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The Oxford History of Anglicanism #1
The Oxford History of Anglicanism, Volume I: Reformation and Identity c.1520-1662
The Oxford History of Anglicanism is a major new and unprecedented international study of the identity and historical influence of one of the world's largest versions of Christianity. This global study of Anglicanism from the sixteenth century looks at how was Anglican identity constructed and contested at various periods since the sixteenth century; and what was its historical influence during the past six centuries. It explores not just the ecclesiastical and theological aspects of global Anglicanism, but also the political, social, economic, and cultural influences of this form of Christianity that has been historically significant in western culture, and a burgeoning force in non-western societies today. The chapters are written by international exports in their various historical fields which includes the most recent research in their areas, as well as original research. The series forms an invaluable reference for both scholars and interested non-specialists.
Volume one of The Oxford History of Anglicanism examines a period when the nature of 'Anglicanism' was still heavily contested. Rather than merely tracing the emergence of trends that we associate with later Anglicanism, the contributors instead discuss the fluid and contested nature of the Church of England's religious identity in these years, and the different claims to what should count as 'Anglican' orthodoxy. After the introduction and narrative chapters explain the historical background, individual chapters then analyse different understandings of the early church and church history; variant readings of the meaning of the royal supremacy, the role of bishops and canon law, and cathedrals; the very diverse experiences of religion in parishes, styles of worship and piety, church decoration, and Bible usage; and the competing claims to 'Anglican' orthodoxy of puritanism, 'avant-garde conformity' and Laudianism. Also analysed are arguments over the Church of England's confessional
identity and its links with the foreign Reformed Churches, and the alternative models provided by English Protestant activities in Ireland, Scotland and North America. The reforms of the 1640s and 1650s are included in their own right, and the volume concludes that the shape of the Restoration that emerged was far from inevitable, or expressive of a settled 'Anglican' identity.
Volume one of The Oxford History of Anglicanism examines a period when the nature of 'Anglicanism' was still heavily contested. Rather than merely tracing the emergence of trends that we associate with later Anglicanism, the contributors instead discuss the fluid and contested nature of the Church of England's religious identity in these years, and the different claims to what should count as 'Anglican' orthodoxy. After the introduction and narrative chapters explain the historical background, individual chapters then analyse different understandings of the early church and church history; variant readings of the meaning of the royal supremacy, the role of bishops and canon law, and cathedrals; the very diverse experiences of religion in parishes, styles of worship and piety, church decoration, and Bible usage; and the competing claims to 'Anglican' orthodoxy of puritanism, 'avant-garde conformity' and Laudianism. Also analysed are arguments over the Church of England's confessional
identity and its links with the foreign Reformed Churches, and the alternative models provided by English Protestant activities in Ireland, Scotland and North America. The reforms of the 1640s and 1650s are included in their own right, and the volume concludes that the shape of the Restoration that emerged was far from inevitable, or expressive of a settled 'Anglican' identity.
528 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 1, 2020
Scholarly, yet enjoyable reading. Also very helpful in finding sources for further studies.
January 8, 2021
This is unashamedly an academic history book, which I (somewhat ambitiously!) used as an introduction to the early history of Anglicanism. On the whole I enjoyed reading this, and the chapters from different contributors provide a useful blend of chronological surveys and thematic perspectives, and of political and theological discourse. With the perseverance demanded by this sort of book it was a useful introduction to the subject and I'm sure it would have been even more helpful if I had a stronger grasp of the English Reformation.
My main qualm with the book was that its instinctive attempts at objectivity often felt like confused fence-sitting. This was particularly the case with the question 'What is an Anglican?' which I wanted this book to answer (not unreasonably, given the subtitle is 'Reformation and Identity') Clearly this is a difficult question to answer but the best books are supposed to engage with the difficult questions! In this case, I felt that no real attempt was made to synthesise an understanding of Anglican identity from the different contributions of each authour. If I were to have a stab, I would say such a definition must be made in relation to the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer (and therefore in relation to the Bible), but that was about as far as we got.
Nevertheless I enjoyed this book, and certain chapters I enjoyed thoroughly. The opening chapters gave a gripping overview of the period, and several others gave helpful insights that I want to keep thinking about. Highlights include chapter 11 on Confessional Identity, and chapters 8 and 21 on Liturgy, Worship and Piety. Worship as a whole-life concept is demanded by the Bible, was insisted on by the reformers, but is only given lip service in most modern churches. Chapter 19 on the puritans is excellent and chapter 22 on the Bible is simply outstanding.
A good book, but not a great book. 4 stars.
My main qualm with the book was that its instinctive attempts at objectivity often felt like confused fence-sitting. This was particularly the case with the question 'What is an Anglican?' which I wanted this book to answer (not unreasonably, given the subtitle is 'Reformation and Identity') Clearly this is a difficult question to answer but the best books are supposed to engage with the difficult questions! In this case, I felt that no real attempt was made to synthesise an understanding of Anglican identity from the different contributions of each authour. If I were to have a stab, I would say such a definition must be made in relation to the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer (and therefore in relation to the Bible), but that was about as far as we got.
Nevertheless I enjoyed this book, and certain chapters I enjoyed thoroughly. The opening chapters gave a gripping overview of the period, and several others gave helpful insights that I want to keep thinking about. Highlights include chapter 11 on Confessional Identity, and chapters 8 and 21 on Liturgy, Worship and Piety. Worship as a whole-life concept is demanded by the Bible, was insisted on by the reformers, but is only given lip service in most modern churches. Chapter 19 on the puritans is excellent and chapter 22 on the Bible is simply outstanding.
A good book, but not a great book. 4 stars.
November 7, 2022
An excellent book highlighting the complexity of the English Reformation and effectively proving the thesis that a singular “Anglican” Identity for the established Church of England doesn’t really cohere until 1662. This is a great overview of the time period, beginning with several overarching summary chapters before the bulk of the book is taken up with more thematic treatments. Each chapter is written by a serious expert, and most of them are just condensations of full books, so the end product is hefty but high quality.
December 17, 2020
Although it's not strictly a chronological account of Anglicanism, the articles included definitely address important aspects of the English Reformation from new critical perspectives.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews