Description
In his important evaluation of the theological leader of the English Reformation, G.W. Bromiley charts Cranmer’s doctrinal views, scriptural interpretation and liturgical composition. His nuanced position on various controversial issues of the day, not least baptism, is articulated with clarity and care, and his ecumenical sensitivity is foregrounded.
While arguably more adept as a scholar than as a creative theologian in his own right, Cranmer’s writing nevertheless formed the cornerstone of future Anglican theology. Through his Articles of Religion (42, later reduced to 39) and the Book of Common Prayer, he set the parameters within which the Church of England was to operate. Perhaps most significantly, as Bromiley shows, his extensive citation of patristic sources established a precedent for his successors that continues today. Written by one of the great ecclesiastical historians of the twentieth century, Thomas Cranmer, Theologian is the essential starting point for understanding Cranmer’s influence and legacy in the Anglican church.
About the Author
Geoffrey W. Bromiley (1915-2009) was Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He gained his MA at Cambridge and his PhD and Dlitt in Edinburgh, and was previously lecturer and vice principal at Tyndale Hall, Bristol, and Rector of St Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Edinburgh. Among his substantial output are his Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth; Historical Theology: An Introduction; and Baptism and the Anglican Reformers (James Clarke & Co.).
Contents
Introduction: The Reformer
1. The Scholar
2. Scripture and Tradition
3. Justification
4. The Church and Ministry
5. Holy Baptism
6. The Eucharistic Presence
7. The Eucharistic Work
Concluding Estimate
Select Bibliography
Index of Subjects
Index of Names
Endorsements and Reviews
Here in successive chapters the author summarizes Cranmer’s views on those theological issues which were sharply to the fore in sixteenth-century controversy. . . . As a student’s introduction to a study of Cranmer’s thought the book deserves wide useP.M. Dawley, in Church History 28
In sum, G.W. Bromiley has produced a volume that is as lucid as it is learned. Thomas Cranmer, Theologian is an exceptional resource in studying not only the life of Cranmer but the English Reformation and the foundations of Anglican doctrine and worship as a whole.Marc Daniel Rivera in Kristiyaknow (online), May 26, 2025.
