The Heritage of Anglican Theology

By J. I. Packer

... Show All

The Heritage of Anglican Theology

By J. I. Packer

... Show All

Historical and Theological Reflections on the Anglican Church from J. I. Packer

The Anglican Church has a rich theological heritage filled with a diversity of views and practices. Like a river with a main current and several offshoot streams, Anglicanism has a main body with many distinct, smaller communities. So what constitutes mainstream Anglicanism?

Influential Anglican theologian J. I. Packer makes the case that “authentic Anglicanism” is biblical, liturgical, evangelical, pastoral, episcopal (ordaining bishops), national (engaging with the culture), and ecumenical (eager to learn from other Christians). As he surveys the history and tensions within the Anglican Church, Packer casts a vision for the future that is grounded in the Scriptures, fueled by missions, guided by historical creeds and practices, and resolved to enrich its people.

Read Chapter 1


Author:

J. I. Packer

J. I. Packer (1926–2020) served as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College. He authored numerous books, including the classic bestseller Knowing God. Packer also served as general editor for the English Standard Version Bible and as theological editor for the ESV Study Bible.

Product Details

Title: The Heritage of Anglican Theology
Published: June 15, 2021
ISBN-10: 1-4335-6011-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-6011-8
Category: History & Biography
Theology
Retail Price: $44.99
Binding: Hardcover w/ Jacket
Trim: 6.0 in x 9.0 in
Page Count: 384

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Taking the Measure of the Anglican Mainstream
Chapter 2: The English Reformation
Chapter 3: Puritan Theology
Chapter 4: Richard Hooker
Chapter 5: The Caroline Divines
Chapter 6: Rational Divinity
Chapter 7: Revival Theology
Chapter 8: The Oxford Movement and Anglo-Catholicism
Chapter 9: Nineteenth-Century Broad Church Theology
Chapter 10: Anglican Modernism
Chapter 11: Early Twentieth-Century Anglican Theology
Chapter 12: Some Concluding Thoughts on Anglican Theology


Afterword: Further Thoughts on Anglican Doctrine

Endorsements

“J. I. Packer has done it again! He has brought together in a systematic way the core of Anglican belief about God within the various historical movements of Anglicanism. His summary of Anglican thought is a gift not only to modern Anglicans but to the whole Christian church.”
Foley Beach, Archbishop, Anglican Church in North America

“Anglicanism long ago became global. No history of Anglicanism can ignore the towering figure of J. I. Packer, who has had a significant influence on Anglicans in both the Global North and the Global South. This giant’s presentation of Anglican theology will help us all understand how large numbers of this growing church think about the triune God and his ways with his people and his world. It will also inspire and edify.”
Gerald R. McDermott, Former Anglican Chair of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“The subject matter of this book is vast, and only someone with particular gifts of theology, Christian commitment, and skillful communication could attempt to cover it. Packer succeeds with consummate mastery, lucidly guiding the reader through what he refers to as ‘a jungle of lush growth of all sorts.’ The result is a compelling, informative, and instructive read that should have its place in the lives of all Anglicans, theologians and laity alike. I recommend it most highly.”
Benjamin Kwashi, Archbishop, Diocese of Jos, Nigeria; General Secretary, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON)

“All who found wisdom in the writings of J. I. Packer, especially those of us who knew and loved him, will delight in this masterful overview of Anglican theology. At once Puritan and catholic, both evangelical and ecumenical, here is one of the church’s greatest teachers at his best.”
Timothy George, Distinguished Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; General Editor, Reformation Commentary on Scripture

“This book is in a sense J. I. Packer’s last will and testament to the church he served for so many years. Reflecting on both the history and the theology of Anglicanism, he offers Anglicans and others a vision of the historic riches of the Anglican tradition and a vision for how the past can be used to address the present and the future. Distinctively Protestant yet catholic in spirit and tone, these pages reflect the thought, churchmanship, and piety of the man. I will always regard Packer as the great Presbyterian theologian we never had. But our loss was Anglicanism’s gain, as this book so admirably demonstrates.”
Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College