This timely book, which arises out of consultations under the auspices of the Centre for the Study of the Christian Church, examines the Church of England's decision to ordain women to the priesthood and to make pastoral provision for those opposed. It attempts to discover and define the theological principles underlying both the ordination of women and the determination of the Church to maintain communion when these developments provoke fundamental disagreements.

Nora Gallagher’s compelling story of a woman at a crossroads, discerning what to do and how to live after her brother’s death, is a continuation of the spiritual journey she chronicled in her acclaimed book, Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith.

When her beloved brother, Kit, dies, Gallagher finds her own life no longer makes sense. Stretched between meetings, always ten minutes late, increasingly drained of surprise and humor, Gallagher realizes she’s lost more than her brother. She’s lost her “own wild life,” and a sense of the sacred in the world.

Gallagher sets out to find “a new way to spend” herself. Practicing Resurrection describes the often un-
settling, sometimes comic, and finally redemptive process of discovery as Gallagher discerns a possible call to the ministry, and explores her marriage, her work as a writer, and the natural world. It extends to the full meaning of life after a death as Gallagher finds that experiences of “resurrection” are not believing “six impossible things before breakfast.” The surprising end portrays a vision of ministry redefined and a marriage honestly renewed.

A beautiful and often harrowing account of the exploration of a vocation and of new life after loss, this powerful memoir will inform and inspire anyone trying to discern the signs of a “call” to what might be a deeper purpose, and how to act on it.





From the Hardcover edition.

Ronald Blythe invites us into the company of his neighbours and friends to hear his reflections on the natural and local history, the liturgy, stories, village events and gossip that shape and unite their lives. Though intimately local, his voice is that of a poet, transcending boundaries of place and time with a universal appeal. 'Man of letters, man of faith, Suffolk man: Ronald Blythe is all of these.' Tiimes Literary Supplement

This volume includes lectures from high profile figures from academia and the Church. Anglian and Catholic voices explores continuity and change in the Anglican Church and its relations with Rome, from its earliest days onwards.

The Anabaptists of North America sport an amazing spectrum of religious and cultural diversity--from communal Hutterites to urban Mennonites, from low-tech Amish to acculturated Brethren. They are known for their strong commitments to peacemaking, service, and community. In this concise text, Donald B. Kraybill provides a sweeping overview of their beliefs and practices as well as their similarities and differences.

Caused a storm when it was first published, but now, in the words of Archbishop David Hope, "should be seen as a refreshing statement which the Church is crying out for." An Anglican Catechism puts into the hands of anyone seeking to extend knowledge of the Church of England a definitive account of the teachings of the Church. Edward Norman has produced a statement of faith at a time when our understanding has been clouded by the prevalence of secular modes of thought.

Published to mark the tenth anniversary of the ordination of women in the Anglican church, this work includes prominent clergy, both female and male, such as Lucy Winkett, Angela Tilby, Una Kroll, Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Rowan Williams. It tells women's stories about the reality of life as a priest and reveals defining moments in their own personal journey. Influential men in the church also reflect upon the challenges and opportunities that women's ministry has created for them.

Well over a century and a half after its high point, the Oxford Movement continues to stand out as a powerful example of religion in action. Led by four young Oxford dons--John Henry Newman, John Keble, Richard Hurrell Froude, and Edward Pusey--this renewal movement within the Church of England was a central event in the political, religious, and social life of the early Victorian era. This book offers an up-to-date and highly accessible overview of the Oxford Movement.

Beginning formally in 1833 with John Keble's famous "National Apostasy" sermon and lasting until 1845, when Newman made his celebrated conversion to Roman Catholicism, the Oxford Movement posed deep and far-reaching questions about the relationship between Church and State, the Catholic heritage of the Church of England, and the Church's social responsibility, especially in the new industrial society. The four scholar-priests, who came to be known as the Tractarians (in reference to their publication of Tracts for the Times), courted controversy as they attacked the State for its insidious incursions onto sacred Church ground and summoned the clergy to be a thorn in the side of the government.

C. Brad Faught approaches the movement thematically, highlighting five key areas in which the movement affected English society more broadly--politics, religion and theology, friendship, society, and missions. The advantage of this thematic approach is that it illuminates the frequently overlooked wider political, social, and cultural impact of the movement. The questions raised by the Tractarians remain as relevant today as they were then. Their most fundamental question--"What is the place of the Church in the modern world?"--still remains unanswered.

This account of the Oxford or Tractarian movement provides essential information to the study of English church history and the history of England during the Victorian era. This book is an up-to-date, scholarly but approachable exploration of the Movement which features primary material from a range of its key members. Herring looks at the relationship beween the Movement and the older, pre-1833 High Church tradition and, crucially, at developments after Newman's departure for Rome in 1845. By placing the Tractarians in the general political and social context of Victorian movements that sought to revitalize England's traditional institutions during a period of urbanization and industrialization, Herring brings new meaning to the movement.

This text argues that in the Local Ministry movement every Christian person has a gift to offer. When the split between clergy and laity is overcome and the original concept of the laity as all God's people is recovered, everyone is free to use these gifts, allowing the Church to be Church. This vison of collaborative ministry gives the opportunity to explore the many connections between faith and life and should be a force for renewal in the Church.

Open the ancient door of an old church, says Ronald Blythe, and framed in the silence is a house of words where everything has been said: centuries of birth, marriage and death words, gossip, poetry, philosophy, rant, eloquence, learning, nonsense, the language of hymn writers and Bible translators - all of it spoken in one place. This work contains words spoken by Ronald Blythe in the churches he serves as a Reader in the Church of England, and as the local writer expected to add his own distinctive voice. Originating as addresses given at Matins or Evensong, they follow various paths into old and new liturgies, literature and the local countryside. They bring together the author's delight in language, his recollections of farming, his recognition of friends and neighbours, and the hopes he has found in faith.

Amongst the churches, Anglicanism is distinctive by virtue of its attempt to participate in the life and purposes of God and to make them known through history and in the practicalities of particular situations. Yet the distinctiveness of this position, and what its implications are for the Church's ongoing life, are not well appreciated. As a result, the churches of the Anglican Communion often find themselves caught in painful struggles about major issues concerning their own basis and practice, to such a degree that there are constant threats of division. The essays in this book begin from the struggles which have emerged in recent years, since the 1998 Lambeth conference, and show the deeper issues at stake. They respond with proposals for the future, focusing especially on the wisdom which manifests itself in the Church, and how this needs to be furthered in the worship, order and practice of the Church in the breadth of its mission in each place. They conclude with some considerations of the wider role of the Church in responding to spirituality and money. Together they form a powerful statement of the tasks of Anglicanism today from which other traditions have much to learn.

A guide to preaching on the Common Worship Lectionary, covering the whole three-year cycle, concentration on the lections for the principal service, and the major saints' days. It provides, for each Sunday's principal service, a focus verse from one of the readings and notes on how to link the four readings. The focus is on the readings but the author includes illustrations and reflections on the everyday life offering the preacher a number of jumping-off points. She sees the main aim of preaching as being to encourage people. A "how-to" section at the beginning of the book contains advice for those new to preaching.

An invaluable one-stop reference point for a wide range of biblical and ecclesiastical terms. Includes simple definitions for words frequently used in relation to church buildings, their contents, and in many aspects of church organization and worship. Revised and expanded to include the many changes brought about by Common Worship.

The Saints of the Anglican Calendar introduces us to the 232 men and women who are commemorated in the Common Mrship Calendar. Nearly five hundred years after the Reformation, the Church of England is coming to a fuller appreciation of the saints, and their contribution to our spiritual heritage. 1 it le .11 .1r, e: Mediaeval accounts of saints' lives were often marred by confitsion and contradictory oral traditions, the writers' desire to tell an edifying story, and the exploitation of the commercial opportunities of pilgrim shrines. Embellished with improbable miracles and unlikely legends, these accounts made the saints seem remote and unbelievable figures, but recent theological scholarship has cleared away the accretions of centuries, enabling us to see the saints as real people who faced up to the challenge of living out the Christian faith, often in conditions of great difficulty or danger - and who made mistakes like everyone else. This lively and informative volume presents the experience of men and women from the days of the early Church to modern times - people from many walks of life, including some from other Christian traditions. They represent the 'great cloud of witnesses' who enrich our understanding of the Christian faith, endow us with a legacy of two thousand years of Christian values in action, and inspire us to walk faithfully in the way of Christ.

In 1974 the Church of England published a groundbreaking report on euthanasia. Considered by many Christians to be one of the key texts on the subject, it has now been revised and updated with important new additions and commentaries. On Dying Well investigates moral, theological, clinical and legal arguments for and against voluntary euthanasia. It presents arguments on both sides and considers real cases, thereby locating the issues in their clinical context. The report is both intellectually robust and sensitive to the realities of death. On Dying Well is, therefore, as much a contribution to the debate on euthanasia today as it was 25 years ago. The report, while recognising that there may be exceptional cases demanding special decisions, nevertheless concludes that the case for legalising voluntary euthanasia is not one that can be supported. The conclusions are satisfactory because they emerge from careful examination of the issues and reasoned arguments. Anyone who is concerned about euthanasia, or who would like to deepen their own reflections on the subject, should read On Dying Well.

The Anglican answer to this question is clearly given in this unrivalled short guide to the origins, structure, ministry and values of the Churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Paul Avis explains and clarifies the history and theology involved. The reader is introduced to the concepts in a structured way, making the book clear to those who may be coming to these issues for the first time. It will also form an invaluable aide-memoire and reference tool for the specialist, presenting a clear outline of the structure, form, function, disposition and beliefs of the Church. Concise and informative, this is an ideal handbook and textbook.

Co-published with the Council for World Mission, this exciting new resource focuses on the theme of mission as it is expressed in worship and worked out in the life of the church. 150 original items from around the world include litanies and symbolic acts

This book represents a continuation of study, debate, and conversation, particularly within the Episcopal Church in the U.S., concerning the authority and function of the Bible in the church. The content of the debate and conversation, however, will be of interest and benefit also to members of other church bodies. A helpful study guide appears at the beginning of the book to assist individuals and group to work through the various contributions and to draw their own conclusions regarding the Bible's role in today's church. The literal and plain sense of the scriptures, the matter in which the Bible is to be regarded as incarnate in history and human limitations, and the degree to which it is subject to historical conditions-these and a host of other critical issues provide the focus of the book. Special attention is directed to the issue of the growing biblical illiteracy in society, leading one of the contributors to warn that "biblical illiteracy is the precursor to spiritual death and communal dissolution." The main chapters include" "The 'Official position' of the Episcopal Church on the Authority of Scripture: Historical Development and Ecumenical Comparison" (J. Robert Wright); "Holy Book, Holy People: A Study of the Authority and Use of the Bible" (Charles P. Price); "'For Freedom Christ Has Set You Free': The Interpretation and Authority of Scripture in Contemporary Theologies of Liberation" (Ellen K. Wondra); "Reading the Bible as the Word of God" (Stephen F. Noll); "The Scriptures in the Life of the Church" (Richard A. Norris, Jr.). The editor, Frederick Houk Borsch, is Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

An engaging portrait of one of the most influential and greatly-loved bishops of the Church of England in the twentieth century. He was a Franciscan scholar of world renown, a quintessential Anglican and untiring ecumenist.