement of classical Anglican divinity, and robust discourse over the received standards and proper application of the Anglican tradition. We contend that doctrinal tradition to be aptly summarized as
grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal. (Canon A5 – Of the doctrine of the Church of England “Adapted”)
Our hope and prayer has always been for a unified, orthodox, and rooted Anglicanism in North America, and in that effort our key participants have come from a variety of church bodies, representing both “high” and “low” church priorities, to cultivate a forum for high-level theological engagement, on topics of interest to Anglicans and all Christians. Thus, we voice our agreement with C.S. Lewis when he addresses the Anglican theological factions stating:
it seems obvious that what unites the Evangelical and the Anglo-Catholic against the ‘Liberal’ or ‘Modernist’ is something very clear and momentous, namely, the fact that both are thoroughgoing supernaturalists, who believe in the Creation, the Fall, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the Second Coming, and the Four Last Things. This unites them not only with one another, but with the Christian religion as understood ubique et ab omnibus. (God in the Dock – “Mere Christians”)
Familiar Faces
As such, our online journal is written by and for: academics, priests, and astute laymen who wish to see a thriving North American Anglican church, built upon a solid theological framework. Importantly, The North American Anglican’s output, masthead, and purposes will not change. We will continue to publish the same high-quality content you have come to expect, maintaining our distinct Anglican voice and focus, while benefiting from the broader platform and shared resources of American Reformer.
Dynamic Content to Bless the Church
These are the main pillars that drive our content at TNAA:
- Primary Sources and Homiletics – As stated above, Anglican doctrine is grounded in Scripture, our common authority with all faithful Christians, as well as the Anglican “formularies”: the 39 Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal, another important early resource being the two Books of Homilies. These we regard as authoritative guides and part of our repertoire has been to publish reflections and commentaries on the 39 Articles, the Homilies themselves, as well as Homiletical reflections on the Scriptures appointed for every week of the lectionary.
- Ressourcement: Bringing the Tradition to Life – The 20th century was largely one of theological decline for the Anglican community. While there were some heroic voices for orthodoxy, they stood against the full weight of a long march of secular/liberal ideologies through formerly Christian institutions. Therefore, engaging and publishing our own tradition’s classics, our own heroes of the faith through the centuries, has been an essential task of The North American Anglican. We’ve made lesser-known classics like E. Harold Browne’s Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles accessible to modern readers, a generation hungry for the oft-neglected riches of the Anglican theological tradition.
- Discourse: The Family Conversation and Beyond – Far from being an exclusively academic journal, we regard our task as being one of deep engagement with original and scholarly sources, and a robust application of their insights to the most pressing needs of the church and society today. Through articles, commentary, and book reviews we maintain a variety of commitments: promoting and encouraging the uniquely male vocation to the priesthood, celebrating the classic editions of the Book of Common Prayer as a living tradition, and pointing to the Anglican formularies as a faithful presentation of Evangelical and Catholic truths found in the sacred scriptures. We don’t seek out scandal, but don’t shy away from proclaiming the truth either.
- Poets’ Corner – Our vision for TNAA has always included a desire to participate in and curate a renaissance of both Christian theology and the arts, with a special emphasis on the many historical contributions the Anglican tradition has made and continues to make in the realm of beauty in worship and daily life. In many respects, the Anglican tradition holds the “lion’s share” of what we positively call “cultural Christianity,” and our Poets’ Corner showcases a variety of poets and literary talents following the tradition of George Herbert, John Donne, C.S. Lewis, and T.S. Eliot.
For The North American Anglican, this new relationship means an opportunity to develop and grow from American Reformer’s institutional wisdom and strength. This will empower us to further our shared commitment to orthodox Christian renewal in our Nation, reaching a wider audience and deepening our impact.
We are excited about the future and the amplified capacity this partnership provides to stand firm for the truth and advance the Gospel.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
