Leaving Rome for Traditional Anglicanism

Discussion in 'Faith, Devotion & Formation' started by CFLawrence, Jul 19, 2018.

  1. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

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    So folk, I’m going to ask a question that’s probably been asked a lot. I’ve left Rome, and I really need to “detox”. Please recommend 5 books that will ground me in solid Traditional Anglican faith and practice.

    I’m not going to be any more specific, you folk seem to be quite erudite so let’s see if you can help.

    C. F. Lawrence
     
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  2. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    The one book I would recommend above all others is John Jewel's Apology. It was written 400 years ago in the 1560s, and reads as fresh as if it were written yesterday.

    Next you might enjoy Anthony Sparrow's Rationale Upon Common Prayer from the 1600s:

    Next you could work on some devotional books to revive your spiritual health. The most famous books historically are:
     
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  3. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Stalwart has some good choices listed. The only one I would have reservations about would be the Scougal work. Though his works are impressive, he was not an Anglican, and I wouldn't recommend him for those seeking to learn about traditional Anglicanism any more than I would recommend works by St. Francis de Sales (whom I admire greatly) or any other non-Anglican.

    I would suggest Bishop John Cosin's "The religion, discipline and rites of the Church of England." It is a short book and is available in it's entirety here:

    https://books.google.com/books?id=B...ne and rites of the church of england&f=false
     
  4. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I would second John Cosin, always a solid choice. What are your reservations on Scougal? When I saw him posted here and googled him up, he seemed to be a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, rather than from among the Scots Presbyterians. If I'm not mistaken his father was a bishop, so that settled my qualms. Scougal's succeeding legacy seems to show that he was taken as one of our own among the English divines, and the nonconformists didn't take him as one of theirs. But that was just a cursory googling, so I'm always happy to learn.
     
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  5. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

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    These are some really thoughtful choices and exactly what I expected. I hope more people post but I am so grateful already. I think I will begin with Jewel’s Apology.

    C. F. Lawrence
     
  6. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    My mistake, Stalwart. My memory must be going as I grow older. I confused him with someone else.
     
  7. Shane R

    Shane R Well-Known Member

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    A commentary on one of the classic editions of the BCP. There are a number of them available. The one that was required at seminary was Massey Shepherd's The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary. It is out of print and rather expensive from used book sellers. I think my copy ran $81.
     
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  8. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

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    I would love the prayer book commentary. I have to wait until next month and see if I can track down an affordable copy. The suggestions of everyone else were great (and free lol) so I’m off to a great start. I’m excited to see if more suggestions are forthcoming. I’m a bibliomaniac.
     
  9. Shane R

    Shane R Well-Known Member

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    I'm sure there are free downloads of prayer book commentaries as well - at least for the 1662. And there are more affordable and available editions than Shepherd. Some are still in print. I merely noted that as the book I have because it was required for seminary. I haven't felt the need to buy another, but I have colleagues who have several and know a fellow who has over a dozen betwixt his collection for the '28 and the '79.
     
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  10. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

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    I found a couple free books to add to my list which now exceeds five. For a commentary on the prayer book, 1928 American, I found “Everyman’s history of the prayer book” by Percy Dearmer.

    For the articles I found “An Exposition of the Thitynine Articles, Historical and Doctrinal” by E Harold Browne

    Any opinions?
     
  11. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    @CFLawrence the book that made me an Anglican (and a Christian for that matter) was Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. I re-read it regularly and get the same conviction every time that I did when I first read it. A real masterpiece of popular theology. You would also do very well to try to read any and all of the works available on www.anglican.net.

    Another work that I quite enjoyed was one recommended by our dearly departed fellow forum member Highchurchman, God rest his soul. It was The Catholic Faith by W.H. Griffith Thomas, available for free download on Google Play Books. Mere Christianity and The Catholic Faith are both very readable and informative.

    God bless!
     
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  12. Will_

    Will_ Member

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    Thanks for mentioning "The Catholic Faith". I did not know that work by Griffith Thomas was on Google Play Books but have now added it to my list!
     
  13. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I wouldn’t read Percy Dearmer at this point in time, as he is less representative of “central” classical Anglicanism as the other books mentioned here.

    Harold Browne is, yes phenomenal, for studying the Articles and looking at the doctrinal points involved.

    CS Lewis is probably the best of all the books here and I’m quite ashamed of not having mentioned him. He’s up there alongside Jewel’s Apology, in the ethereal upper tier.
     
  14. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    C.S. Lewis is an excellent choice. I would caution about reading commentaries on the 39 Articles; many of them are written from the viewpoint of a particular school, such as Anglo-Catholic or Calvinist. Of course that caveat could apply to almost anything you will come across in Anglican writings. Just remember that Anglicanism is a large tent; it has always included divergent streams of thought, and these will color what you are reading. Here is a site that lists some commentaries on the Articles (and it is not complete), so you can see how much has been written on them.

    https://prydain.wordpress.com/resources-on-the-thirty-nine-articles-of-religion/

    I personally prefer Bicknells' commentary.

    https://www.amazon.com/theological-introduction-Thirty-nine-articles-England/dp/B000874TIE
     
  15. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Agreed. I've found Browne to be pretty strongly in the classic tradition and immune from party prejudices, hence the recommendation. Plenty of other commentaries of Articles that I would not recommend.

    I haven't read Bicknell: what's he like?
     
  16. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I would say High Church to moderate Anglo-Catholic. Bicknell is mentioned in this essay on the relevance of the Articles in an old edition of the The Churchman:

    https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/churchman/075-04_230.pdf
     
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  17. Will_

    Will_ Member

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    I have never seen a PDF of Bicknell's work on the Articles of Religion in the public domain. Someone once told me it was first published in 1919 and if so one would think it would be in the public domain, but I have had no luck with finding such a PDF.

    Bicknell probably is Anglo-Catholic to some extent, or at least High Church.
     
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  18. CFLawrence

    CFLawrence Active Member

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    Ok guys, I’m now taking notes when I come here. I am ashamed, as a Catholic I should have been aware of Mere Christianity myself. I have a few more titles to run past you for orthodoxy. In case you haven’t noticed what I’m trying to do is create an Anglican RCIA.

    So what do you think of these....

    Nowell... Catechism
    The Decades of Bolinger
    The Homilies
    Ellis... Defence of the 39 Articles
    Bede... Ecclesiastical History
    Newman... parochial and plain sermons, all 8 volumes

    CF Lawrence
     
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  19. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Hi CF, are you referring to Heinrich Bullinger? If so, he was not an Anglican, and a reading of his works to understand Anglicanism would be about as profitable as reading a work by Luther or Calvin. The rest sound good, but I have a feeling that Nowell's work will lean to the Calvinist side of things as he is a hero of the so-called "Reformation Anglicans" on the web. The ACNA's "To Be A Christian" is an excellent catechism and can be found here:

    http://anglicanchurch.net/?/main/catechism
     
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  20. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Newman is a divisive figure so I would stay away for now. Bullinger wasn't an Anglican.
     
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