The convocation records of the Churches of England and Ireland are the principal source of our information about the administration of those churches from middle ages until modern times. They contain the minutes of clergy synods, the legislation passed by them, tax assessments imposed by the king on the clergy, and accounts of the great debates about religious reformation; they also include records of heresy trials in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many of them connected with the spread of Lollardy. However, they have never before been edited or published in full, and their publication as a complete set of documents provides a valuable resource for scholarship. This volume contains the minutes of the convocations held at the end of Queen Anne's reign, which give a detailed account of the reforms proposed for the church during that time. Of particular interest is the 'Representation of the state of religion', a position paper drawn up at the government's request and presented to the assembled divines by Samuel Wesley, the rector of Epworth and father of John and Charles.

The convocation records of the Churches of England and Ireland are the principal source of our information about the administration of those churches from middle ages until modern times. They contain the minutes of clergy synods, the legislation passed by them, tax assessments imposed by the king on the clergy, and accounts of the great debates about religious reformation; they also include records of heresy trials in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many of them connected with the spread of Lollardy. However, they have never before been edited or published in full, and their publication as a complete set of documents provides a valuable resource for scholarship. This volume contains a full account of the convocation controversy in its first phase, making use of the act books of both the upper and the lower house, as well as of eye-witness accounts which have survived from other sources. Most of this material has never been published before or is available only in rare eighteenth-century editions which invariably reflect a partisan stance and therefore reproduce only part of the evidence. An appendix gives a complete bibliography of the controversy.

Making clear the Christian position that God's self-revelation is through human nature, 'Personhood and Christianity' offers an account of the way a person is formed as an individual in community from the moment of conception onward. The research and teaching of Dr Frank Lake are explained, drawing out the distinction between Lake's psychodynamic therapy and psychoanalytical practices, whether Freudian or Jungian. Forshaw shows that Christian living and spirituality are properly focused on the non-religious activity of God in the world, and that the Church's mission requires the formation of worshipping congregations that are increasingly free of the defensive behaviours commonly encouraged by religion. In pursuing his argument, Forshaw adopts a three-fold approach: Asserting that many of the practices and attitudes of the divided churches still make it difficult for people to understand Christianity; Taking up proposals of leading theologians and therapists he discusses the kind of holiness in the midst of ordinary life that can lead to practical reform in parishes, and contribute towards radical change in community life more widely. Laying stress on the world-directed purpose of the Eucharist through the ascended Jesus who is present everywhere. 'Personhood and Christianity' will be of great interest to all involved in Christian leadership and in the caring services of Church and society generally, to those training for ministry and to everyone engaged in pastoral counselling and therapy. The Author: With a degree from Cambridge in history and theology, Oliver Forshaw was trained for ordination at the Queen's College, Birmingham. Having served parishes in Singapore, Yorkshire, and Cumbria, he was longest in a large Urban Priority Area parish in Manchester where he set up along with R.C. and Methodist colleagues a counselling and community work project. He also led Clinical Theology seminars and served on a regional panel of counsellors for ministers and their families. This experience increased his awareness of the need for psychodynamic therapy for clerg

"The old way of "being church"-measured by political influence, money, and congregants in the pews-may indeed be vanishing, but it is being replaced by something new and beautiful for those with the eyes, ears, heart, and soul to experience it. Prolific author Greg Garrett reminds Episcopalians of the many gifts that our tradition can offer a doubting and hurting world. He reveals a church that values intellect, beauty, diversity, and community, and promotes thoughtful engagement with questions of faith, ethics, and community. This church espouses a generous orthodoxy, welcoming left and right, mystic and doubter. It values education, social justice, and engagement with literature and culture. And in opposition to the radical individualism espoused by most of American Protestantism, it offers the unique gift of a tradition shaped by English culture that believes the individual is a part of her or his community-not in opposition to it."

In a revised and expanded edition, this simple pamphlet continues to guide us in dealing with death and arranging in advance for funerals. All content is as up-to-date as possible and an extra signature of new material has been added, increasing the page count to 48 from 40. Sales history indicates that these booklets are often purchased in bulk by institutions to distribute to people of all ages to help them plan final arrangements, or to families of the deceased immediately after a death. The original edition was prompted by the death of the author's father: upon his passing and pending funeral, no one knew his plans or directives. Since then, scores of clergy, funeral directors, and parishioners have used this guide to address what needs to be done."

This renowned reference directory, first published in 1858, is an essential resource for anyone who works with or is linked to the Church of England, the Church of Ireland, the Church in Wales or the Episcopal Church of Scotland. The 107th edition contains biographies and contact details for over 24,000 Anglican clergy - stipendiary and self-supporting - and ordinands in Great Britain and Ireland. Extensive supplementary information includes: * Over 1000 new entries and over 10,000 updated entries since the previous edition; * Over 20,000 email addresses; * Details of English, Welsh and Irish benefices and churches and Scottish incumbencies; * Entries for the presiding Bishops and Archbishops of the Anglican Communion; * Full biographies for all retired clergy and a list of who have died since the last edition; * A separate supplement of biographies of those recently ordained as deacon; * Listings of Chaplains in schools, universities, colleges of higher and further education, the armed services, prisons, theological colleges and courses, clergy attached to the Chapel Royal, the College of Chaplains, and other appointments.

This book analyzes two large surveys of clergy and lay people in the Church of England taken in 2001 and 2013. The period between the two surveys was one of turbulence and change, and the surveys offer a unique insight into how such change affected grassroots opinion on topics such as marriage, women's ordination, sexual orientation, and the leadership of the Church. Andrew Village analyzes each topic to show how opinion varied by sex, age, education, location, ordination, and church tradition. Shifts that occurred in the period between the two surveys are then examined, and the results paint a detailed picture of how beliefs and attitudes vary across the Church and have evolved over time. This work uncovers some unforeseen but important trends that will shape the trajectory of the Church in the years ahead.

This book presents a historically and critically nuanced study of George Herbert's biblical poetics. Situating Herbert's work in the context of shifting ideas of biblical mystery, Gary Kuchar shows how Herbert negotiated two competing impulses within post-reformation thought-two contrary aspects of reformation spirituality as he inherited it: the impulse to certainty, assurance, and security and the impulse to mystery, wonder, and wise ignorance. Through subtle and richly contextualized readings, Kuchar places Herbert within a trans-historical tradition of biblical interpretation while also locating him firmly within the context of the early Stuart church. The result is a wide ranging book that is sure to be of interest to students and scholars across several different fields, including seventeenth-century studies, poetry and the bible, and literature and theology.

Andrew White is something of a legend: a man of great charm and energy, whose personal suffering has not deflected him from his important ministry of reconciliation. Andrew grew up in London, the son of strongly religious parents: by the age of five he could repeat the five points of Calvinism. As a child and young man he was frequently ill, but his considerable intelligence meant that his studies did not suffer. He set his heart on becoming an anaesthetist, an ambition he achieved, only to be redirected by God to Anglican ministry. Since ordination he has had a considerable role in the work of reconciliation, both between Christian and Jew and between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim. Often in danger, and always in pain, he has nevertheless been able to mediate between opposing extremes. A man of God, he is trusted by those who trust very few.

This book evaluates William Temple's theology and his pursuit of church unity. It exposes a number of paradoxes and conflicts that have generally gone under-appreciated in assessments of Temple. William Temple was one of the most outstanding leaders of the early ecumenical movement. In many ways his ecumenical efforts provided a paradigm others have looked to and followed. Through detailed analysis of primary sources, this study sheds light on several behind-the-scenes conflicts Temple experienced as he worked toward church unity. Edward Loane explores the foundation of Temple's work by analyzing the philosophy and theology that underpinned and fueled it. The book also exposes the tensions between Temple's denominational allegiance and his ecumenical convictions-a tension that, in some ways, undermined his work for reunion. This book reveals issues that contemporary Christians need to grapple with as they seek to further church unity.

The author defines Yesterday's Radicals as nineteenth-century Anglican Broad Churchmen and Unitarians, and aims in his book to demonstrate the affinities between them and the manners in which they influenced each other. The Broad Churchmen constituted the progressive wing of the Anglican Church, who were interested in science, Biblical criticism, a rational approach to religion, and who were leaders in the attempt to relate the Church's teaching to the new thoughts and conditions of the nineteenth century. But they were not alone. The Unitarians were possessed of a similar spirit, and came to regard reason and conscience as the criteria of belief and practice. This book demonstrates the growing respect between them, as they tried to grapple with the problems of their day. It lucidly takes the reader through the ramifications and complexities of Biblical criticism, and discusses the answers given to the problems of Biblical inspiration and miracles, amongst others. It demonstrates how Unitarians and Broad Churchmen affected each other, and that much of which is now taken for granted in enlightened theological circles was developed by Yesterday's Radicals. The author traverses territory not previously opened up in this way, for the affinity between these groups has hitherto not been the subject of analysis. This pioneering study was awarded the Earl Morse Wilbur Prize for Historical Research.

This examination of Anglicanism from the perspective of the Free Churches details the tension that exists between its Catholic and Protestant characteristics, while at the same time drawing attention to an important ecclesiological message that is applicable to all the Christian churches.

'Kilvert's World of Wonders' focuses upon the life of the endearingly humble clergyman Francis Kilvert, who is best known for the Diary which records his sensitive descriptions of rural life in the nineteenth century. Until recently Kilvert was considered naive, lacking in confidence, and parochial in outlook, most at home in the country cottage or the country vicarage. In this volume, however, Toman reveals Kilvert as a sophisticated thinker in touch with metropolitan culture and fascinated by the technological progress of his age. He marveled at railways, shipyards, and the machinery of the Great Exhibition, and explored the theories of mesmerism and evolution. Toman makes his customary careful reading of the 'Diary', demonstrated in his previous study 'Kilvert's Diary and Landscape' (The Lutterworth Press, 2009), but also delves into Kilvert's family background, education and childhood reading, and into the diaries of his sister Emily, to shed light on previously unacknowledged aspects of Kilvert's personality. In this perceptive revaluation of Kilvert's character and outlook, Toman introduces us to a man who sought to understand the great changes of the mid-nineteenth century, and so come to terms with what was becoming the world of today. John Toman spent thirty years in education as a teacher, lecturer, and schools inspector. For many years, he has read and re-read 'Kilvert's Diary' and walked 'Kilvert Country'. During the last twenty years, he has made an intensive study of the 'Diary' and of Kilvert's background, he is the author of 'Kilvert's Diary and Landscape' (2008). 'Toman's study reveals Kilvert to have been a man who 'had the curiosity and courage to face the age's difficult questions'. The book's thorough and scholarly approach will ensure that it remains an indispensable tool to all those who wish to understand him and the forces which shaped him.' Dr Martin Crossley Evans, University of Bristol 'Toman completes here a thorough reassessment of the literary, cultural and theological influences on Kilvert, bringing us closer than ever before to his character. Meticulously researched and written in a clear, engaging style, the book foregrounds the diarist's complex and ambivalent relationship with the rapidly developing climate of the mid-nineteenth century.' Dr Philip Dunham, University of Coventry

First published in 1938, this book presents a selection from the papers of Nicholas Ferrar (1592-1637), intended to provide a detailed illustration of 'the life and work of a saint of the Church of England'. The text keeps as much as possible to the spelling and punctuation of the original manuscripts and editorial notes are kept to a minimum. Illustrative figures and an introduction are included, together with a bibliography and genealogy. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the writings of Ferrar, Anglicanism and British history.

This book considers three defining movements driven from London and within the region that describe the experience of the Church of England in New England between 1686 and 1786. It explores the radical imperial political and religious change that occurred in Puritan New England following the late seventeenth-century introduction of a new charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Anglican Church in Boston and the public declaration of several Yale 'apostates' at the 1722 college commencement exercises. These events transformed the religious circumstances of New England and fuelled new attention and interest in London for the national church in early America. The political leadership, controversial ideas and forces in London and Boston during the run-up to and in the course of the War for Independence, was witnessed by and affected the Church of England in New England. The book appeals to students and researchers of English History, British Imperial History, Early American History and Religious History.

Originally published in 1934, this book contains the text of two lectures delivered that year on the subject of unity in the Anglican Church by the Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity in the University of Cambridge, James Bethune-Baker. The third section of the book is given over to explaining certain recent divisive developments in Anglicanism, including attitudes to evolution and the literal truth of the Bible, which necessitated these lectures. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Anglican theology.

Originally published in 1940, this book contains the text of the Birkbeck Lectures for 1937-8. Smyth assesses the contributions that Cambridge cleric Charles Simeon made to the Evangelical Revival in Cambridge in the eighteenth century, and includes correspondence between Simeon and other evangelical thinkers of the day among his sources. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in religion in Georgian England and the Evangelical Revival.

Originally published in 1902, this book contains the edited text of two biographies of William Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore, who was martyred for his Anglican faith during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. One biography in the collection was written by Bedell's son, and the other by the Rev. Alexander Clogie, a Scottish clergyman who was imprisoned with Bedell. Also included in the volume is a meditation by Bedell on the efficiency of grace, as well as several of his letters and extracts from State Papers that contain mentions of him. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in seventeenth-century religion and the life of Bedell.

Andrew White is something of a legend: a man of great charm and energy, whose personal suffering has not deflected him from his important ministry of reconciliation. Andrew grew up in London, the son of strongly religious parents: by the age of five he could repeat the five points of Calvinism. As a child and young man he was frequently ill, but his considerable intelligence meant that his studies did not suffer. He set his heart on becoming an anaesthetist, an ambition he achieved, only to be redirected by God to Anglican ministry. Since ordination he has had a considerable role in the work of reconciliation, both between Christian and Jew and between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim. Often in danger, and always in pain, he has nevertheless been able to mediate between opposing extremes. A man of God, he is trusted by those who trust very few.

This book evaluates William Temple's theology and his pursuit of church unity. It exposes a number of paradoxes and conflicts that have generally gone under-appreciated in assessments of Temple. William Temple was one of the most outstanding leaders of the early ecumenical movement. In many ways his ecumenical efforts provided a paradigm others have looked to and followed. Through detailed analysis of primary sources, this study sheds light on several behind-the-scenes conflicts Temple experienced as he worked toward church unity. Edward Loane explores the foundation of Temple's work by analyzing the philosophy and theology that underpinned and fueled it. The book also exposes the tensions between Temple's denominational allegiance and his ecumenical convictions-a tension that, in some ways, undermined his work for reunion. This book reveals issues that contemporary Christians need to grapple with as they seek to further church unity.

Originally published in 1932, this book contains Alexander Nairne's essay on the role of the Old Testament in the Church of England, with a suggested structure for a course of instruction for the faithful in the Testament's historical and theological context. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the use of the Hebrew Bible in Christianity.

First published in 1992, this book examines the intellectual confrontation between priest and Freethinker from 1660 to 1730, and the origins of the early phase of the Enlightenment in England. Through an analysis of the practice of historical writing in the period, Champion maintains that historical argument was a central component for displaying defences of true religion. Taking religion, and specifically defences of the Church of England after 1660, as central to the politics of the period, the first two chapters of the book explore the varieties of clericalist histories, arguing that there were rival emphases upon regnum or sacerdos as the font of true religion. The remainder of the book examines how radical Freethinkers like John Toland or the third Earl of Shaftesbury set about attacking the corrupt priestcraft of established religion, but also importantly promoted a reforming civil theology.

Originally published in 1906, this book presents an attempt 'to ascertain the office and position of certain Bishops in the Provincial Chapter of Canterbury, and likewise to trace the history of the Precedence of certain English Prelates'. Extensive notes and an appendices section are incorporated within the text. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Anglican Church and the history of Christianity.

First volume in the new Westminster Abbey Record Series, covering changes in Abbey ritual during the Reformation. This book is the first volume in a new venture, the Westminster Abbey Record Series, which aims to publish documents, calendars, lists and indexes from the Abbey's large and continuous archive of over a thousand years, making itscontents available both to scholars and to a wider interested public. This edition of the earliest Chapter Act Book of the Dean and Chapter is an essential source for the impact of the Reformation at Westminster. The years covered in this volume show the business of setting up a reformed cathedral; the administration of the Abbey's large estate is also well illustrated, including the relations with the powerful courtiers and politicians who were among the Abbey's tenants. Dr CHARLES KNIGHTON gained his Ph.D. from Magdalene College, Cambridge.