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The most fundamental question in existence is this: who is God? The answer to this question will define everything concerning you, and the world you live in. God has revealed himself to us, and he reveals to us his utter perfection. That is beautiful. This book is aimed to be a basic introduction to the doctrine of God, and particularly, the assurance his nature brings to us. When times have been hard for me, personally and in my job as a pastor, it has been refreshment in the nature of God that has been of immense benefit. Whether we have good or bad relationships with our fathers, seeing God as who he is: a perfect Father, is guaranteed to lift our souls beyond our limited, subjective circumstances. Let your soul sing as you discover, or are refreshed in, the perfection of our heavenly Father!

ARE BISHOPS BIBLICAL? As fissures emerge within the worldwide Anglican communion, the principle and praxis of episcopacy have never been more pertinent. For some Anglicans, bishops are essential for the church. For others, they are something of a necessary evil; baggage from the English Reformation that we might be better off without. These concerns are nothing new. In the seventeenth century, debates surrounding the validity and authority of bishops abounded. Into those debates wrote James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. Ussher was a remarkable figure: a preeminent historian, biblical scholar and theologian, respected by English Puritans and Irish Jesuits alike. As is often the case with such luminaries, various camps have claimed Ussher as their own; whether they be Puritan, high church, or Anglo-Catholic.By studying Ussher's ecclesiastical career and his two works on church government, this study assesses Ussher's episcopalian convictions, particularly regarding the validity and authority of bishops. In doing so, it hopes to reintroduce Ussher to the evangelical Anglican world, and demonstrate that episcopacy is not a necessary evil, but a force for good in the church of God.PETER BLAIR is married to Jodie and serves as the Curate-Assistant of All Saints' Church, Belfast. He studied at Moore Theological College, and was ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia. Whilst in Sydney, alongside his studies, he served as a catechist in Unichurch, UNSW, and Two Ways Ministries.

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO FREEMASONRY may seem esoteric and, to judge by media silence, not currently an issue. Yet every minister will eventually meet someone who is a Freemason, who may hold some responsibility within their fellowship or place of work. This book will help ministers to understand first, the motives for membership of Freemasonry; and secondly, how to advise someone who is having doubts, or should be, about their membership. Although there is much to be found online, sifting and testing the veracity of this information is difficult. In the process of updating and expanding this book it has also been thought helpful to point the reader to reliable online resources and, through an amplified bibliography to be able to follow the author's research and draw your own conclusions.

Human beings are inquisitive people. We all, quite rightly, like to explore the real world in its many fascinating dimensions. In particular, there are a few deep questions that most people face at some time in their lives: Who are we? Is there an overall purpose for our lives? What is good to believe? Why is there so much evil and suffering around? How is evil to be overcome and suffering accounted for? What best can help us to know how we should live? What is truth and how can we know it?For well over a millennium and a half the Christian Faith has guided the Western world and, more recently, other parts of the world in how to answer these and many other questions. However, its answers have also been strongly disputed, sometimes with hostile intent.In this book, Andrew Kirk argues strongly that the Christian Faith, in spite of all that has been thrown against it, still represents by far and away the best explanations for these profound enigmas of life. Here you will find convincing answers, and reasons why alternative ideas do not ultimately match the full realities of our existence.

Whilst Common Worship (2000) provides a Book of Common Prayer Communion (BCP) in modern English, sadly there is no such provision for the BCP baptism service. For some Anglican evangelicals this may not seem to be a particularly regrettable omission.There are those who might not be persuaded of the biblical mandate for baptising infants, whilst others might have concerns over some of the language used that may appear to affirm ''baptismal regeneration''. This booklet is an attempt not only to engage with those questions and concerns but also to proffer an enthusiastic support for the theology and liturgical content of the BCP Baptism service. It has a great emphasis on the covenantal grace of God which encourages Christian parents to "doubt not - but earnestly believe" in God''s faithfulness and mercy. In so doing it directs our primary focus to our promise-keeping God and not to ourselves.

We live in an age in which there is widespread confusion about matters to do with sex, marriage, and family life not only in society at large, but also within the Christian Church.The purpose of this new Primer is to address this confusion by providing clergy and laity alike with a basic introduction to what the Christian faith has to say about these matters. it is particularly designed to help Christians to understand the issues that will be discussed in the Church of England following the publication of the Living in Love and Faith material in late 2020.The Primer explains in clear terms the basis of a Christian approach to these matters, and then goes on to look at what Christianity has to say about marriage, singleness, friendship, intersex and transgender, sex outside marriage (including same-sex relationships), divorce and re-marriage, birth control and treatment for infertility.

We need not only to do evangelism, but also develop contemporary gospel strategies which we trust, under God, will be effective. We need gospel wisdom, as well as gospel work. We need to work on local evangelism, but also work on God's global gospel plan. This alerts us to our own nation, as well as other nations. Gospel strategy includes the question, 'How should we evangelise our nation?' Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury 1532-56, strategised and worked to do this from the perspective of Anglican Reformed theology and practice. We cannot duplicate his plan in detail, but he can inspire us, and also teach us the key ingredients of such a plan. His context of ministry had advantages and disadvantages!. Our context has the same mixture. We can also learn from Cranmer's ability to work effectively in his context, despite the many problems, and the suffering he endured. God used him to evangelise his nation at his time. May God use us for his gospel glory!

This book provides a commentary on the message of Messiah. Handel’s great oratorio gives a marvellous portrayal of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ: the anticipation of his coming, his birth, his ministry, his sufferings and death, his resurrection and his ascension – plus also the proclamation of the Gospel to the world, and Christian assurance of resurrection life beyond death. The main focus of this study is the selection of Bible verses that make up the work, compiled by the librettist Charles Jennens. At the same time there is also a certain amount of comment on the music, showing how Handel’s distinctive skill contributes towards clearly expressing the message. The aim of the book is that readers may deepen their understanding of the Bible passages included in the work and enjoy Handel’s Messiah all the more – and as a result know Christ better.

Confusion and conflict over church music continue to compromise the unity and witness of many churches today. It is vital, therefore, that our understanding and practice of congregational life be tested, refined and reshaped by Scripture. This is the reformed way - ecclesia reformata, ecclesia semper reformanda ("the reformed church is the church that is always reforming").Come, Let Us Sing seeks to help us reform the musical dimension of church life by bringing biblical clarity to two key questions: Why do we come together? and Why do we sing together? In answer to the first, Robert Smith navigates a path through the contemporary 'worship word wars', concluding that we gather both to worship God and to encourage others. Two questions must, therefore, be asked of everything we do: Does it glorify God? and Does it edify others? As to why we sing, Smith unpacks the three principal functions of congregational singing in Scripture - as a way of praising, a way of praying and a way of preaching. In so doing, he explores the necessity of singing scriptural truth, the value of psalmody, the place of emotions, the role of our bodies, and how singing expresses and enriches our unity. Come, Let Us Sing is a timely call for the church to reclaim its biblical musical heritage and reform its musical practice.ROBERT SMITH lectures in Theology, Ethics and Music ministry at Sydney Missionary & Bible College, Australia. He also serves as the Assistant Director of Ministry Training & Development for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and as an Assistant Minister at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. In addition to having written widely on the theology of congregational music, Rob is the co-author (with Mike Raiter) of Songs of the Saints: Enriching our Singing by Learning from the Songs of Scripture (Sydney, Matthias Media, 2017). He is also a songwriter, producer and director of Emu Music. Rob is married to Claire.

There is no better handbook for Anglican ministry than the Anglican ordinal – the authorized liturgy for ordaining new ministers. The ordinal contains a beautiful, succinct description of theological priorities and ministry models for today’s Church. This booklet offers a simple exposition of the ordinal’s primary themes. Anglican clergy are called to public ministry as messengers, sentinels, stewards, and shepherds. They are asked searching questions and they make solemn promises. The Holy Spirit’s anointing is invoked upon their ministries, with the laying-on-of-hands, and they are gifted a Bible as the visual symbol of their new pastoral and preaching office. This booklet is a handy primer for ordinands and clergy, and all those responsible for their selection, training, and deployment.

The Athanasian Creed is now the neglected Creed. Most of the laity do not know about it, its theology is not well understood even by the clergy, and it is almost never used in services, even in conservative churches. This book's aim is to counter this neglect of the Athanasian Creed. Its five chapters: · Set out what kind of document the Creed is and when and why it was written; · Give a detailed commentary on the Creed, explaining clearly what it teaches and why what it teaches is true; · Explain why the Creed still matters today, not only because of its importance in the history of Christian theology and liturgy, but primarily because of the continuing significance of its teaching. · Explore how people in the Church of England today can be encouraged to make use of the Creed both in theological education and in the everyday life of their parishes.

The Latin phrase lex orandi, lex credendi ('the law of praying is the law of believing') is a phrase which is often used in Anglican theological discussion, but which needs careful unpacking if its meaning is to be properly understood.In this study Martin Davie provides such unpacking. He traces the history of the phrase back to its origins in the work of St. Prosper of Aquitaine in the fifth century, explains what it means and gives examples of how it has been both used and misused in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican traditions. His conclusion is that when it is rightly understood the principle lex orandi, lex credendi provides a useful tool for assessing both a church's liturgy and its doctrine. It reminds us that a church's liturgical practice needs to cohere with its doctrine and both need to be in line with Scripture. He also argues that the use of this tool shows us that not only are proposals for marking same-sex relationships unacceptable, but so also is the new proposal to use liturgy to mark gender transition. Martin Davie is a theological consultant for the Church of England Evangelical Council and the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life. He also teaches doctrine at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

Synods are gatherings of church officers that convene for the purpose of deliberating what church policy should be. Their agenda may include resolving disputes that have arisen as well, as making plans for the future development of the life of the church. They are typically representative bodies, though who they represent varies from time to time and from church to church. They have been held from the very earliest days of Christianity, and for many centuries they were understood to be assemblies of bishops. That is still the case in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, but Anglican practice is much broader in scope, including clergy and laity as well. Modern synods also meet on a regular basis and operate according to a fixed constitution. They share some features in common with those of other times and places, but they are not direct descendants of any particular ancient tradition. There is no form of Anglican synodical government beyond the level of the national church, a fact that has become increasingly problematic in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Reform of the national synodical structure and the development of an effective form of synodical government that will be regarded as authoritative by the entire Communion are the greatest challenges we face today and it is these that this essay seeks to address.

Anglicans across the globe place a great deal of importance on the Reformation texts that were prepared for their churches as England broke free from Roman Catholic control in the sixteenth century. The most well known of these texts are the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles, both of which are still used extensively throughout the Anglican Communion. However, these were only two of the documents that served the wide, and carefully integrated, program of religious reform in the Reformation years. Alongside them were other equally authoritative texts prepared to form children in the basics of the faith, guide ongoing patterns of private devotion, model healthy biblical interpretation, expound core doctrines, and much more. This handbook offers an introduction to the full suite of doctrinally determinative documents of the English Reformation. It supplies an orientation to each family of documents, as well as to the individual texts that were   sanctioned by the church, state and crown. In addition to descriptions of the texts, there is also a brief history of each type of formulary, discussions of their varied purposes, and lists of key references for further reading. The Anglican Church can only benefit from a fuller understanding of its own documentary heritage. Anglican Foundations is an unparalleled resource that offers students, ordinands, and all committed Anglicans the ideal orientation to the doctrinal texts of the English Reformation.          

The thirst for power changed Puritan theology, often in ways that went unnoticed. The rise and decline of political puritanism afforded unique theological temptations. As victors or victims, many approached cultural confl ict with a deep sense their cause was righteous - and this often blinded them to the ways they victimised others. This lecture focuses on the darker moments of Puritan history and explains how some of their worst actions flowed from good intentions and admirable qualities. I explore nine ways their theology staggered under the influence of politics. We must remember this history and learn from it if we are to avoid toxic and intoxicating mixtures of piety and patriotism.Dr Matthew Rowley is an honorary visiting fellow at the University of Leicester and a Non-Stipendiary Fellow at the Woolf Institute, Cambridge. He is active as a Research Associate at the Cambridge Institute on Religion & International Studies (Clare College). He received his PhD in early modern religious and political history from the University of Leicester. His thesis was entitled 'Godly Violence: Military Providentialism in the Puritan Atlantic World, 1636-1676'. Matthew holds an MDiv and ThM from Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis where he wrote his thesis on theimitation of biblical violence.

How do we discern a “true” church? Given the current ecclesiastical climate this is an increasingly pressing question. This study looks at how William Perkins, a great seventeenth century Church of England theologian, responded to this issue. Particular focus is given to his understanding of the distinctions between the visible and invisible church, and the marks of a “true” church, namely, word, sacraments and discipline. Judged against these marks, Perkins argued passionately that the Church of England was “a true church of God”.He also, in line with traditional Reformed ecclesiology, allowed significant doctrinal and practical decline before a church ceased to be a “true” church. The criteria he outlined for leaving a church amounted to nothing less than the obstinate and persistent overthrow of cardinal Christian doctrine and worship.Perkins' careful teaching calls us to consider our response to declension in the church today. Ultimately his ecclesiology calls us to have a high view of the unity of the visible church, and in many causes to labour for recovery rather than to leave.

David Broughton Knox was one of the most influential Anglican leaders in the second half of the twentieth century. His long service as principal of Moore Theological College, Sydney, had an impact much further afield than that city. Along with this, the unique place Sydney Diocese has in the Anglican Communion has been significantly shaped by Knox’s ministry and theological priorities. This volume is the result of a conference held in 2016 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Knox’s birth. Theologians who were personally taught by Knox, along with those who belong to a younger generation, contribute to this work by critically engaging with various aspects of Knox’s theology and legacy. Subjects include the atonement, ecclesiology, sacramentology as well as the shaping of a theological institution. These academic contributions are complemented by personal accounts and anecdotes of Knox’s influence on some of the most influential evangelical leaders and academics in the world. Contributors include Peter Jensen, Glenn Davies, Paul Barnett, Mark D. Thompson, Graeme Goldsworthy, Graham Cole, D. A. Carson, Andrew Leslie, Chase Kuhn, Edward Loane and Robert Doyle.

We Christians use the word "ministry" a great deal-and like any word that is used so often, its meaning can be rather hard to pin down. But if it is important enough to be used so much, we need to be clear about what "ministry" means-and that requires us to dig deeply into the Bible, the Ministry Manual God has given us. That is how this book seeks to answer the big three questions about "ministry": What? Why? How?'Bracing, memorable and deeply encouraging.' Kanishka Raffel, Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.'This outstanding book provides a magnificent overview of what it means to be a Christian disciple in service of the Lord Jesus.' William Taylor, Rector of St Helen's, Bishopsgate.

The Bible describes a fallen world and fallen humanity, in which minds are darkened. We reject God, and suppress the truth about him. How, then, can we know him at all? In other words, what are the noetic effects of sin? During the Reformation, doctrines of total depravity and the effects of the fall on the whole person re-emerged, with consequent implications for epistemology. If minds are fallen, how can we expect to know anything accurately? The purpose of this study is to start to answer that question by looking at some of the epistemology we find emerging from the writings of John Calvin and Martin Luther.  Kirsty Birkett is Latimer Research Fellow at Oak Hill College, where she is responsible for Learning Architecture and Educational Development, and teaches Ethics, Philosophy and Church History. Her many publications cover the whole area of relationships between science and religion. She has also written on psychology, feminism and the family for both a popular and academic audience. 

This study offers a sketch of John Owen's prophetic preaching in which his dogmatic providentialism and the fiery apocalypticism almost threaten to destroy his image as a Reformed Orthodox theologian and man of the Renaissance. With an initial glance, one might think that there is little practical to be learned from such a vignette. However, upon closer inspection three striking applications, or, in the language of early-modern homiletics, 'uses', emerge that are directly relevant for much contemporary preaching.Martyn C. Cowan is a licentiate minster of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. After completing an MA in Philosophy at Queen's University Belfast he trained for gospel ministry on the Cornhill Training Course before gaining an MTh from Oak Hill Theological College, London. He served as assistant minster in First Saintfield Presbyterian Church, Co. Down and then completed a PhD on the preaching of John Owen at the University of Cambridge. He and his wife Kathy live in Co. Armagh where he is an assistant minister in First Portadown Presbyterian Church. He has contributed to the NIV Proclamation Bible and teaches courses at the Cornhill Training Course in Belfast and Union Theological College, Belfast.

The relationship between the Father and the Son in the Trinity has been hotly debated since the earliest centuries of the church. The Church Fathers like Tertullian, Athanasius and Hilary of Poiters wrestled with it; church councils at Nicaea, Syrmium and Chalcedon legislated about it in attempts to define orthodoxy and heresy. What did they and the Bible say, and why does it matter today? The contemporary implications are wider than you might realise, touching on matters as diverse as the ordination of women, male-female relations, the certainty of salvation and the nature of power, individualism and virtue.This thorough book persistently takes you back to first principles, logically pursuing the outcome of each thesis. If the Son is subordinate to the Father, in what sense can he be equal? If the Godhead is unchanging, how can it accommodate the Incarnation? How are the concepts of monarchy and love incorporated into the Trinity?In discussing these questions and more, Mike Ovey engages with both contemporary debators and with the great minds of the past. Be prepared to be challenged and enlightened!Rev'd Michael Ovey, PhD, MTh, MA, BCL, BAis Principal of Oak Hill Theological College, London, where he teaches Doctrine, Apologetics & Liturgy. Before coming to Oak Hill, Mike was a civil service lawyer; he trained at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, serving his title at All Saints, Crowborough, before teaching for three years at Moore Theological College, Sydney. He joined Oak Hill in 1998 and since then has finished a PhD in the field of Trinitarian theology.

The secular world is well aware of the problems of stress. Of recent decades a great deal of attention and research has been devoted to understanding what those who cope well with stress actually do; and, as a result, how to help others learn to do the same things. The psychological construct that has been developed to describe what secular researchers are looking for is ‘resilience’. What the literature reveals, however, is that our created natures thrive on spiritual values. What fosters resilience, the qualities and strategies that resilient people demonstrate, are things like religion, altruism and belief in the good. Sometimes these ideas can sit oddly with the naturalistic, pluralistic framework of secular socio-scientific research. However, within a Christian framework. It should not be surprising that what works is just that sort of lifestyle that God created us to have. Nothing will make Christian ministry easy in this fallen world, dealing with the sinful people that we all are. However we are blessed with resources that perhaps we take too lightly, and could be paying more attention to. We have a gracious God who has revealed truths about the world that make a difference to us – how we feel and how we cope, as well as how we believe and act. Most of all, unlike the secular world, we have a real hope that makes positive thinking entirely rational.Kirsty Birkett is Latimer Research Fellow at Oak Hill College, where she is responsible for Learning Architecture and Educational Development, and  teaches Ethics, Philosophy and Church History. Her many publications cover the whole area of relationships between science and religion. She has also written on psychology, feminism and the family for both a popular and academic audience.

Simeon's magnum opus, his Horae Homileticae, famously contains the three questions by which Simeon hoped all his preaching would be judged: 'Does it uniformly tend to humble the sinner? To exalt the Saviour? To promote holiness?'The copy in Oxford's Bodleian library also contains this inscription: 'To the Chancellor and Scholars at Oxford for the Bodleian Library. A present from the Author in the humble hope, and with earnest prayer to God, that his efforts to diffuse the knowledge of Christ with all the wonders of Redeeming Love may not be in vain. Ch. Simeon, King's College Cambridge 1833'. In the essays which follow you will find ample evidence to conclude that his hope was realised and his prayers answered with a resounding 'yes'.'The essays in this little volume are a welcome addition to the steadily growing study of Simeon, his faith, his methods and his influence. That they should emerge from a conference in a small evangelical Anglican theological college on the other side of the world from Simeon's most direct arena of activity is a further testimony to his influence.'(Mark Thompson)The contributors are David Furse-Roberts, Edward Loane , Grant Maple, David Pettett, Craig Schwarze and James Snare, with a preface by Mark Thompson.

To oversee Christ’s flock is ‘a noble task’ but also a difficult task. The responsibilities and expectations of the job are numerous and weighty. Skills in leadership and management, the ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings, the need to be a competent listener and counsellor – these things and more are required of those who exercise pastoral oversight, even of a small congregation. And as pastors seek resources to assist them in their vocation, it is no wonder that many have found great benefit from the insights of the social sciences. The problem, however, is the seeming lack of connection between the doctrine and exegesis of the Scriptures on the one hand, and the theology and practice of ministry on the other.The chapters that follow do not claim to offer an extensive critique or response to this issue. Rather, as they address some of its aspects, each reflects the belief that authentic pastoral ministry is grounded in the ministry of the word of God.  Each chapter was first delivered as a lecture at the 2015 School of Theology held at Moore Theological College. The contributors are Lionel Windsor, Peter Orr, Mark Thompson, David Peterson and Keith Condie.

The celebration of the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer has helped to stimulate a renewed interest in its teaching and fundamental contribution to Anglican identity. Archbishop Cranmer and others involved in the English Reformation knew well that the content and shape of the services and doctrine set out in the Prayer Book were vital ways of teaching congregations biblical truth and the principles of the Christian gospel.However, the Prayer Book Catechism is a neglected educational resource for the Church of England. For centuries it provided the framework for instructing young Christians in the basics of Christian belief and behaviour, but in recent years it has come to be almost forgotten.This new study describes the place of the Catechism in the Prayer Book and how the Catechism came to be written. It then expounds the teaching of the Catechism and explains its continuing value as a basis for teaching the fundamentals of the Christian faith in basics groups and confirmationclasses.MARTIN DAVIE is a theological consultant for the Church of England Evangelical Council and the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life. He also teaches doctrine at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

The essays contained in this volume originated as lectures delivered in August 2014 during 'The Whitefield Symposium' held at George Whitefield College, Cape Town, in partnership with Jonathan Edwards Centre Africa, to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of Whitefield's birth.'Whitefield was a born actor, a born-again orator, and a tireless evangelistic preacher with a huge, heart-warming voice, a huge intensity as a communicator, and a grand strategy for making Christ known on both sides of the Atlantic. ... Happily this Symposium, scholarly and sympathetic, ... goes far towards doing him justice'(J.I. Packer, Theologian emeritus of the Anglican Church in North America).'This collection presents a compelling picture of a great and complex man, giving the novice reader an introduction to his life and the more advanced reader insight into his theology and practice. I warmly recommend it.'(John Yates III, Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Raleigh, North Carolina).'Whitefield's outstanding (if imperfect) ministry displayed a life lived in relentless passion for God's Kingdom. This timely review urges similar faithfulness to biblical truth in our own day'.(Archbishop Emmanuel Egbunu, Diocese of Lokoja, Nigeria).'George Whitefield is such a significant figure in the making of Evangelicalism, that he deserves far more study than he has received. This book makes a first class introduction to the issues which rightly catch our attention.'(Archbishop Peter Jensen, General Secretary of GAFCON).'This impressive book will help us to become more acquainted both with this remarkable man, and with his message.'(Paul Helm, formerly Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, King's College, London)The contributors are Ross Anderson, Benjamin Dean, Victor Emma-Adamah, Lee Gatiss, Thomas S. Kidd, Phumezo Masango, Adriaan Neele, David Seccombe, Ian J. Shaw and Melvin Tinker.