Month: December 2011

  • The Sociology of the Church

    Some unrelated quotes from the book by James Jordan: …the reasons for denominational diversity are deep-seated, complex, and cannot be removed by a wave of a magic wand or anathema. The problem can only be effectively resolved by local communication, cooperation, and prayer. It must be recognized by all parties that there are legitimate strengths…

  • Predestination, Policy and Polemic

    I have just finished reading Peter White’s book, Predestination, Policy and Polemic, Conflict and consensus in the English Church from the Reformation to the Civil War. It is a masterful summary of the topic throughout a varied landscape of Church politics, belief systems, and changing theologies. …the model of a theological dichotomy between ‘Calvinism’ and…

  • The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination

    The Times Literary Supplement has had a back and forth going on over the subject, originating in the September 23 review of Gary Macy’s book The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination. The review was written by Bernard Hamilton and says: In this study of the status of women in the Western Church in the period…