The Future of Orthodox Anglicanism

by Gerald R. McDermott

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2020

Overview

Anglicanism is the fastest growing Christian communion in the world today. It is attracting evangelicals who hunger for connections to the early church and for mystery, sacraments, and liturgy. But many people, even Anglicans themselves, don’t really understand what sets today’s Anglicanism apart from some of its history and distinguishes it from other Christian denominations. In 11 essays by leading Anglican scholars representing perspectives from East Africa, North Africa, and North America, this book clarifies what distinguishes Anglicanism from both Roman Catholicism and other Protestant denominations, reflecting on the tradition’s rich legacy in the past while offering a winsome proposal for the future.

Key Features

• Clarifies what distinguishes Anglicanism from both Roman Catholicism and other Protestant denominations
• Reflects on the tradition’s rich legacy
• Offers a winsome proposal for the future

Contents

Part 1: Regional Perspectives on Anglicanism

• An East African Perspective: What Does the Lord Require of Anglicans?
• A Middle Eastern Perspective: Rooted in Egyptian Soil
• A Canadian Perspective: Process, Providence, and Anglican Identity
• A North American Perspective: Neo-pagan Anglicanism
• Response to the Regional Perspecitives

Part 2: Vocational Perspectives on Anglicanism

• A Rector and Scholar: Our Anglican Essentials
• A Journalist and Theologian: Reformed Catholicism
• An Anglican Historian and Theologian: A Church in Search of Its Soul
• Response to the Vocational Perspectives

Part 3: Ecclesiastical Perspectives on Anglicanism

• An Episcopal Dean: Renewed Anglicanism
• An Anglican Theologian: An Ancient-Future Anglicanism
• A Baptist Theologian: Reflections on Anglicanism
• A Catholic Theologian: Reflections on Anglicanism
• Response to the Ecclesiastical Perspectives
• Conclusion: Where Is Orthodox Anglicanism Headed?

Contributors

• Gerald R. McDermott
• Eulid Wabukala
• Mouneer Hanna Anis
• Ephraim Radner
• Foley Beach
• Stephen Noll
• John W. Yates III
• Barbara Gauthier
• Gerald Bray
• Chandler Holder Jones
• Andrew C. Pearson Jr.
• Timothy George
• R. R. Reno
• Ray Sutton

To be Anglican does not mean being part of a church created solely to sort out Henry VIII’s marital strife and procreative problem. To be Anglican does not mean to be white and vaguely religious. To be Anglican is not about trying to solve tense theological debates in ways that please no one and fail to address the underlying problem but will have to suffice for now. Rather, this courageous volume, ably edited by Gerald McDermott, shows that being Anglican is really about being part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Anglicanism at its best is the marriage of the church’s ancient catholic faith with the recovery of the apostolic gospel from the English Reformation. But the question is this: what will this kind of Anglicanism look like in the future? This international lineup of contributors outlines the current state of orthodox Anglicanism in its various provinces, the challenges facing Anglicanism in its various centers, and what might be the future of global Anglicanism. A fascinating read about a future fraught with challenges and buoyed by hopes.

—Michael F. Bird, Academic Dean and Lecturer in Theology, Ridley College, Melbourne

Whatever the future of orthodox Anglicanism may look like, it seems safe to suggest that it will not be monolithic. The essays in this book discuss not just the future of orthodox Anglicanism but also its identity, and on both topics the authors arrive at varying and, at times, disparate conclusions. United in opposition to what Archbishop Foley Beach calls ‘neo-pagan’ Anglicanism, these authors represent a broad range of traditional Anglicanism. Warm kudos to Gerald McDermott for skillfully bringing together these insightful essays from across orthodox Anglicanism.

—Hans Boersma, Chair, Order of St. Benedict Servants of Christ Endowed Professorship in Ascetical Theology, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

In The Future of Orthodox Anglicanism you will hear scholarly voices, perspectives from the majority world, viewpoints from ministry practitioners, and encouragement from leaders of other denominations, spoken with great conviction of the gift that Anglicanism is to the worldwide church. The writers’ historical reflection and engagement with contemporary concerns serve up a feast for those new to Anglican life and for those of us who love the old ship despite its barnacles.

—Rhys Bezzant, Lecturer in Christian Thought, Ridley College, Melbourne; author, Jonathan Edwards and the Church and Edwards the Mentor

• Title: The Future of Orthodox Anglicanism
• Editor: Gerald R. McDermott
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 288
• Christian Group: Anglican
• Resource Type: Collected Essays
• Topic: Anglicanism

About Gerald R. McDermott

Gerald R. McDermott is Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He previously taught at Roanoke College and is an Anglican priest. McDermott is the author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, including Israel Matters, Famous Stutterers, The Theology of Jonathan Edwards, God’s Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions?, Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions?, World Religions: An Indispensable Introduction, and A Trinitarian Theology of Religions. He has written for Christianity Today, the Christian Century, and First Things.