The English Reformation: Stick a Fork In It, It's Done

Monday, July 8, 2024 at 05:17PM
Embryo Parson in 39 Articles, Anglican Formularies, Anglo-Calvinism, Anglo-Catholicism, Calvinism, Church Fathers, Continuing Anglicanism, English Reformation, Evangelicalism, Future of Protestantism, Historical Theology, Holy Scripture, Homilies, Justification By Faith, Lutheranism, Martin Luther, N.T. Wright, New Perspective on Paul, Oxford Movement, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, The Gospel, The Problem of Anglican Identity, Tractarian Divines, Traditional Anglicanism

Just finished reading this book.

When N.T. Wright calls Thomas' work "theologically explosive", that is an understatement. If, as I believe, the New Perspective guys are right, and if it's the case that these earliest of Christian sources reveal a view of the "works of the Law" that is consistent with the NP, then stick a fork in the Protestant Reformation, English and Continental, it's done.  That means, inter alia, that the Articles and Homilies are indeed nothing more than "historical documents" that should not enjoy confessional status, and are therefore not binding on Anglicans, as the Protestant soteriology reflected there, in the final analysis, finds neither apostolic nor patristic warrant.

Note especially the highlighted comment from the conclusions section:

 

Article originally appeared on theoldjamestownchurch (http://www.oldjamestownchurch.com/).