Ministerial training and enabling lay discipleship have become key strategic issues as the Church seeks to respond to new challenges in its mission and ministry. This major report was commissioned and endorsed by the Archbishops' Council and produced by a working party chaired by Bishop John Hind. It reviews the training needs of the clergy in the context of the learning needs of the Church as a whole. Proceeding from the conviction of the diversity of God's gifts to the Church, it seeks to: raise the standard of the initial training of the clergy; promote the patterns of lifelong learning; strengthen lay theological education; co-ordinate the work and resources of our existing ministerial training institutions and other potential partners; promote ecumenical partnership in the training enterprise; and secure the best value for the Church s expenditure in training. With these aims the review offers a broad strategy for the development of training to be implemented regionally and locally in the coming years.

The publication of the new Common Worship baptism services for the Church of England provides a unique opportunity for churches to re-evaluate the whole area of initiation into the Church. Baptism Matters is an invaluable resource for all clergy, Readers, churchwardens, PCC members and all who wish to take seriously their baptismal vocation to serve God by enabling others to grow in faith. Using scripture, tradition, reason and experience, the authors examine the theory and practice relating to all baptismal matters and provide a wealth of practical advice and suggestions for those involved in conducting baptisms, preparation and follow-up. Sections include: How to use the new liturgy Formulating a baptism policy Preparing a family for their child's baptism The role of godparents Twelve ideas for baptism talks Ways to keep in contact with the family after the baptism Ways to help children develop in their faith * I need some more ideas for baptism talks

A modern-language adaptation of the traditional Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer with notes, suggested Bible readings, and questions for reflection.

This guide is aimed at those who have care of parish records and updated in the light of experience of operating the Measure. It includes information about operating the Measure in dioceses; suggestions for the making, care and preservation of records; and advice about records' management. Originally published in 1992.

This is the second volume of a three-volume set for Ordinary Time in the Christian Year. For the weekday readings at Mass there is a two-year cycle: Year A and Year B. Over the two years there is a different first reading from the Scriptures whilst both years share the same Gospel readings. On Sundays there is a three-year cycle.

Ordinary Time has often been described as the growing season in the Christian Year. After having celebrated the major observances in our Lord's life over the span of five months or less, the rest of the year is devoted to our Lord's ministry rather than to events in his life. It is a time to discover how the early Christian communities remembered the teaching and preaching of the Lord in light of their own experiences.

That preaching and experience we can read about in the earliest Christian documents in the genuine letters of St. Paul in the New Testament. At the centre of his preaching was Christ's death and resurrection, in which the baptised shared. Paul wrote his letters to deal with problems that arose in those first Christian communities. When we read the Pauline Letters we realise that not much has changed. Human nature is still basically the same and as a result the same problems that arose two thousand years ago we still have today. Hence St. Paul speaks also to us.

As well as the Pauline Letters, Ordinary Time covers many other parts of our Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. By meditating on the daily set readings, our lives as Christians are enriched as we come to a deeper understanding of Scripture.

The Thirty-Nine Articles, together with the Book of Common Prayer, form the foundation of Anglican theology. Yet there are very few extended treatments of them. Oliver O'Donovan relates the Articles to the exhilarating and troubled century in which they took shape. He also shows how the distinctive insights and values of a past age relate to the demands of today's world. 'What I propose in this case ... is not to talk solely about the Articles, but to talk about God, mankind (sic!), and redemption, the central matters of the Christian faith, and to take the Tudor authors with me as companions in discussion. Two voices will be speaking ... each raising the questions that Christian faith in his time forces upon him.' Here is a new edition of his book on one of the key texts of Anglican identity by one of the UK's leading theologians. The book has been out of print for some time and there have been repeated calls for a new edition with a new introduction which engages with more recent developments and offers the text to a new generation.

In this fascinating book Arthur Peacocke shares with his readers a short autobiographical portrait of his life and his reflections on Christian faith and practice, based on addresses he has given. In a final section, he explores the implications for Christian belief of the scientific world view. He embraces the paradox of the Christian tradition as a simultaneous respect for what has been handed on to us and a critical revising, enriching and amplifying of it in the light of science under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Reverend Canon Arthur Peacocke, MBE, DD, DSC, sosc, for twenty-five years, pursued an academic scientific career in the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford in the field of physical biochemistry (especially concerned with DNA). After ordination in 1971 as a priest-scientist while a Fellow of St Peter's College, Oxford, he subsequently became Dean of Clare College, Cambridge, during which time he gave the Bampton Lectures in Oxford (published in 1979 as Creation and the World of Science). He returned to Oxford in 1984 as Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre, Oxford, until 1988, (a post he resumed in 1995), and gave the Gifford Lectures at St Andrews in 1993, which are included in his Theology for a Scientific Age (2nd enlarged edition, for which he received an international Templeton prize). He started the Science and Religion Forum in 1972 and was the first Warden of the Society of Ordained Scientists from 1987 to 1992. He is an Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Dr Peacocke is the author of, and a contributor to, many books and papers on theology and science.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

From the Celtic and Saxon saints whose vision was to shape he English church, to the prophetic voices of our own day, this splendid collection draws on over a thousand years of spiritual writing and provides an engaging portrait of the rich diversity of Anglican worship, doctrine and life. The classical Anglican synthesis of scripture, reason and tradition finds various expression in the writings of over two hundred figures including Augustine, Hilda, Bede, Anselm, Wycliffe, Cranmer, the seventeenth-century divines, Wesley, Newman, Evelyn Underhill, Austin Farrer, C S Lewis, Desmond Tutu and many more. Beginning with the roots of Anglican spirituality and the shaping of Anglican identity, this anthology explores the Anglican understanding of worship, the sacraments, prayer, mission, the Bible, the Church and living as a Christian in the world. A Feast of Anglican Spirituality celebrates the heritage of Anglicanism in all its breadth and variety, its triumphs and its failures, its ability to recognize other points of view and, above all, its indebtedness to the wider Christian tradition of which it is a part.

The histories of the Church of England and the Methodist Church have been linked together for 250 years. In the 1970s, a proposal for unity failed narrowly. Now relationships between Methodists and Anglicans are stronger than ever, locally, regionally and nationally. Both are committed to the search for unity. What holds them apart? This official report of the Formal Conversations that began in 1999 sets out the common ground that has been rediscovered. It shows the strength of theological agreement, but also points out significant differences that require further work. Conscious of both the opportunities and the unresolved issues, the two churches asked the Conversations to draw up an agreement that would enable them to take a significant step towards future unity. The talks gave priority to mission and evangelism and paid special attention to diversity. This report proposes a national covenant, made up of mutual acknowledgement and mutual commitment. It should consolidate at the national level the many local and regional covenants that already exist and so prepare the ground for the next vital stage on the road to unity.

In the past, world mission in the Church of England largely meant working through independent Anglican agencies such as CMS and USPG. Today, the picture is very different. Many dioceses and even some parishes have their own companion links with partner churches in the Anglican Communion and there have been major shifts in the way that mission itself is understood. The distinction between 'home' and 'world' mission is blurred, and separating 'mission' from 'development' is no longer straightforward. Christian Aid, Tearfund and other agencies are now part of the wider pattern, and much of the church's mission now involves close working with other denominations. It is clear that the way we talk about world mission needs to develop. This landmark study is the result of a three year project by the Mission and Public Affairs Division of the Archbishops' Council to 'develop a new, better, narrative of mission' for the church. It is the fruit of close consultation with mission and development agencies, dioceses and others engaged in mission activity. World Shaped Mission will reconfigure the way the church talks about, and practices, mission in the world today. JANICE PRICE is World Mission Policy Adviser for the Church of England.

This intimately personal but basically Scriptural book has already enriched the prayers of thousands. It shows why Andrewes is remembered as one of the founders of Anglicanism. Lancelot Andrewes preached the funeral sermon of Elizabeth I and was chairman of the group responsible for the Authorized Version to the end of II Kings. He was Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Winchester, and is buried in Southwark Cathedral. He is best known for his Preces Privatae, here introduced with an essay by Dr Hugh Martin. These prayers were originally written in Greek, Hebrew and Latin, and the English of this edition recalls another piece of religious history, for most of it appeared as one of the Tracts for the Times in 1840, the translator being J. H. Newman. Another part is translated by the Victorian hymnologist, J. M. Neale.

Contact is a practical, hands-on booklet that helps churches make the most of their connections with those outside the church. Most churches find that setting-up a course for non-churchgoers to explore Christianity is not the most difficult task - getting them to come is the real test. Heres where Contact steps in. Contact builds on insights from recent research and case studies and provides helpful advice for churches on: making contact with those outside the church making the most of existing contacts, such as occasional attendees, toddler groups connecting with peoples spirituality how to set up a nurture group encouraging your church to be involved in evangelism and outreach This second edition builds upon the experience of those who have used the Emmaus material since it was first published and also the considerable amount of statistical research which has been done in recent years.

The recent celebration of the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer has helped to stimulate a renewed interest in its teaching and fundamental contribution to Anglican identity. Archbishop Cranmer and others involved in the English Reformation knew well that the content and shape of the services set out in the Prayer Book were vital ways of teaching congregations biblical truth and the principles of the Christian gospel. Thus the aim of this series of booklets which focus on the Formularies of the Church of England and the elements of the different services within the Prayer Book is to highlight what those services teach about the Christian faith and to demonstrate how they are also designed to shape the practice of that faith. As well as providing an account of the origins of the Prayer Book services, these booklets are designed to offer practical guidance on how such services may be used in Christian ministry nowadays. In this overview of the Book of Common Prayer, Peter Adam brings us back again and again to its emphasis on the 'very pure word of God', setting the gold standard and hallmark of all our liturgy. Peter Adam served as Vicar of St Jude's Carlton, and as Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne Australia. He is currently Vicar Emeritus of St Jude's, and Canon of St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne.

Parson's Porch Books is excited to announce the publication of the new American edition of Michael Mayne's This Sunrise of Wonder. This Anglican classic will captivate readers with its warm humanity and endearing and pulsating spirituality. Michael Mayne, one of the greatest Anglican priest-writers, was Head of Religious Programmes, BBC Radio; Vicar of Great St. Mary's (the University Church), Cambridge; and Dean of Westminster Abbey. His last book, The Enduring Melody, was published a few days before his death in October 2006. He was also the author of A Year Lost and Found, Learning to Dance, and Pray, Love, Remember.

The purpose of this book is to enable us to hear a voice from our own past. We need to learn that the process of remembering, of ongoing corporate recollection, is an element essential to our self-understanding. Our Anglican heritage has in large measure made us what we are and is a factor enabling us to become what we truly are in Christ through the Spirit. That the voice from our past evokes clear echoes for Anglicanism today and in the inter-church scene is the theme of the last chapter: 'Postscript from the present'.

This is a study of Church and Society between the two World Wars as seen through the eyes of an able, caustic, individualist churchman. Herbert Hensley Henson held strong opinions on all subjects. He was the critic, on moral grounds, of the behaviour of the trade unions. He came into fierce controversy with the miners' national leaders. He strenuously defended the establishment of the Church of England, and then, because the House of Commons behaved badly over the Prayer Book, became its most vocal assailant. He stood for the right of Christians to profess their faith while remaining agnostic about miracles. He helped the Church to accept more modern attitudes to divorce. At times he was the most unpopular person among the Churches. But by courage he won a rueful respect, and by compassion he won from some a smiling admiration.

What rare learning John Breay has... the whole mood and air of the Victorian Church of the north-west can be breathed. What fun the man Brunskill is, with little insights into famous men like Sharp, Villiers and Harvey Goodwin... wonderful to meet a clergyman whose expertise is the shoeing of horses... The self-educated man who left school at fifteen and is interested in Wordsworth and Ruskin... can hold down the job of a headmaster and can write English prose in letters to the Press!' -The Revd Professor Owen Chadwick

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Two of the most noted theological works of the founder of the Oxford Movement, National Apostasy and The Case of Catholic Subscription to the Thirty-Nine Articles Considered, offer a solid introduction to the Catholic revival in the Church of England.

Mullings and Musings II is a compilation of over ninety essays, each originally written by Charlotte Marshall for the monthly church newsletter published by Trinity Episcopal Church of Clarksville, Tennessee. The essays, often humorous, collectively tell the story of growing up in rural Tennessee in the 1930s during the Great Depression, the trials and tribulations of marriage and raising children, and growing old with the inevitable loss of dear friends. Mullings and Musings II continues the tradition of story-telling from the original Mullings and Musing (ISBN 0970641702) published in 1997. Charlotte Marshall was born in 1923 at Kirkwood, a rural community in Montgomery County, Tennessee. She graduated from Austin Peay State University. She and her husband, Jack, of 64 years, currently reside outside Clarksville, Tennessee.

The Beauty of Holiness: The Caroline Divines and Their Writings offers an expansive and detailed portrait of the continued maturation of Anglican theology and devotion in the central half of the seventeenth century. The Caroline Divines have long been hailed as the patrons of an Anglican 'golden age'. Their emphasis upon liturgical renewal and development, like their emphases upon learning and piety, have had a pervasive influence on the Anglican ethos that extends down to our own day. The Beauty of Holiness includes selections from key figures such as Lancelot Andrewes, John Cosin, and Jeremy Taylor, but also expands the canon of Caroline divinity to include lay writings, some of which were published posthumously. Traditional topics such as sacramental theology and private devotion are complimented by readings on poetry as a spiritual discipline, natural theology, and the importance of family prayers. Chapters survey diverse facets of Anglican orthodoxy such as liturgical practice, the cult of King Charles the Martyr, and defenses of the celebration of Christmas, while an introductory essay sets these developments within the historical context. The Beauty of Holiness thus functions as both an introduction to the Anglican past and a catechism for the Anglican present.

Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) had wide influence through her work on Christian mysticism, especially by her continual insistence that the mystical experience is not esoteric, but open to any sincere believer. Resisting the growth of popular unfocussed mysticism in the early part of the twentieth century, she used her great historical scholarship to expound the work of past thinkers and show its relevance to the contemporary world. She was a prolific writer on many other subjects, including liturgy, prayer and individual spiritual formation, and was also a novelist and a poet. She was much in demand as a retreat conductor and spiritual director, and she lectured at universities and church congresses. She contributed to various journals, and in her later years gave broadcast talks. She was acknowledged as one of the leading Anglo-Catholic thinkers of her time, and her reputation has grown in recent years; there is a flourishing Evelyn Underhill Society. Despite her formidable learning and intellect, she had sympathy and practical advice for individuals, and had a delightful sense of humour which often enlivened her profound advice with homely analogies. In both her published works and her private letters, her teaching was always directed against personal anxiety and introspection, and towards concentration on a closer union with God. She maintained and promulgated calm and commonsense through a lifetime which saw much social and religious unrest. In the Second World War she strongly advocated Christian pacifism. In this volume, extracts from some of her many writings are set out by their main themes, from general mysticism to personal letters, with extracts also from her fiction and poetry. There is a biographical and critical introduction, relating and giving perspective to her life and work. Raymond Chapman is Emeritus Professor of English in the University of London, and an Anglican priest He is a Vice-President of the Prayer Book Society and of the Anglican Association. He has edited previous volumes in the Canterbury Studies in Spiritual Theology and published a number of other critical and devotional works including Leading Intercessions, A Pastoral Prayer Book, and Stations of the Nativity, Cross and Resurrection