The Impact of How Newman and Manning Read the Past on Their Tradition

Anyone who has spent any time at the intersection of various Christian traditions on Church History will likely have encountered Newman’s “To be deep into history is to cease to be Protestant.” and I’m adding nothing new really by reminding the reader that Newman’s own position here was actually quite innovative for the time. Despite …

On Baptism and its timing. Addendum: Newman’s Development of Doctrine and Protestant Paedobaptism

Sometime after writing my entries (Part 1, 2, 3, 4 here) on my searching with regard to baptism, I discovered that this was a topic that the Anglican gone Roman John Henry Newman wrote of regarding his defence on the doctrine of the latter tradition. I found it surprising because whilst I disagree with his …

Authority and Idolatry

Recently I've been challenged to think about the role images play in the Christian church. I notice a lot of Orthodox and Catholic polemicists against Protestants in particular discuss the importance of the seven ecumenical church councils. By this they really are placing emphasis on the last, the second council of Nicea which validates the …

Responding to Orthodox criticism of Sola Scriptura

I've recently started listening to the Ancient Faith Radio (an Eastern Orthodox podcast network) series 'Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy'. This is done by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and compares Eastern Orthodox doctrine to other beliefs. For the most part I've found it an interesting listen on the differences between Roman and Eastern Christian beliefs (I'm only seven …

What does Sheffield have to do with Jerusalem?

I recently heard the news that a friend of mine had been accepted for ordination within the Church of England. This would normally be good news but I have not been able to shake the sense of conflict I experienced over the decision. The reason why? To be honest, its because she is a woman. …

Getting to grips with the Book of Common Prayer

I have to catch myself sometimes, I never thought I'd be this kind of Christian. Even a couple of years ago I was a fairly generic brand of miscellaneous evangelical. I'm still trying to work through what I think and where its leading me, part of this is getting my head round the challenge and …

Free trade and the democratisation of theology

For the vast majority of individuals attending church their theological education comes from a number of places. The Church they attend plays a role in the forms of sermons they hear, songs they sing, words they pray and small groups they attend. Increasingly however we look to any number of various books we're recommended or the …

Anabaptists, Anglicans and Violence

  I'm not an Anabaptist, although I am sympathetic to their ideals. The Anglican church however has several tenants in direct opposition to a number of key Anabaptist tenants. I do not have an issue with these Anabaptist assertions, which leaves conflicted as someone who largely identifies as an Anglican. The Anglican points of opposition are.. No common goods.. …

Is there a distinction between pastor and preacher?

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. Acts 20:28 It isn't so much the case in the Anglican church but theres a convention out there for the elders of a non-episcopal church …

Men, women and ministry

I was reading this post advocating egalitarianism earlier today and thinking over the implications of it. For myself I was raised loosely egalitarian and in an existential sense do not see any cause for women to not operate in many of the same categories men do. I am happy to work under and submit to …