"To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism" - A Book Review

 

In all candor, I'm not Anglican nor Episcopalian. I'm a Presbyterian by conviction. But I did earn my doctorate at a conservative Episcopal/Anglican seminary in Pennsylvania (Trinity School for Ministry) and am fairly well versed on that tradition and many of its peculiarities. So I was pleased to open the pages of "To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism (Approved Edition)" and peruse fully the nicely bound 160 pages of this hardback. The print is easy on the eyes, and the content does good for the soul. A catechism is an ancient pattern of programmed questions and answers, and in the Christian setting, they are questions that systematically work through key areas with biblically shaped answers, which is exactly what happens in this volume.

After the front-matter (that includes an introduction by J.I. Packer), the catechism breaks out into four sections: beginning in Christ; believing in Christ; belonging to Christ; and becoming like Christ. I deeply appreciate the gospel-centeredness echoed in the section headings, and clearly laid out in the ensuing material. Each of the larger and smaller segments are peppered with ancient-but-contemporized prayers. There are explanatory introductions to each portion that guide the uniformed. And every answer has it's biblical roots listed. The ending substance includes supplemental prayers, a rite for admission of students to the study of the faith, creeds and a few other items. It is well crafted, and made to be used and reused for decades to come.

I admired the emphasis on our bodies being good and that because of Christ being risen from the dead physically, we are to anticipate our own physical resurrection. Also, the explanations of the Lord's Prayer are thoughtful, devotional and theological. Further, the way the Ten Commandments are handled is beautiful, not only looking at what is prohibited but also into what is promoted in God's Law. Finally, the compilers of the catechism have been very clear about the value of human life at every stage, the singularity of marriage between one man and one woman for life, and the beauty of celibate singleness. There is much to commend this work, even to non-Anglicans!

One of my main squabbles with the work is that it is very Anglican, even down to the point of including seven sacraments instead of only the two Christ directed. But in this regard, what else should I have expected? It says it is Anglican right on the cover! My other beef is that it is light on justification, and heavier on sanctification. These two doctrinal categories should have at least been balanced out more, especially defining what justification is and isn't. But at least it is Protestant in it's understanding of justification.

For all of my Anglican and Episcopal friends, "To Be A Christian" is light-years ahead of any other catechism in your tradition, in my experience. It is enjoyable to read through, and the Collects (prayers) that pop up at just the right moment keeps the volume devotional while it is being doctrinal. I happily and highly recommend the work.

You can obtain a copy here: To Be A Christian