The Heart of Faith

An international and interdenominational team of distinguished scholars and pastors presents fifteen leading members of the Church of England over the last five centuries. The fourteen concise chapters offer fresh explorations of the theological passions and convictions of these important figures, focusing on "the heart of their Christian faith". The subjects in question are prominent preachers and evangelists, writers, theologians and politics. The book combines clergy and laity and illustrates the ways they work out their Christian faith in practise toghether with their vision of the Church. This thought provoking study will intrigue anyone interested in Anglican identity and history, and hopefully will stimulate further much necessary discussion on the subject.

The worldwide Anglican movement is a vibrant and flourishing, if sometimes troubled, international phenomenon. The Anglican movement, at its best, has always been about people rather than structures or institutions. This book introduces sixteen men and women from the Church of England, spread over the centuries from the early middle age onwards.The worldwide Anglican movement is a vibrant and flourishing, if sometimes troubled, international phenomenon. In recent decades it has experienced exponential growth, especially in parts of Africa and Asia, where dynamic evangelism and church planting are often seen. Yet for their historic roots, Anglicans across the globe continue to look back to one small but long-established province, the Church of England. The Anglican movement, at its best, has always been about people rather than structures or institutions. So this book introduces sixteen influential men and women from the Church of England, spread over the centuries from the early middle ages to the present day. They range from the celibate monk (Bede) to the married mother of eighteen children (Susanna Wesley); the innovative scientist (Robert Boyle) to the captivating poet (Frances Ridley Havergal); the urbane scholar (C.S. Lewis) to the popular preacher (Richard Sibbes and David Watson); the visionary bishop (Thomas Cranmer and J.C. Ryle) to the tenacious politician (William Wilberforce and Lord Shaftesbury). All sought to be faithful followers of Christ within the Church of England. But what were their theological passions and convictions? How did they understand their Anglican identity? These vignettes are not mini-biographiesbut fresh and thought-provoking explorations of the heart of faith.