The Missionary Societies We heard earlier on how the Bishops of the Church of England, and principally the Bishop of London, managed church life in the colonies through the work of commissaries. The most famous, able, and influential of these … Continue reading
The ethos of Anglicanism It has become the easiest of journalistic cliches to accuse leaders of the Anglican Communion of sitting on the fence, fudging issues and woolly thinking. It is worth distinguishing pusillanimous behaviour, which simply lacks the courage … Continue reading
Every time a church body meets it comes up with a statement, justifying the meeting and the accompanying expense. Sometimes the statement is grandly called a “communique” as if saying it in French makes it more official. I am sure … Continue reading
So far, the acute-eyed among you will have noted, that in this series about Anglican Roots, as we prepare for the Lambeth Conference of the world-wide Anglican Communion, we have heard very little about the world beyond the Tweed, the … Continue reading
Dissenters and Sectaries (aka Methodism) The Church of England never learnt to cope with dissent. More groups split away from the church throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The American high churchman, Samuel Johnson (not the English dictionary compiler) referred … Continue reading
The Church can be self-reforming When the Church of England relies on law and enforcement it cuts itself off from the richness of skills and gifts that God has given all his people. When it remains open to the new … Continue reading
What was a interesting diversion for James, debating with bishops and puritans, became a matter of life and death for his son, Charles I, and, to be honest, mostly death. James’s refusal to address even the minor issues agreed to … Continue reading
The Elizabeth Settlement of 1559 was no such thing. It was the Elizabethan Truce, and a truce which became increasingly out of date over the course of her long reign. The enemy at the beginning of her reign was, as … Continue reading
Christian Humanism Nowadays, if you say “humanism” people tend to think you mean “atheism”: the British Humanist Association is prominent in opposing all public expressions of religion in our society. But in the early sixteenth century humanism didn’t mean such … Continue reading
The Church and its learning Despite being the product of a national church asserting its national identity (and its submission to the secular power of the realm), in the period in which the Church of England was learning to define … Continue reading