Anglican Theology

Doing Theology

by Mark D. Chapman

This book seeks to explain the ways in which Anglicans have sought to practise theology in their various contexts. It is a clear, insightful, and reliable guide which avoids technical jargon and roots its discussions in concrete examples. The book is primarily a work of historical theology, which engages deeply with key texts and writers from across the tradition (e.g. Cranmer, Jewel, Hooker, Taylor, Butler, Simeon, Pusey, Huntington, Temple, Ramsey, and many others). As well as being suitable for seminary courses, it will be of particular interest to study groups in parishes and churches, as well as to individuals who seek to gain a deeper insight into the traditions of Anglicanism. While it adopts a broad and unpartisan approach, it will also be provocative and lively.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, History, Christianity

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2012

Reviews

[Stephen Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly predictable historical review of Anglican theological development. I had hoped for something more systematic, but systematic theology doesn't seem to be an Anglican strong suit.

[Tim Chesterton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but found the title 'Anglican Theology' misleading. I recognize the validity of the author's point that telling our story is sometimes the best way of exploring Anglican theologies, since there have been so many of them (Reformation/Tudor, High Church/Stuart etc.)! But even given this point, I thought a more honest title for the book would have been 'Church of England Theology'.

The vast majority of the book describes theological controversies in the Church of England, most of which had to do with the nature of authority in the Church and its relationship to the British crown. A Christendom relationship between Church and State, with Anglicanism as the 'Established Church', was assumed in all these controversies. But for the vast majority of Anglicans around the world today this is irrelevant, as our churches have never been 'established churches'. So how can we find a way forward toward a vibrant Anglican Christianity that does not assume a privileged position of power in society? What is our Anglican identity when we are not an established church? And what forms of episcopacy are appropriate in such contexts?

The penultimate chapter introduces the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (see http://anglicansonline.org/basics/Chi...), but rightly points out its inadequacies (it was intended as the basis for Anglican reunion with other churches, not as a definitive statement of Anglican essentials). The author points out that if the Quadrilateral is seen as definitive of Anglicanism, its omission of any mention of the Book of Common Prayer (in its many and varied editions) is very strange. Surely this is one of the most characteristic features of what Anglicans actually do: we worship together using the Book of Common Prayer and/or books based on it. For many of us, this is where we both discover and develop our theology.

I enjoyed Mark Chapman's honest description of the way in which later generations have adopted revisionist understandings of certain defining moments in Anglican history, in service of their own theological agendas. But I have to say that I would enjoy reading a more future-oriented volume, which takes these convictions Anglicans have developed in the past and asks how we can move forward as a global family of churches, and what theological ideas can unite us and energize us in the very different situations we find ourselves in today.

[Philip Zoutendam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balanced, interesting, and (I thought) somewhat wry account of the development of "Anglican" theology. Chapman uses the Evangelical vs. Anglo-Catholic disputes of the 19th century as a frame for the entire project, with the express purpose of revealing just how contested the nature and principles of Anglicanism -- which is a concept that is significantly younger than the Church of England itself -- have always been. The book thus manages to do two things: 1) provide a brief but substantial survey of pivotal eras and figures in Anglican theology, and 2) related current disputes to historical disputes, revealing just how new our arguments aren't.

This book was recommended to me by several folks on "Weird Anglican Twitter" (which is indisputably the best and nicest Twitter) when I asked for a good but brief survey of Anglican history and theology. I was not disappointed, and I certainly affirm and echo their recommendation.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof. Not an easy read - I was mired for some time in the seventeenth century, which I feel could be a metaphor for Anglican development. This is perhaps not the best book if you're trying to figure out what it is Anglicans believe; what Chapman does do (and well!) is present a history of Anglican theology that is both incredibly complex and highly contested. I do appreciate his desire to try to be fair to a number of competing readings of political/social/theological movements, and to the best of my knowledge, it seems he largely succeeds. In trying to accomplish everything, though, I wonder if he actually accomplished anything. Ad fontes - I'll read Hooker and Pusey next; but at least I can now locate them contextually.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the development of Anglicqn theology, primarily covering the 16th and 17th centuries but touching on the 19th and 20th as well. Chapman's main thesis is that it's very hard to pin down an "Anglican" theology because of the way that Church and State were so intertwined for the first 150 or so years of Anglican development. Also, the 19th century rise of Anglo-Catholicism has created different interpretations of early Anglican theology, making it harder to arrive at an objective understanding of that early history.
I appreciated this book because Chapman did well at trying to look at this history objectively. Even so, I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface of the history of Anglican theology.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it was good overview of the uncertain uncomfortable and inept process of this wishy washy way that Anglicanism became the wishy washy present. As the author describes as latitudinal, or congregational, or a loose collection of autonomous churches. The closest they have come to Jesus is recently where they included looking towards Christ.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapman presents a fair telling of Anglican history that avoids the errors of extremes. He does a great job providing socio-political context to the various movements within Anglicanism that have shaped its current identity. My biggest takeaway is that, while there are two main narratives of the history of the Church of England (the Reformed and the Anglo-Catholic) often pitted in competition with each other, neither are entirely true because they are both partly true. It seems like the way forward is viewing the Catholic and Reformed components of Anglicanism in harmony rather than in conflict.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Protestant but not Calvinist, episcopalian yet reformed, sacrament and ceremony centered although in no sense popish," is how Peter Lake describes describing Richard Hooker (1553-1600), Anglican theologian, in Lake's book "Anglicans and Puritans". And that statement describes much of what I enjoy about the Episcopal Church in America. I have a feeling that "Anglican Theology" by Chapman may be my first book on Anglican theology but won't be my last. What Chapman describes correlates with my experience of Anglicanism, and I'll leave that statement as ambiguous as what I have experienced.

[Justin DeVantier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat dull at times but well researched. The title of the book should have been historical development of anglican theology, as only one chapter was dedicated to modern anglican theology.

[Peter]

Thoughtful summary of traditions in Anglicanism