Theological Education - TEAC - Anglican Way An essential reading list

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/theological/teac/anglicanway/keytexts.cfm


Theological Education - TEAC - Anglican Way An essential reading list

 

Part 1 of this book list was put together in 2004 on behalf of TEAC (Theological Education for the Anglican Communion) by Dr John Corrie, then Development Officer of CEFACS, the Centre for Anglican Communion Studies. Dr Corrie consulted with the other members of TEAC in choosing these key texts. The books are intended as a provisional list of about 30 books which the members of TEAC feel that, if possible, all Anglican theological education institutions where teaching and learning takes place in the English language, should contain as part of their library.

 

Part 2 of this booklist has been added by Clare Amos, TEAC’s Secretary, and consists of key texts for Anglican Studies which have been published since 2004, or books which have been drawn to our attention as important texts offering different perspectives.

 

We would welcome additional suggestions from around the Anglican Communion of other books which people would particularly recommend, and will be continuing to revise this list from time to time. We would also welcome information about books on Anglicanism in languages other than English.

Please send any additional suggestions to Clare Amos, at: clare.amos@anglicancommunion.org

 

Please note: The ‘Compass Rose book grants’ to theological college libraries consists of one copy of each of the books on the following list (Parts 1 and 2), with the exception of books marked *, which are now difficult to supply because they appear to be out of print. If people know a place to access multiple copies of any of these texts, Clare Amos would be very glad to hear about this.

   

Part 1

* Anglican Communion, The Official Report of the Lambeth Conference, 1998 (Morehouse, 1999)

An essential resource for resolutions, plenary presentations (including an important lecture by Rowan Williams on ‘Making Moral Decisions’) and discussion on all the major issues affecting the Communion
 

Avis, P, The Anglican Understanding of the Church (SPCK, 2000)

An excellent introduction. Chap 7: ‘The Shape of Anglican Ecclesiology’, is a particularly good summary. His preference is for a ‘Communion-through-baptism’ model of understanding the essential nature of the Church. There is a useful, up-to-date bibliography
 

Avis, P, Anglicanism and the Christian Church (T and T Clark, 2002)

A detailed and scholarly historical discussion from the 16C onwards, although it is not intended as a comprehensive history, but focuses on the development of the Anglican doctrine of the Church.

Chap 1 ‘In search of Anglican Identity’, is very good on what constitutes Anglican identity. Not for the faint-hearted, but made very readable in this completely revised and up-dated edition

 

* Bradshaw, T, The Olive Branch: An Evangelical Anglican Doctrine of the Church (Paternoster, 1992)

A comprehensive discussion of what it means to be Anglican from an evangelical perspective

 

* Bunting, I, Celebrating the Anglican Way (Hodder and Stoughton, 1996)

Chap 3: ‘Anglican Belief’, by Bruce Kaye, is a succinct summary of some core Anglican beliefs

Chap 5: ‘Anglican Origins and Ethos’ by Elizabeth Culling, is a good introduction at a basic level

Chap 6: ‘The Anglican Way of Worship’ by M.Vasey is a useful summary of what makes Anglican worship distinct

Chap 7: ‘Word and Sacrament’ by P.Seddon summarises Anglican sacramental theology

Chap 9: ‘Praying our way through life’ by G.Piggott draws out the breadth and diversity of Anglican spirituality in a straightforward style

 

* Craston, C (ed), By Word and Deed: Sharing the Good News through Mission (Church House Publishing, 1992)

Exploring the components, contexts and priorities of mission and their relationship to the centrality of evangelism in the light of the Decade of Evangelism. Some good articles from a good cross-section of the Communion

 

Chatfield, A, Something in Common (Nottingham, St John’s Extension Studies, 2001, revised edition 2007)

A introduction to the principles and practices of worldwide Anglicanism set out in modular form as very useful course material at a basic level. Ideal for a foundation course in Anglicanism. It is the revised and updated edition which is supplied as part of the book grant.

 

Douglas, I T and Kwok Pui-Lan, (eds), Beyond Colonial Anglicanism (Church Publishing Inc, New York, 2001)

A wide-ranging set of essays on the issues that have to be rethought if Anglicanism is to relate meaningfully to the new reality of the 21st Century Anglican Communion where the majority are ‘majority world’ Christians. Covers issues such as: structures and power, cultural hegemony, feminist readings of violence, ecology, sexuality, urbanisation, baptism, leadership, worship. Chap 14: ‘Culture, Spirit, and Worship’ by Jaci Maraschin is a challenging Brazilian view of how worship needs to be contextualised

 

Evans G R and Wright J R, The Anglican Tradition: A Handbook of Sources (SPCK, Fortress, 1991)

Anglican documents and extracts throughout history - brief and fascinating insights

 

Gitari, G, Anglican Liturgical Inculturation in Africa (Grove Books, 1994)

Built around the Kanamai Statement (1993), which set out principles and guidelines for liturgical renewal in Africa, it briefly explores the indigenisation of liturgy

 

Hannaford, R(ed), The Future of Anglicanism (Gracewing, 1996)

A set of scholarly essays on the themes of faith, authority, order, ecclesiology, Christology, orthodoxy

Chap 3: ‘Order and the Episcopate’, is a rather diffuse discussion rooted in the Early Church’s development of bishops and pointing to some contemporary application to how decisions are made.

Chap 4: ‘Ecclesiology and Communion’, is an extended discussion of the meaning of ‘koinonia’, its roots in the Trinity and Christology, and its implications for the current division on the ordination of women

 

Holeton, D R (ed) Our Thanks and Praise: the Eucharist in Anglican Theology Today (Anglican Book Centre, 1998)

Papers from the Fifth International Anglican Liturgical Conference on a wide range of theological issues including contextual liturgies

 

Jacob, W M, The Making of the Anglican Church Worldwide (SPCK, 1997)

A historical survey of how Anglicanism evolved into a worldwide communion beginning with the Reformation up to 1960. Focuses especially on episcopacy and unity

 

Johnson, E and Clark, J (eds) Anglicans in Mission: A Transforming Journey (SPCK, 2000)

Summarises the work of MISSIO, the Mission Commission of the Anglican Communion, and gives some good reflections on the dimensions of Anglican Mission, including the ‘five marks of mission’ (Chap 3), Evangelism (Chap 4), and Mission Structures (Chap 6)

 

McAdoo, H R, Anglican Heritage: Theology and Spirituality (Canterbury Press, 1991)

Chap 1: ‘The Anglican Ethos’, is a good introductory chapter which roots being Anglican in the traditions of the 17C

 

McGrath, A (ed), Handbook of Anglican Theologians (SPCK, 1998)

Every significant theologian in Anglican history reviewed. There is a good survey of the history of Anglicanism in Britain from Henry VIII to the present by Paul Avis, pp 3-28. Part I is a useful regional survey of Anglican Theology

 

McGrath, A, The Renewal of Anglicanism (SPCK, 1993)

This is McGrath’s attempt to renew Anglican theological method by reconstructing the ‘via media’ between fundamentalism and liberalism with a ‘postliberalism’ that is rooted in orthodoxy

 

* Okorocha, C C (ed), The Cutting Edge of Mission (Anglican Communion Publications, 1996)

A report at the mid-point of the Decade of Evangelism on what was happening around the world. There is a good essay by Dr George Carey on ‘The Anglican Communion and Evangelism’

 

Percy, M, The Salt of the Earth: Religious Resilience in a Secular Age (London, New York, Sheffield Academic Press/Continuum, 2001)

A wide ranging exploration of Christian engagement with contemporary western culture by the new Principal of Ripon College, Cuddesdon, a leading Anglican academic and parish priest. Percy questions the secularisation paradigm and suggests that a discerning yet sympathetic, positive engagement with culture can generate a practical-prophetic ecclesiology that can help recover the role of the church as the ‘salt of the earth’. Contains some insightful discussion on Anglicanism

 

Pobee, J S, Invitation to be an African Anglican (Accra, Asempa Publishers, 2000)

Examines all the basic foundations of Anglicanism from an African perspectives and challenges the Church there to indigenise the traditions so that its identity is authentically African

 

Rowell, G, Stevenson, K and Williams, R, Love’s Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness (OUP, 2001) Centre, 1998)

A comprehensive compilation of writing from Latimer to the present on prayer, spirituality and holiness

 

Sachs, W L, The Transformation of Anglicanism (CUP, 1993)

A detailed and scholarly exploration of the process by which Anglicanism was transformed into a missionary church in diverse contexts. Not just a narrative history, but details how modernity and world mission have changed Anglicanism

 

* Sykes, S, Unashamed Anglicanism (DLT, 1995)

Part II is an extended and scholarly discussion of an Anglican doctrine of the Church

Chap 7, ‘Foundations of an Anglican ecclesiology’, is a good place to begin]

 

Sykes, S, Booty, J, and Knight, J (eds) The Study of Anglicanism (SPCK, Fortress, Rev Ed, 1998)

Part I: ‘The History of Anglicanism’, is comprehensive and detailed.

Part II: ‘The Gospel in Anglicanism’ by Louis Weil, tries to show what is distinctive and especially discusses the relationship between doctrine and liturgy.

Part III ‘Authority and Method’ is an in-depth discussion of the respective roles of Scripture, Tradition and Reason, taking a historical view of how these terms have been interpreted.

Part IV, Chap 6: ‘Lex Orandi - Lex Credendi’ by W T Stevenson is a discussion of the relationship between worship and doctrine, and especially the place of symbolism.

Part V, Chap 2, ‘The Fundamentals of Christianity’ by S W Sykes is a summary of what has constituted the ‘fundamentals’ of Anglican teaching through its history

Part V, Chap 4: ‘Initiation’ by D R Holeton takes a historical view of the development of baptism and confirmation to the present day

Part V, Chap 5: ‘Holy Communion’ by W R Crockett is a scholarly but carefully worded and clear discussion of how Eucharistic theology has developed as something nether Catholic nor Calvinist

Part VI, Chap 1: ‘Anglican Spirituality’ by A M Allchin describes helpfully how Anglican spirituality seeks to integrate faith and life through literature, poetry and music

 

Warren, R, Being Human, Being Church (Marshall Pickering, 1995)

The best Anglican ecclesiology in recent years, this book argues for a paradigm shift in our understanding of the Church from maintenance mode to mission. Comes out of a British context, but has wider application

 

Williams, Rowan, Anglican Identities (London, DLT, 2004)

Any basic set of books should include at least one by our Archbishop-theologian.

A stimulating set of essays based on leading Anglican theologians from William Tyndale to John Robinson, and as always challenging to read and assimilate. Relevance for today is sometimes hard to find, but the essays on Hooker are especially helpful in exploring what Archbishop Rowan calls a ‘contemplative pragmatism’ which engages positively with both revelation and reality to give us a ‘sapiental theology’ for today

 

Wingate, A et al (eds), Anglicanism: A Global Communion (London, Mowbray, 1998)

A wide-ranging set of essays written from a predominantly ‘majority world’ perspective bringing together voices from all over the world

 

Part 2

Bartlett, A, A Passionate Balance: The Anglican Tradition (DLT, 2007)

Excellent book on the distinctives of Anglican spirituality – with a title that invites thought and reflection. It is written in a lively style by a theological educator – and interprets Anglicanism in a way that bridges tradition and originality.

 

Buchanan, C Historical Dictionary of Anglicanism (Maryland, Toronto, Oxford, 2006)

Much more than a dictionary – more like an encyclopaedia, by one of the Church of England’s best loved and marginally eccentric thinkers, a retired bishop who has also an enduring passion for theological education. A few inaccuracies do not mar the overall achievement and usefulness of the book.

 

Chapman, M: Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 2006)

A book in OUP’s ‘very short’ series which deserves to be considered a magnum opus because of its succinct usefulness and comprehensiveness. It covers a great deal in a very brief compass, and is written with a helpful lightness of touch. Though written from the English perspective it does give attention to other strands in world Anglicanism.

 

Chapman, R, Means of grace, hope of glory (Canterbury Press, 2005)

An anthology of texts from the Anglican tradition, particularly chosen with spirituality in mind, but also illustrating doctrine and practice. The collection of texts is not as extensive as that found in Love’s Redeeming Work, (see above), but the extracts selected tend to be (helpfully) longer.

 

France, R.T, and McGrath, A Evangelical Anglicans: Their role and influence in the Church today (SPCK, 1993)

A collection of essays on the influence of evangelicalism within the Anglican Church. Most of the essays come from writers within the evangelical tradition. The book aims to be open and honest about the weaknesses, as well as the strengths, of evangelicalism.

 

Giles, R, How to be an Anglican (Canterbury Press, 2003)

A basic introduction written in a down-to-earth and good-humoured fashion. Though it is also on the booklist for lay people – it may well be useful as an introduction for theological students as well. Chapters on: The Anglican Approach to Church/Sacraments/Doctrine/Scripture/Worship/Prayer/Moral Questions (among other) provide helpful starting points for discussions and further exploration.

 

Griffiss, J.E, The Anglican Vision (Cowley Publications, 1997)

The introductory volume to the ‘New Church’s Teaching Series’ (see also the book by Titus Presler below) which produces an introduction to Anglican tradition origins, mission, theology and worship. It gives particular attnetion to the development of the Anglican/Episcopal tradition in the United States.

 

Hefling, C and Shattuck, C, The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide survey (Oxford, OUP, 2006)

A monumental book and resource which witnesses both to the diversity of modern world Anglicanism, and also its roots and heritage in a particular tradition of ‘Common Prayer’.

 

Kaye, B Reinventing Anglicanism: A vision of confidence, community and engagement in Anglican Christianity (Church Publishing, NY, 2003)

A global Anglican elder statesman offers a look at Anglican history, polity and tradition, with a particular focus on the Anglican Church in Australia.

Presler, T Horizons of Mission (Cowley Publications, 2001)

Written by one of the US Episcopal Church’s foremost missiologists, drawing upon his experience also in Africa. Includes his ’10 Marks of Mission for the 21st century’. It is part of ‘the New Church’s Teaching Series’ – see also the book by James Griffiss (above).

 

Redfern, A Being Anglican, (DLT, 2000)

Part of the Exploring Faith, Theology for Life series. The series claims to be for ‘people who want to take Christian theology seriously’. It is designed for study or distance learning; there is suggested further reading and frequent boxed exercises for individual distance learners or group use.

The text includes a lot of stories and historical snippets – ‘snapshots of people and principles’ – which make the book much easier to read than the rather dull design and layout leads you to expect! The book explores Anglicanism as an evolving tradition, rather than a static guardian of truth.

 

Ward, K, A History of Global Anglicanism (CUP, 2006)

Likely to become a ‘classic’ among historical studies of world Anglicanism. Written by an Englishman (though one who has spent many years in Africa), but it resolutely does not privilege the idea of Anglicanism as an ‘expansion of English Christianity.’ Excellent on the story of Anglicanism in Africa (very much told from the pewrspective of indigenous Christians), but less comprehensive in relation to some other parts of the world.

 

Note also the webreferences to classic Anglican texts and writers such as Richard Hooker which can be found on this page (hotlink)