Anglican Identity (CH9100T)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit explores historical and contemporary attempts to define Anglican identity. The first part of the unit examines foundational Anglican texts (the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion), their origins in the Reformation, and their use and interpretation in subsequent centuries. The second part of the unit investigates the creation and ongoing evolution of local, national and global structures of Anglicanism, with particular attention to synodical governance and the role of bishops, clergy and laity in decision-making processes. Students will investigate how changes in areas such as liturgy, authority and theology can be initiated, realised or resisted within Anglican polity.

Unit code: CH9100T

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Church History

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate a sophisticated understanding of structures of authority within the Anglican Communion and within its constituent churches

2.

Explain the contested nature of Anglican identity with reference to the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal or the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion

3.

Illustrate how history, law and theology have shaped Anglicanism

4.

Critically evaluate processes and mechanisms by which change occurs or is prevented from occurring within Anglican theology, governance and culture.

5.

Demonstrate skills in historical research.

Unit sequence

15 points of Church History & 15 points in Field D

Pedagogy

Lecture/seminars with provision for tutorials in some weeks

Indicative Bibliography

  • Avis, P. The Identity of Anglicanism: Essentials of Anglican Ecclesiology (London: T & T Clark, 2008)
  • Avis, P. The Anglican Understanding of the Church. An Introduction, 2nd ed. (London: SPCK, 2013
  • Chapman, M. A Very Short Introduction to Anglicanism (Oxford: OUP, 2006) (recommended for purchase)
  • Chapman, M., Anglican Theology (London: T&T Clark, 2012)
  • Fletcher, B. The Place of Anglicanism in Australia: Church, Society and Nation (Mulgrave: Broughton Publishing, 2008)
  • Hefling. C. and C. Shattuck, eds, The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide Survey (Oxford: OUP, 2006) Percy, M. Anglicanism. Confidence, Commitment and Communion (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013)
  • Kaye, B. ed., Anglicanism in Australia: A History (Melbourne: MUP, 2002)
  • Kaye, B. An Introduction to World Anglicanism (Cambridge: CUP, 2008)
  • Percy, M. Thirty-Nine New Articles. An Anglican Landscape of Faith (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2013)
  • Sykes, S., J. Booty and J. Knight, eds, The Study of Anglicanism (London: SPCK, 1988)
  • Williams, R. Anglican Identities (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 2003)

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Research essay of 3,500 words

 0 50.0
Written Examination

Take-home exam of 1,500 words

 0 30.0
Document Study

Document exercise of 1,000 words

 0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 23 Oct, 2014

Unit record last updated: 2020-10-28 14:50:33 +1100