The Anglican Imagination

What is it about?

Anglican theology tends to resist the separation of faith, context, and reflection. From this perspective, a theologian is indeed one who prays, and thinks. The life of faith can benefit from the work of reflection, as theological reflection must be rooted in the truths and life of faith. We can see very effective examples of the synthesis of faith and reflection in modern Anglican theology. This book presents modern Anglican theology through a unique 'gallery' that includes a portrait or sketch of 10 Anglican writers--DuBose, Farrer, Stringfellow, Brooks, Kemper, DeKoven, McCord Adams, Polkinghorne, Gore and Macquarrie. Theological description, interpretation and application are included for each, with presentations differing as widely as the theologians and theological witnesses themselves.

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Why is it important?

Anglican theology tends to be very personal in the sense that the author is often responding to a particular demand or occasion. Anglican theology tends to be balanced and practical, more often clear than obscure, rooted in the stories and images of experience. The meaning of Christian faith in Anglicanism is expressed in light of particular circumstances and needs. Anglican theology upholds the truth that God works through people and in their daily lives. An emphasis on the Incarnation means that Anglicans can celebrate the beauty and wonder of creation, and the goodness of our own lives. Anglicans acknowledge the reality of sin, but are not sin-centered in outlook. Many Anglicans understand salvation through grace as an ongoing process. Anglicanism can be messy. It has loose ends, and unsettled questions. It calls for further discussion, and venues for conversation. Some inside and outside the Anglican Communion have despaired for the future, and wondered if the center will hold. The tradition has often shown how those who do not agree may yet find ways to to walk together. Anglican theology is often worked out in personal terms that provide a synthesis between reflection on the truths of faith and the particular contexts of culture and life. This volume is a presentation of modern Anglican theology in personal terms through a gallery of portraits and sketches in words. These chapters offer a case study method for modern Anglicanism, and illustrate how the tradition works and expresses itself.