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A Blessed Rage for Order: Exploring the Rise of ‘Reform’ in the Church of England
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2009
Abstract
The paper explores the rise of Reform in the Church of England, and critically examines some of the reasons why (theologically and sociologically) the movement has also developed an aggressive side to its character. After briefly considering the history of Reform (now ten years old) the paper deploys some methodological perspectives drawn from the late James Hopewell's contribution to congregational studies, before turning to some of the key issues that define Reform's agenda. Some further analysis examines the prospects for Anglicanism, where the Communion is bound together less and less by a common form of governance, and increasingly by a shared ethos and moral affinity. A conclusion discusses the relative strength of Reform within the context of the Anglican Communion as a whole. The paper is exploratory in nature: an exercise in testing a methodology within the broad penumbra of modern ecclesiology. The paper is not intended to be a definitive account or interpretation of Reform. From the outset, the author recognizes that the movement itself merits far more attention than one academic paper can possibly give it.
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- Copyright © SAGE Publications (Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore) and The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2005
References
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