From Controversy to Co-Existence

This book traces the history and theology of Evangelicals in the Church of England, both liberal and conservative, from the First World War to the appearance of the Alternative Service Book in 1980. Evangelical Anglicans stand for what they see as historic Anglicanism with its emphasis on the intrinsic veracity of scripture as the sole authority for faith and life. While it highlights the progress of the gospel through evangelism and literary output, the work does not gloss over the small-mindedness and ‘sectarianism’ that has sometimes characterised Evangelicals. Earlier in the twentieth century, Evangelical Anglicans saw themselves as making a ‘last ditch’ stand for Protestant integrity but, in mid-century, with the backing of scholarship, they came out of their ‘fox holes’ and eventually emerged with a redemptionist theology to embrace both church and society. This movement reached a peak with the national evangelical congresses in 1967 and 1977.