The following essays are based on the lectures I gave in a course “The Anglican Way of Theology,” that I taught at Trinity Anglican Seminary for eighteen years. The course was developed out of a course that had been taught previously, but to the best of my knowledge is unique in the Anglican world. While one can find histories of Roman Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran theologies, to the best of my knowledge that is nothing similar available concerning Anglicanism. Anglicanism does indeed have a rich theological history, and my eventual goal, once this series is complete, is to turn what was originally a series of lectures into a book.
Because Anglicanism has no single theologian with the status of a Thomas Aquinas or John Calvin or Martin Luther, because Anglicanism is not a confessional tradition in the sense of Lutheranism or Calvinism, because of a lack of well-known systematic theologians in the twentieth century, and because of partisan divisions between Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, the claim is frequently made that there is no such thing as Anglican theology (or even identity). The entire purpose of this series of essays is to argue that Anglicanism does indeed have a distinctive theological identity.
Thomas Cranmer’s Reformation Theology
In this essay, I examine the Reformation roots of Thomas Cranmer’s theology, particularly his understanding of Scripture and justification. Nonetheless, I argue that Cranmer’s theology was both evangelical and catholic.
Thomas Cranmer on the Sacraments and the Prayer Book
In this essay, I try to sort out Cranmer’s not always clear views on sacramental theology, argue (against Dom Gregory Dix) that Cranmer was not a Zwinglian and examine the catholic and evangelical dimensions of Cranmer’s Prayer Book liturgy.
John Jewel and the Catholicity of Anglicanism
John Jewel is the lesser known of the two Reformation-era Anglican apologists. While Richard Hooker defended Anglicanism against Puritan criticisms that the Church of England was too Catholic, Jewel defended Anglicanism against Tridentine Roman Catholic criticism by arguing that Anglicanism is indeed Catholic.
Richard Hooker on Law and Gospel Part One: God, Creation, Christology and Participation
Richard Hooker is the closest thing Anglicans have to a primary Systematic Theologian. In this first essay, I discuss Hooker’s ontology, specifically his rediscovery of the doctrine of creation, his doctrine of the Triune God, his understanding of law as God’s ordering of creation, of the incarnation of God in Christ, and “participation” as the life of the Trinity, the Incarnation, creation, and redemption.
Richard Hooker On Law and Gospel Part Two: Grace, Sacraments, Worship and Polity
This is a continuation and conclusion of my first essay on Richard Hooker. In this essay, I discuss Hooker’s understanding of justification and sanctification, of predestination, of the sacraments (baptism and the Eucharist), of the hermeneutical application of biblical law, of Prayer Book worship and episcopacy (why bishops?)
The following essays on George Herbert and Thomas Traherne were not part of my Trinity coruse lecture series but fit into the chronological development.
George Herbert’s Approach to God: The Faith and Spirituality of a Country Priest
One of the first things I ever published (in Theology Today 2003). Herbert is a model of Anglican spirituality.Â
Sermon for the Feast Day of George Herbert
This was a sermon about George Herbert.
Creation and Cross in the Anglican Spirituality of Thomas Traherne
Thomas Traherne (along with George Herbert and John Donne) is one of the three Anglican spiritual writers to whom I turn time and again. This was published in Pro Ecclesia: A Journal of Catholic and Evangelical Theology Vol. 25, No. 4, Fall 2016.
Earlier Essays on Anglican Theology
An Anglican Reflection on the Filioque
This is a paper I gave at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting on Nov. 17, 2021. It lays out the historic Anglican position, but also discusses ecumenical relations with Orthodoxy.
Anglican Reflections on Justification by Faith
An edited version of this paper appeared in the Anglican Theological Review Winter 2013. I discuss not only the historic Anglican position but also ecumenical concerns as well as concerns raised by the “New Perspective” on Paul.
The Modern Debate About Normative Infant Baptism: A Discussion and Bibliography
There was in the mid-twentieth century a revival of the debate about infant baptism in mainline churches (Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant and Anglican!). I look at the history, but also provide some theological reflection.
Reflections on Anglican eucharistic theology in the Reformers concluding with theological evaluation in light of modern ecumenical discussions.
The Anglican Reformers Were Not Zwinglians!
This is in response to a someone who had left Anglicanism to become Roman Catholic and claimed that the Anglican Reformers were Zwinglian in their theology and rejected any continuity with the pre-Reformation church. This (all too common) objection among Catholics and Orthodox is simply a misunderstanding of what the English Reformation was about. Unfortunately, some Evangelical Anglicans contribute to this misreading. Lots of comments.
The Anglican Reformers Were Not Zwinglians! Addendum
The discussion about the Anglican Reformers continues.
Hooker was a Calvinist . . . Right?
This was my response quite awhile ago to the claim that Richard Hooker’s theology was Calvinist. Since then, a renaissance in Hooker scholarship has been dominated by Reformed theologians who are claiming Hooker as one of their own. I am happy when anyone who is not Anglican comes to appreciate Anglican theologians, but I stand by the things I wrote here. I think there are just too many differences between Hooker’s theology and mainstream Reformed theology to claim him as Reformed.
Anglican Reflections: What About Priests?
Why do Anglicans have “priests” rather than “pastors”?
Anglican Reflections: What About Bishops?
This is one of those historic issues that divides Anglicans from other Protestants, from Rome (who denies we have it) and even divides Anglicans among themselves. My reflections.
Anglican Reflections: What About Apostolic Succession?
Further reflection on the significance of bishops.
Anglican Reflections: What About the 39 Articles?
To what extent should the Thirty-Nine Articles function as a confessional document for Anglicans?
My response to an email concerning whether Evangelicalism or Anglo-Catholicism better represent Anglican identity. Much of this is autobiographical, but in essence, I argue against both partisan interpretations of Anglican identity. Lots of discussion in the comments section.
Evangelical or Catholic? A Bibliography
This is a bibliography of books that led me to my understanding of Anglicanism as both “Evangelical” and “Catholic.”
On the Development of Doctrine
This was the first of a series of essays critiquing Newman’s theory of the development of doctrine.
A Little More on the Development of Doctrine
More on Newman’s theory of development of doctrine
Thomas Aquinas on the Formal Sufficiency of Scripture
In this essay, I argue that Aquinas’s approach to theology (and especially the sufficiency of Scripture) is more in accord with Anglicanism than modern Roman Catholic theology.
The discussion about Newman continues.
A further critique of John Henry Newman’s theory of the development of doctrine.
American Evangelicalism and Anglicanism
This was from a talk I gave at Trinity addressing the question of where Anglicanism fits within the context of American evangelicalism.
This is no longer the controversial issue that it was when I first arrived at Trinity, but for a while, it was quite controversial. The Lutheran Anglicans still exist.
Flight From Transcendence: Bishop Spong’s Doctrine of God
The first thing I ever published. It appeared in Can A Bishop Be Wrong? Ten Scholars Challenge John Shelby Spong, ed. Peter C. Moore (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 1998). The essay makes clear that there are theological disagreements in Anglicanism that are more important than sex.
General Convention and Its Aftermath: Non-Theological Interpretations and a Theological Alternative
This appeared in the short-lived Trinity Journal for Theology and Ministry, fall 2008. It points to the issues that eventually led to the split in the Episcopal Church and the formation of the Anglican Church in North America.
The very first blog post I ever wrote. I explained why I was not leaving Anglicanism. This was mistakenly interpreted to mean that I would never leave the Episcopal Church. I did not leave, but I was kicked out.
A followup essay to my original essay on why I was not leaving Anglicanism and why I had hopes for Gafcon.
Is it Necessary to be in Communion With Canterbury in Order to be Anglican?
This and the following essay were my responses to a claim that was being made that Anglicanism is defined not by theological identity but by communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.Â
It’s about communion! But communion with whom??
This was written during the height of the divisions that led to the separation of the ACNA from the Episcopal Church and addresses two questions: (1) Is being in communion with the Episcopal Church necessary to Anglican identity in North America? (2) Might there be justifiable reasons to leave TEC? (3) What are the responsibilities of those orthodox Anglicans who remain in the Episcopal Church?
This was my response to an email from someone who was complaining not that the ACNA was schismatic for leaving the Episcopal Church, but that it had not gone far enough in separating itself from the heresies of the Episcopal Church.
Whatever It Is, I’m (Not Necessarily) Against It!
It’s been a long time (almost two decades) since I regularly posted on any of the “conservative” Anglican blogs/websites. Unfortunately, in the last decade the problem has become even worse as too much conservative Anglican social media has become dominated by culture war issues rather than theology.
