The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are one of the three historic
'formularies' (constitutional documents) of the Church of England.
Along with the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal they gave
the church its distinctive identity at the time of the Reformation,
an identity which has had a formative infl uence on worldwide
Anglicanism. The English formularies have played an exceptionally
important role in shaping the Anglican Communion and they
continue to serve as reference points whenever it is necessary to think
in terms of a common Anglican tradition.
In the confusion caused by recent developments, it is encouraging
that in many parts of the Anglican Communion some have returned to
these sources to satisfy a genuine hunger for both Anglican tradition
and sound Christian doctrine. It is to meet this growing demand that
this book has been written.
Although the Articles have had a chequered historical career, the
intention of this book is to take them as they now stand and interpret
what they mean for us today. Historical circumstances cannot be
avoided completely and will be mentioned
as necessary, but the main emphasis here is
theological. What do the Articles say about
what we believe and how should they be
understood and applied by us today? Read on!
Gerald Bray is director of research for the Latimer
Trust and research professor at Beeson Divinity
School, Samford University, Birmingham,
Alabama, USA.