More on Presbyterians With Prayer Books
Embryo Parson Posted on Monday, May 15, 2023 at 02:19PM Yes, Virginia, Anglicanism really did reject Calvinism.
Book Review - Reformation Anglicanism: Essays on Edwardian Evangelicalism (The North American Anglican)
"Reformation Anglicanism thus seeks to draw attention to this period and explore it more deeply. It is composed of several essays that were delivered, save one, at the Reformation Anglicanism Symposium at Moore Theological College, Australia in 2019. The first four essays discuss “some foundational documents of the English Reformation” (10) such as the Homilies and the Forty-five Articles of Religion. The latter five focus on “foundational people and places” (12) such as Heinrich Bullinger and Martin Bucer. Some of the essays cover more familiar ground, such as Mark D. Thompson’s discussion of the Homily “A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading and Knowledge of Holy Scripture.” Others get into relatively obscure topics that shed light on the Edwardian period in interesting ways. Examples include Joe Mock’s chapter on Bullinger’s correspondence with Thomas Cranmer (as well as other key figures of the English Reformation) and N. Scott Amos’s analysis of Bucer’s funeral, subsequent disinterment and burning, and rehabilitation.
If the book were simply an exploration of various facets of the Edwardian period of the English Reformation, it would be a fine collection. Sadly, a number of this volume’s contributors cross the line between scholarly interest in their chosen subjects and transparent wishcasting, a tendency made apparent right from the start. . . .
There have undoubtedly been many Anglicans who can rightly be called Calvinists. Some even of the English Reformers could be characterized as such. But to insist that the very formularies of the Church of England are Calvinist in essence is mistaken and tedious. Moreover, appealing to documents that never had any formal authority in the Church as evidence for its Calvinist nature, as many contributors for this volume do, strains credulity. Those yearning for a church that has Calvinism baked into its very foundations should become (or remain) Presbyterian and save everyone a great deal of heartburn. Then again, the Australian Diocese of Sydney—with which most of this volume’s contributors are affiliated—is not known for rigorously adhering to the Anglican tradition, so this book is hardly an unexpected departure.[2]
Let me reiterate that Reformation Anglicanism does contain some interesting material on the Edwardian period of the English Reformation. Readers who can appreciate what there is and don’t mind the overt attempts to Calvinize Anglicanism will find some value in it. The unmistakable and ill-founded tenor of the project keeps it from reaching its full potential, though."
39 Articles, Anglican Formularies, Anglo-Calvinism, Book of Common Prayer, Calvinism, Caroline Divines, Church of England, Continuing Anglicanism, Crypto-Puritanism, English Reformation, Evangelicalism, Historical Theology, Homilies, John Calvin, Presbyterians With Prayer Books, Puritans, Queen Elizabeth II, The Problem of Anglican Identity, Traditional Anglicanism
Reader Comments (1)
It's certainly true that the Anglican formularies are not Calvinist (thank God!). It's also certainly true that they are not medieval Catholic (also thank God!). Neither a Calvinist nor a tractarian should be able to read the 39 articles and the prayer book both honestly and comfortably.
(Of course, the 39 articles also are not holy writ, and must not take precedence over it if there really is any conflict, either.)