The Heritage of Anglican Theology

“J. I. Packer has done it again! He has brought together in a systematic way the core of Anglican belief about God within the various historical movements of Anglicanism. His summary of Anglican thought is a gift not only to modern Anglicans but to the whole Christian church.”

—Foley Beach, Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America

“Anglicanism long ago became global. No history of Anglicanism can ignore the towering figure of J. I. Packer, who has had a significant influence on Anglicans in both the Global North and the Global South. This giant’s presentation of Anglican theology will help us all understand how large numbers of this growing church think about the triune God and his ways with his people and his world. It will also inspire and edify.”

—Gerald R. McDermott, Former Anglican Chair of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“The subject matter of this book is vast, and only someone with particular gifts of theology, Christian commitment, and skillful communication could attempt to cover it. Packer succeeds with consummate mastery, lucidly guiding the reader through what he refers to as ‘a jungle of lush growth of all sorts.’ The result is a compelling, informative, and instructive read that should have its place in the lives of all Anglicans, theologians and laity alike. I recommend it most highly.”

—Benjamin Kwashi, Archbishop, Diocese of Jos, Nigeria; General Secretary, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON)

“All who found wisdom in the writings of J. I. Packer, especially those of us who knew and loved him, will delight in this masterful overview of Anglican theology. At once Puritan and catholic, both evangelical and ecumenical, here is one of the church’s greatest teachers at his best.”

—Timothy George, Distinguished Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

“This book is in a sense J. I. Packer’s last will and testament to the church he served for so many years. Reflecting on both the history and the theology of Anglicanism, he offers Anglicans and others a vision of the historic riches of the Anglican tradition and a vision for how the past can be used to address the present and the future. Distinctively Protestant yet catholic in spirit and tone, these pages reflect the thought, churchmanship, and piety of the man. I will always regard Packer as the great Presbyterian theologian we never had. But our loss was Anglicanism’s gain, as this book so admirably demonstrates.”

—Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College