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 book is a wide ranging new history of a key period in the history of the church in England, from the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688-89 to the Great Reform Act of 1832. This was a tumultuous time for both church and state, when the relationship between religion and politics was at its most fraught. The Church of England 1688 - 1832 considers the consequences of these important events and the rapid changes it brought to the Anglican Church and to national politics.
Aspects of the social history of the Church are also discussed, including the role of the Church in eighteenth century culture, and the development of nationhood. Anglican attitudes to European Protestantism and Methodism are also evaluated.
Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, The Church of England 1688 - 1832 presents evidence of the widespread Anglican commitment to harmony between those of differing religious views and suggests that High and Low Churchmanship was less divergent than usually assumed. This is both a detailed history of the Church in the eighteenth century and a fresh and stimulating re-evaluation of the nature of Anglicanism and its role in society.

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.

American Episcopalians have long prided themselves on their love of consensus and their position as the church of American elites. They have, in the process, often forgotten that during the nineteenth century their church was racked by a divisive struggle that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the Episcopal Church. On one side of this struggle was a powerful and aggressive Evangelical party who hoped to make the Episcopal Church into the democratic head of "the sisterhood of Evangelical Churches" in America; on the other side was the Oxford Movement, equally powerful and aggressive but committed to a range of Romantic principles which celebrated disillusion and disgust with evangelicalism and democracy alike. The resulting conflict--over theology, liturgy, and, above all, culture--led to the schism of 1873, in which many Evangelicals left the church to form the Reformed Episcopal Church. For the Union of Evangelical Christendom tells this largely forgotten story using the case of the Reformed Episcopalians to open up the ironic anatomy of American religion at the turn of the century.

Today, as the Episcopal Church once again finds itself enmeshed in cultural and religious crisis, the remembrance of a similar crisis a century ago brings an eerily prophetic ring to this remarkable work of cultural and religious history.

Dr Foster traces the eventful history of the Church of England from shortly after its establishment in Elizabeth I's reign down to 1640, when it was on the verge of destruction. As well as analysing its principal features he considers the conflicting interpretations that this most controversial of periods has stimulated. He also provides a detailed chronological chart to help students with alternative readings of events and to prompt thoughts about how `facts shift according to different perspectives'.

The prestigious Prideaux Lectures were given in 1990 by Adrian Hastings, published here in volume form. With a distinctive and fresh approach, he surveys the vast range of interactions between the Christian church and the English state both historically and theologically. The central theme is the tension between the intrinsic dualism within the Christian approach to church and state and the pressure towards monism inherent in the Reformation establishment. While contrasting Roman Catholic and Free Church with Anglican past experience, the concluding chapter assesses recent developments in which the established church has effectively recovered a dualist stance. At a time when the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury has heightened discussion about the role of the church in contemporary society, Professor Hastings makes a significant contribution to the subject. Church and State provides a frame of reference at once historical and theological, for a subject which is too frequently discussed merely descriptively or moralistically. It is in fact the frame of reference underlying the author's recent and much acclaimed works Robert Runcie and A History of English Christianity 1920-1985.

Henry Francis Lyte moved to All-Saints Church in Brixham, Devon in 1824, where he became chairman of the schools committee, established the first Sunday school in the Torbay area and created a Sailors' Sunday School. The primary object of both schools was to provide education for children and seamen for whom other schooling was almost impossible. He organised an Annual Treat for the 800-1000 Sunday school children, which included a short religious service followed by tea and sports in the field. Shortly after Lyte's arrival in Brixham, he attracted such large crowds that the church had to be enlarged. Lyte was an expert flute player, spoke Latin, Greek, and French; enjoyed discussing literature; and was knowledgeable about wild flowers. At his Brixham home, Berry Head House, a former military hospital, Lyte created a magnificent library largely of theology and old English poetry, described in his obituary as one of the most extensive and valuable in the West of England. Nevertheless, Lyte was also able to identify with his parish of fishermen, visiting their homes and their ships in harbour, supplying every vessel with a Bible, and compiling songs and a manual of devotions for use at sea. A friend of Samuel Wilberforce, he also opposed slavery, organising an 1833 petition to Parliament requesting it be abolished in Great Britain. In poor health throughout his life, Lyte suffered various respiratory illnesses including asthma and bronchitis, and by the 1840s, he was spending much of his time in the warmer climates of France and Italy. Lyte spent the summer of 1847 at Berry Head, writing his best known hymn, Abide With Me. After one final sermon to his congregation he left again for Italy, and died at Nice on 20 November 1847. Other well-known hymns include Praise, my Soul, the King of Heaven and Pleasant are Thy Courts Above.

The noted preacher and spiritual writer Michael Mayne wrote extensively about Anglicanism's distinctive theology and ethos, and how it could help the church speak to contemporary society. This collection of his unpublished writings and lectures offers a vintage distillation of his wisdom and pastoral understanding that remains extraordinarily relevant. Michael Mayne's wisdom calls the church back to its deepest spiritual identity and purpose, exploring: * The nature of moderation and tolerance; * The influence of daily prayer; * What happens when Anglicans disagree; * Unity in Christ despite diversity in practice; * Learning from controversies.

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) was the first Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the author of the Book of Common Prayer, and a central figure in the English Protestant Reformation. Few theologians have led such an eventful life: Cranmer helped Henry VIII break with the pope, pressed his vision of the Reformation through the reign of Edward VI, was forced to recant under Queen Mary, and then dramatically withdrew his recantations before being burned alive. This gripping biography by Leslie Williams narrates Cranmer's life from the beginning, through his education and history with the monarchy, to his ecclesiastical trials and eventual martyrdom. She portrays Cranmer's ongoing struggle to reconcile his two central beliefs - loyalty to the crown and loyalty to the Reformation faith - as she tells his fascinating life story.

In this compelling memoir Anthony Harvey traces the three ways he has felt drawn throughout his life - to a ministry in the Anglican priesthood, to a profession in theological scholarship, and to his marriage and family. Harvey recounts his clergy training in Canterbury, his time as canon of Westminster Abbey, his teaching and research at the University of Oxford, and his many exciting travels. He also candidly discusses the challenges presented by his marriage to an artist and writer whose spells of mental illness, along with the premature death of their daughter, placed great strain on both his family life and his public responsibilities. Throughout the book Harvey authentically narrates his inner tensions and conflicts, his own spiritual questioning, and his propensity toward a Christian stoicism. From the foreword: "This moving and unpretentious memoir charts a journey of education in faith, not least through times of deep challenge in personal life. It shows us a scholar always willing to put the resources of his remarkable learning at the disposal of the Christian community. . . . It has the capacity to rekindle faith in the theological vocation in the fullest sense of the word `theological' and to renew a confidence in the possibility of interweaving human honesty and Christian depth." - Rowan Williams TENT

Archbishop Michael Ramsey's archiepiscopate from 1961 to 1974 saw profound renegotiations of the relationship of the Church of England with its own flock, with the nation more widely, with the Anglican church worldwide, and with the other Christian churches. Drawing from unique source material in the Lambeth Palace Library archives and reproducing many original writings of Ramsey for the first time, this book explores key questions which surround Ramsey's tenure. How did Ramsey react to the rapid hollowing-out of the regular constituency of the church whilst at the same time seeing sweeping changes in the manner in which the church tried to minister to those members? What was his role in the widening of the church's global vision, and the growing porousness of its borders with other denominations? And how did the nature of the role of archbishop as figurehead change in this period?

How has the Church responded to the challenge to combat institutional racism? What efforts are being made to bring about positive and sustained changes in the structures? To what extent are the issues being addressed by church schools, clergy and parishes? How are theological colleges and courses responding to the importance of preparing and training ordinands for leadership in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith Britain? What is the Church doing to encourage a more culturally diverse lay and ordained leadership? These are some of the questions that have challenged the Church of England in its struggle to understand racism and the way it is used by institutions, maybe unwittingly, to disadvantage minority ethnic people. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report acted as a catalyst and forced the Church to take a fresh look at itself with respect to its record in combating institutional racism. This book gives new insights into the Church of England's response to race issues and presents a fascinating view of the Church at the start of the twenty-first century. It highlights examples of good practice and demonstrates the progress that has been made since the publication in 1991 of Seeds of Hope, a seminal report of a survey on combating racism in the Church of England. An Amazing Journey is written from the perspective of Glynne Gordon Carter who served the Archbishops' Council's Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (the former Black Anglican Concerns Committee) as Secretary from 1987 to 2001.

This is an introduction to the thought of one of the most fascinating theologians and at the same time most controversial church leaders of our time. In contemporary theology, the work of Rowan Williams is virtually without parallel for its extraordinary diversity and complexity. His writings span the genres of poetry, history, literary criticism, spirituality, theology, ethics, and philosophy - yet this diverse body of work is apparently not unified by any overarching system or agenda. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of Williams' thought is a vigorous refusal of completeness and systematic closure. Nevertheless, this book will argue that the complex body of Williams' work is held together by a specific theological construal both of Christian language and of the church's founding event.

Priestly ministry in the Church of England needs a radical rethink...George Herbert died in 1633. His legacy continues. His poems are read and sung, and his parish ministry remains the model for the Church of England's understanding of how and where and why its priests should minister. But there is a problem. The memory of Herbert celebrated by the Church is an inaccurate one, and, in its inaccuracy, is unfair on Herbert himself and his successors in the ordained ministry. This is a book of the long view. It sets out to assess realistically the context of Herbert's life and to explore the difficulties of parish life today. By examining the status and role of parish clergy since Herbert's time and today, it draws on the work of historians, social anthropologists, psychologists and theologians, and presents their ideas in a readable and passionate style. It argues that the future strength of parochial ministry will be found in a recovery of historic, renewed understandings of priestly ministry, and concludes by outlining more sustainable patterns of practice for the future.In a climate of uncertainty for the future of the church, it will be an encouragement for priest and people, and welcomed by both. >

The Anglican church has been no stranger to controversy during its history but the debates raging at the moment are among the hottest it has known. This book asks some prominent Anglicans why they are still in the church and what they love about it. Representing Anglicanism in all its range and diversity, the contributors are positive about the church and their place in it, and show appreciation, rather than resentment, of a Church that is broad enough to contain those of opposing views. This is a personal, partial and affectionate (though by no means uncritical) glimpse of the Anglican Church.

Many of the controversial religious debates of our day grow out of disagreements about how to interpret scripture correctly. Is it a historical or theological text? How do we address the apparent contradictions? In "Anglican Approaches to Scripture," the sequel to ATB Book of the Year "Christian Hope and Christian Life," Greer shows the multi-layered Anglican tradition of what scripture is and how it is to be interpreted.

Bringing together the authors's experience of working in Europe, the United States, and Australia, this book includes the latest rites for welcoming adults into church membership, together with a detailed account of the Adult Catechumenate and the way in which adults may make a journey into faith, making commitment at the right time on the way and following through into discipleship.

Timothy Dudley-Smith's authorised biography continues the story begun in 'John Stott: the making of a leader'. This second volume encompasses the last forty years of the twentieth century. It begins in 1960 when John Stott, the established Rector of All Souls Church, author of several books, and already something of a world traveller, had clearly emerged as a widely respected evangelical leader of energy and vision. 'John Stott: a global ministry' recounts the extraordinary growth of his worldwide ministry. In Britain he was the chief architect of NEAC, the National Evangelical Anglican Congress, in 1967 and 1977. In Montreux, Berlin and Amsterdam he worked with Billy Graham especially in shaping the momentous Lausanne vision for world evangelisation. Travelling from continent to continent, with a particular concern for Christian students and pastors in the developing world, he spoke, preached and lectured tirelessly on mission, evangelism and social concern. In growing demand as a biblical expositor, his experience of teaching in different cultures and countries, often by interpretation, was invaluable in guiding 'The Bible Speaks Today' series. His call for a contemporary biblical discipleship and the development of a Christian mind, not least through the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, became a hallmark of his teaching through the decades of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, skilfully chronicled in this highly readable biography. Creative conflict and drama are ever present, as John Stott is found in dialogue, debate and dispute not only with unbelievers, but with outstanding liberals, charismatics, Anglo-Catholics, Roman Catholics, and fellow evangelicals; with Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones and with Bishop Jack Spong; responding to Honest to God, to Bishop David Jenkins, to ARCIC and its Agreed Statements, and to The Myth of God Incarnate.

A narrative history of Oxford Movement, whereby a group of Anglican intellectuals, notably Newman, Pusey, Keble and Froude, attempted to restore to the Victorian Church of England the character of "primitive Christianity". Many of the inherent principles, such as Apostolic Succession, were seen to be exemplified by the Catholic Church. Newman later joined the Church of Rome, and the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism has its origins in this movement.

These thoughtful essays address, but do not attempt to answer definitively, many dimensions of the churc h''s current debate over human sexuality. Contributors'' perso nal perspectives combine to offer a variety of views and voi ces. '

The Anglican Church remains a pillar of the British establishment. It is the state church, both venerable and dependable - and is often taken for granted. Yet its history is far from comfortable. It was born into an age of bloody turmoil, marked by Henry VIII's divisive secession from Rome in 1534. And between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Anglicanism became the bitter battleground for some of the fiercest contests in Europe over interpretations of the Bible, liturgy and theology. Reformed or Catholic? Puritan or Arminian? Bishops or elders? As Euan Cameron reveals, in his much-anticipated new book, these were among the crucial questions facing men such as Cranmer, Latimer, Lancelot Andrewes, Laud and Traherne. In addressing them, the Anglican divines created not just their own national church but also timeless masterpieces of world literature such as the Book of Common Prayer, the King James Bible, Richard Hooker's Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and the sublime verse of the scholar-lyricist George Herbert. This `golden age' of devotional writing was inseparable from the volatile politics of the age.

Time to Pray contains a simplified Daily Office: a pattern of prayer, praise and Bible reading. to help you take a break during the day, give thanks to God, and lift your needs to him. It offers two complete short services, suitable for those seeking a simpler form of daily prayer or those just beginning a regular routine of time with God. Prayer During the Day can be said at any time when you have space to pause, while Night Prayer is an uplifting and beautiful way to end your day. Taken from the material provided in Common Worship: Daily Prayer, this booklet provides full texts for both of these services in an easy-to-follow format, with Psalms and Bible readings written out in full and different material for every day of the week. Straightforward and flexible to use, Time to Pray will draw you into a tradition that has been practised by Christians throughout the centuries and continues to be shared across the word today. Over time, you may find yourself learning some of the words by heart and find that they become as familiar as breathing, leading you into a deeper, more assured sense of God's presence with you at all times. Please note this volume no longer contains the seasonal variations found in the original Common Worship: Time to Pray volume.

The new edition of "The Church of England Year Book 2006" contains: selected church statistics; who's who directory of Synod members and other senior clergy, lay people and senior staff; summary of Synod business for the year; an outline of the structure of the Archbishops' Council and how the Council fits with existing bodies; details of the work of the Archbishops' Council during 2005; names and addresses of officers in the 44 dioceses of the Church of England; addresses, objectives and activities of organisations linked to the church; essential information about the churches and provinces in the worldwide Anglican Communion, including maps; and details of Ecumenical organisations linked to the Anglican Church.

How can we learn to relate better to one another across the differences and diversity that we find in our church communities? This five-session course is designed to help identify the roadblocks that can so easily hinder us from understanding each other better and loving each other more deeply. The course encourages us to find creative ways to grow and learn together in the love of God. The course is based on the Church of England's Pastoral Principles for Living Well Together. These Principles identify six 'pervading evils' that hinder our growth as Christians, hurt other people and create barriers that stop our churches from growing into Christian communities of welcome and belonging. Each session focuses on one or two of these 'evils' and includes resources for Bible study, refection, discussion and worship. Free accompanying videos are available via www.churchofengland.org/PAG By exploring these in our everyday lives and relationships, the course helps us to play our part in seeking unity in our church communities as well as in the wider community. It can be used to explore particular topics about which there is disagreement, or used simply as a means of becoming a community that lives more fully in the way of Christ. Pack of 6 copies.