Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction

Mark Chapman may very well be the most promising historian of Anglicanism alive today. The author of numerous studies, he has now penned an excellent introduction to Anglicanism. This work is both historically grounded - brilliantly so, I might add - and global in scope. Chapman covers Evangelicalism, Anglo-Catholicism and the growth of Anglicanism as a global church with precision and authority, rooting his narrative in both primary sources and in the finest and most up-to-date secondary literature.This short book begins with a world that is very much unlike our own - especially for those of us who live in the United States of America. Chapman begins his work by noting the ways in which King Henry VIII not only reformed the Church of England and set it on a course that was somewhat different than that which it had been on in the medieval period, but also by noting how the early Protestant Church of England had as its fundamental aim a political project which not only created a national church, but which put the king of the England at its head. Thus, the Church of England reformed according to political doctrine first, and according to a mixture of medieval and Protestant theology, second. Chapman notes the importance of this political reform by not letting it get too far from the center throughout the rest of the narrative.One of the nice things about this book is that Chapman is unwilling to simply repeat the theses of others. It is quite common here in the United States to be told that Anglicanism has *always* consisted of three fundamentally distinct groups: Evangelicals, Liberals and Anglo-Catholics. In Chapman's narrative, however, this thesis never even sees the light of day. Rather, he devotew a chapter to Evangelicalism, which he locates as beginning in the mid-late 18th century, a chapter to Anglo-Catholicism, which begins in the early-mid 19th century, and a chapter on Global Anglicanism which develops shortly thereafter. This does not mean that liberals are excised from the history of Anglicanism, but Chapman recognizes that the attempt to create a liberal "tradition" is simply impossible: what calls itself "liberalism" today only owes its existence to the mid-late 20th century. In fact, it is only the Anglo-Catholics that actually are presented as having anything close to a "tradition" in the Church - that is, they alone have self-consciously cultivated, from generation to generation, a distinct identity and set of theological priorities. Evangelicals have not done this, but have simply existed at the margins of Anglicanism, with little more than a rejection of Anglican norms (pertaining to the sacraments and liturgy, primarily) as their guiding light. They have only come to the fore, like liberals, in the last few decades. Chapman's tracing of these threads not only does much to clear away the awful historiography that has come to be seen as a type of gospel in some circles, but opens up a space for exploring a far greater level of theological coherence in the church than this other historiography has allowed for!The chapter on the beginnings of the Anglican Communion in the 19th century is especially good, as it brings pretty much everything to a head, and shows that the problem with the Church today is basically that whereas the Church of England had a "supreme governor" in the person of the monarch, the Anglican Communion does not have such a thing but, instead, relies upon good will, charity and an anti-papal conciliar mode of working together. There is no one to enforce anything in the Church - no monarch and no pope - just bishops to agree or disagree as various issues come up. It is most recently that this system has largely ceased to function as well as it often had - but not always, as Chapman shows - in the past. What will happen in the future remains anybody's - and, perhaps, everybody's - guess.My only complaint with the book is that Chapman does not always cite his primary sources. I imagine that this has something to do with the nature of this series - it's not for specialists, but for thoughtful laypersons. However, he gives a fine bibliography that will prove to be an excellent guide for anyone interested in studying Anglicanism further. Chapman's words that end the book are all too pertinent today in our world - a world shaped by global terrorism and by American imperialism - and are the advice that everyone in the Anglican Communion absolutely must take to heart: "The desire to listen and to enter into conversation requires voluntary restraint and self-denial among the different factions. The problem is that in a world which seeks clear decisions and absolute certainties such Christian humility might not any longer be considered a virtue" (144).[This books perfectly complements Michael Ramsey's  Anglican Spirit .]

This book suffers from a malady that infects many in this line of “Very Short” introductions: its topic is too broad and so is its scope. Chapman does a strong job of laying out the somewhat sordid history of the Anglican church and the Anglican-Episcopal communion, but a lot of the context for the history is not included in the work for what I assume is concern about space. This means one needs an extensive knowledge English and commonwealth history that would preclude most people who would need such an introductory text in the first place. That said, Chapman does not pick sides in many of these controversies and tries to remain purely in the realm of facts as much as possible.The strongest sections were on the history of evangelical and Anglo-Catholic developments as well as Anglican’s churches on-again/off-again role in Protestant reformation as a whole. The sections on the world church were too brief, although this seems to be not so much a fault of Chapman’s but the format itself. Chapman addresses important issues facing the church in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, such as female priesthood and homosexuality, and the split that has arisen from these disagreements, particularly between the American and the African parts of the communion.What this lacks, however, is a discussion of what Anglicans can agree on now. Anglican identity is covered historically, but not confessionally, leaving one to feel like all the Anglican Communion is the vapors of a national church. I suspect this is not case in most Anglican’s own experience, but the format did not allow space to address this. Since this is an introduction to Anglicanism and not just the history of the Church of England, this does seem like a significant oversight.

Oxford's Very Short Introduction series is uneven. Given the large (and still growing) number of volumes in it, I suppose this is only to be expected. But there's nothing uneven about Mark Chapman's Anglicanism. It's a very good introduction.The theme that runs throughout the book is Chapman's claim that the defining characteristic of the Anglican communion is its sometimes fruitful, sometimes stagnant debate over authority. Unlike the Roman church, there is no central magister in contemporary Anglicanism. Primates, councils, and indeed even the titular "head" of the communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, have little more than moral authority. This is quite unlike the early days of Anglicanism, when real authority was vested in the English monarch-cum-Church leader. And, of course, Anglicanism was itself birthed out of a dispute between London and Rome over authority.Between then and now, the Anglican communion has wrangled over where authority lies. As Chapman chronicles, evangelical Anglicans, both yesterday's puritans and today's charismatics, put a high premium on individual conscience and scripture. "High" churchmen and Anglo-Catholics see authority residing in tradition, reason, and ecclesial hierarchy.National churches, in keeping with Reformation ideals, are vested with a great deal of autonomy, and in the US tradition, this autonomy extends in large measure even to dioceses and parishes. Recent controversies regarding ordination of women and gays, as well as same-sex blessings, are generated by this autonomy.I wish Chapman had reflected a bit on the peculiar tension between autonomy and authority that seems to be characteristic of the Anglican communion. This tension historically veers from one side to the other, but has thus far managed to endure. Perhaps it's a recipe not only for ecclesial authority, but political authority as well.At any rate, a well-written and readable book, primarily of interest to Anglicans but perhaps also to followers of recent Anglican debates.

Having recently joined an Anglican church, I wanted to understand more of its history and origins. This book, part of a wonderful series of Short Introductions, gave me what I needed. from its roots in the take-over by Henry VIII to the developments of the Reformation, this brief book tells it all. From a neo-Catholic church controlled by a despotic King and designed to protect him, to an increasingly protestant church, with a Bible-based theology, the journey is fascinating. I confess I had not realised just how close was (and technically still is) the link between crown and church. Mutually protective and supportive, they have functioned in parallel for centuries.The strain, however, became increasingly unbearable. From monarchs with little real Christian interest, the Anglo-Catholic Oxford movement, the evangelical movement and the more modern international aspects of the church, the fault-lines are showing clearly. How will the Anglican church deal with the 2nd quarter of the 21st century: with English kings/queens who have no declared Christian faith, with a multi-faith society, with differently defined sexuality and national mass-ignorance of the Bible?Anglicanism has developed a multitude of faces, a whole spectrum of beliefs. Are we on the brink of a complete split between the conservative, Bible-based Anglican church and a more politically progressive Anglican church? Who knows. But this book will certainly give the background and the context.

I found the title a bit patronising. The book is not "very short" (though it's not particularly long) and the impression you get is that the learned author might be implying that it's some sort of beginners' guide. Just to call it "an introduction" would have sufficed. Having got that off my chest, let me say that it is a good book: succinct, in the main readable (if a little heavy on occasions) and informative.The book explores various aspects of Anglicanism. I found the analysis of Cranmer a very interesting and poignant one, as also the question between Church (and faith) and state (both monarchs/Supreme Governors and Parliament). But in the middle of the book, after many studious pages, suddenly the style changes and the author displays a great enthusiasm for Evangelicalism. He is somewhat less enthusiastic about Anglo-Catholicism.The chapters on the development of Anglicanism worldwide are interesting, as is the somewhat vexed issue of the freedom of the various Churches in the Anglican Communion to do their own thing. The subject of women priests is, of course, covered, but the strains caused and the small but high-profile desertions to Rome in its wake do not feature much. The difficult issue of homosexuality is handled objectively.It is interesting to see how Anglicanism has overcome many stresses and strains over the centuries, and continues to do so. (The book was written before the current Women Bishops impasse, and before the implicitly anti-Anglican papacy of Benedict XVI including the high profile but ill-starred establishment of the "Personal Ordinariate").The book is scholarly and informative. I learned quite a bit from it.

I wish I'd read this forty years ago. As someone who has been a Reader in the CofE for almost 43 years, this threw light into some interesting corners. I found it fascinating and it has explained some of the stranger attitudes I have encountered in the course of my ministry. I'd certainly commend this to everyone setting out in any role in the Anglican Church, and it should be essential reading for any journalist wishing to 'report' on any matter pertaining discussions within the church's governing bodies.

Highly concentrated, this book covers the history and current structure of the Church of England. As someone from a Free Church background, having made their home within Anglicanism, this book is invaluable in telling me about the Church I belong to. One of those books I wish I had had to hand years ago.

Chapman focuses mainly on the history of Anglicanism, in particular the early Reformation period. Very little concerning the theology of the Anglican Communion (if it is even possible to define an Anglican theology). Interesting insights in the Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic realitities of Anglicanism, fair and balanced.