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The Faith We Confess: An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are one of the three historic 'formularies' (constitutional documents) of the Church of England. Along with the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal they gave the church its distinctive identity at the time of the Reformation, an identity which has had a formative infl uence on worldwide Anglicanism. The English formularies have played an exceptionally important role in shaping the Anglican Communion and they continue to serve as reference points whenever it is necessary to think in terms of a common Anglican tradition. In the confusion caused by recent developments, it is encouraging that in many parts of the Anglican Communion some have returned to these sources to satisfy a genuine hunger for both Anglican tradition and sound Christian doctrine. It is to meet this growing demand that this book has been written. Although the Articles have had a chequered historical career, the intention of this book is to take them as they now stand and interpret what they mean for us today. Historical circumstances cannot be avoided completely and will be mentioned as necessary, but the main emphasis here is theological. What do the Articles say about what we believe and how should they be understood and applied by us today? Read on! Gerald Bray is director of research for the Latimer Trust and research professor at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Gerald L. Bray
99 books39 followersGerald L. Bray (Ph.D., University of Paris--Sorbonne) is director of research for the Latimer Trust, based in London, and a research professor at Samford University, teaching in the Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. A priest of the Church of England, Bray has also edited the post-Reformation Anglican canons. He has edited several volumes of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and Ancient Christian Texts, as well as volume one of the Ancient Christian Doctrine series, all for IVP Academic. General EditorTimothy George (Th.D., Harvard University) is a renowned Reformation historian and author of Theology of the Reformers, as well as many other theological and historical works. He is founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 19, 2019
As a doctrinally Reformed Christian studying in a Anglican seminary, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gerald Bray's exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles. It sheds a lot of light on the message behind the Articles as they were intended by the early English reformers, and also shows the fundamental agreement between the Anglican Church and the other churches of the Reformation.
June 10, 2025
This is excellent, and highly recommended for anyone who calls themselves a reformed or confessional Anglican and who wants to understand our major theological formulary. Bray hasn't set out to give a systematic exposition of the doctrines contained in the articles, or even of the articles themselves. Rather, this is a commentary on the 39 Articles, with a particular focus on their meaning and significance for contemporary Anglicans.
As Bray comments, the historic formularies were designed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to give the Anglican church a solid grounding in the three fundamental areas of its life - doctrine (39 Articles), devotion (BCP) and discipline (Ordinal). I would contend that the first of these three is the most pressing need of the Anglican Communion today. Bray hasn't set out to be exhaustive in this book, but everything he says is helpful and edifying to an Anglican such as myself, who is such by conviction but who grieves over the state of our denomination, at least in the West. In how many of our pulpits, I wonder, would the following be preached:
"Today there are many people who believe that as long as they lead a good life and do no harm to anyone else, they will be on the right side if and when they are brought to judgment. Such people may not be trying very hard to earn their salvation, but they have concluded that if there is a God, he is a nice man who will see their good intentions and reward them accordingly. What they do not realise is that their whole approach is deeply rooted in selfishness and pride. They have decided what is good (and good enough) in God's eyes; the thought that they might have to listen to the Lord and be instructed by him in the ways of goodness has never crossed their minds. At best, their morality is enlightened self-interest, and the suspicion must be that if their circumstances were to change, their moral awareness would change along with them...Sacrifice and repentance are nowhere in sight, having been drowned out by self-congratulation."
When commenting on what a church is, he points out that a church consists of "people who are doctrinally orthodox, not just people who are loyal members of the institutional church. We are not dealing here with a club full of dedicated supporters, but with a fellowship of those who share the same fundamental beliefs."
Boom! There's a way to alienate your Select Vestry and set yourself up to be hounded out of your parish! Seriously, though, this is refreshingly straightforward and biblical teaching, and such is a theme that runs throughout the book. The following is another great example:
"What would Jesus do? seems like an innocent question to ask, but it is impossible to answer literally and does not reflect the teaching of the New Testament. As Christians we are not called to do what Jesus did (or what we might think he would do if he were in our shoes) but to do what he tells us to do - to obey his commands, not to copy his actions (unless, of course, that is what he tells us to do!) We must resist the temptation to turn Jesus into the first Christian....A Christian is a sinner saved by grace, which Jesus was not. His life was lived in a different context and had a different purpose from anything that our life could ever have. He is not a man who discovered a new relationship with God that he is now sharing with us, but our Saviour and Lord, and we must respect that essential difference."
Bray contends that the articles are catholic, but also thoroughly reformed, and writes of them as such:
"Christ's atoning work must be seen in its context, which is that of covenantal election and predestination. If it is removed from that and made to apply to everyone without distinction, the result must be a doctrine of universal salvation, since it is impossible to believe that human beings have the power to thwart or nullify the grace of God."
Another example, which also touches on the nature of baptism:
"Justification follows our encounter with God. It is the result of our conversion and not its cause....God calls us to himself first and then he justifies us by pointing us to the shed blood of his Son. It is easy for people to be moved by the sufferings of Jesus, but that is not the same thing as being justified by his atoning sacrifice....Baptism stands in relation to justification rather in the way that a wedding ring stands in relation to a marriage. The two things go together and the one reflects and reinforces the other, but just as wearing a ring cannot by itself produce a relationship, so being baptised in water and incorporated into the church does not automatically produce justification."
He also doesn't shy away from commenting on the state of the Anglican Communion today, which is hardly surprising since the book is published by The Latimer Trust. The position of orthodox believers such as myself within a compromised denomination such as the Church of Ireland is tricky (at best), and something I struggle with. My thinking is perfectly encapsulated by what Bray says on the topic:
"In theory at least, nobody is forced to believe or do anything that goes against the teaching contained in these formularies, although it would be a brave soul who would suggest that there is nothing in the church today that is contrary to them. The point is that as long as those things are optional they can be regarded as aberrations and ignored by the 'faithful men' who make up the true church of Christ. One of the problems facing Anglicans today is whether the current option of ignoring or avoiding the beliefs and practices of others in the Communion will remain viable for much longer."
The question of whether this is still viable is an important one, and I think that a moment of decision is imminent for Western Anglicans, as we will be required to choose whom we will serve. The chapter on article XVIII, on obtaining salvation only through the name of Christ, is particularly helpful. As Bray points out, this is one of the few articles that is even more relevant today than it was in the 16th Century. In part, this is due to the West being much more diverse in background and religious belief now than when the Articles were written, but an even more significant factor is the rise of secular humanism with its intolerance and forced pluralism. Additionally, we must take note of the liberal members of our denomination who agree with this and who take every opportunity to criticise and condemn those who proclaim the unique and exclusive claims of Christ. It is impossible to share our faith without sharing the claims it makes. Christians are not morally superior to anyone else, but we do have the truth, and the truth has set us free. If we love others as Christ loves them, then we cannot leave them in bondage by denying the truth and accepting other beliefs as equally true as ours. This needs to be a conversation in the context of a relationship, and done with grace, gentleness and respect, but it does need to be done, and we need to accept that the message we have to proclaim will not always be joyfully received by those who, by nature, despise it.
Ultimately, that is more important to me than being an Anglican, and certainly more important than being an Anglican that is recognised by Canterbury. A moment of decision is imminent, and this book is an invaluable resource to equip us to face it with courage, conviction and faithfulness.
As Bray comments, the historic formularies were designed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to give the Anglican church a solid grounding in the three fundamental areas of its life - doctrine (39 Articles), devotion (BCP) and discipline (Ordinal). I would contend that the first of these three is the most pressing need of the Anglican Communion today. Bray hasn't set out to be exhaustive in this book, but everything he says is helpful and edifying to an Anglican such as myself, who is such by conviction but who grieves over the state of our denomination, at least in the West. In how many of our pulpits, I wonder, would the following be preached:
"Today there are many people who believe that as long as they lead a good life and do no harm to anyone else, they will be on the right side if and when they are brought to judgment. Such people may not be trying very hard to earn their salvation, but they have concluded that if there is a God, he is a nice man who will see their good intentions and reward them accordingly. What they do not realise is that their whole approach is deeply rooted in selfishness and pride. They have decided what is good (and good enough) in God's eyes; the thought that they might have to listen to the Lord and be instructed by him in the ways of goodness has never crossed their minds. At best, their morality is enlightened self-interest, and the suspicion must be that if their circumstances were to change, their moral awareness would change along with them...Sacrifice and repentance are nowhere in sight, having been drowned out by self-congratulation."
When commenting on what a church is, he points out that a church consists of "people who are doctrinally orthodox, not just people who are loyal members of the institutional church. We are not dealing here with a club full of dedicated supporters, but with a fellowship of those who share the same fundamental beliefs."
Boom! There's a way to alienate your Select Vestry and set yourself up to be hounded out of your parish! Seriously, though, this is refreshingly straightforward and biblical teaching, and such is a theme that runs throughout the book. The following is another great example:
"What would Jesus do? seems like an innocent question to ask, but it is impossible to answer literally and does not reflect the teaching of the New Testament. As Christians we are not called to do what Jesus did (or what we might think he would do if he were in our shoes) but to do what he tells us to do - to obey his commands, not to copy his actions (unless, of course, that is what he tells us to do!) We must resist the temptation to turn Jesus into the first Christian....A Christian is a sinner saved by grace, which Jesus was not. His life was lived in a different context and had a different purpose from anything that our life could ever have. He is not a man who discovered a new relationship with God that he is now sharing with us, but our Saviour and Lord, and we must respect that essential difference."
Bray contends that the articles are catholic, but also thoroughly reformed, and writes of them as such:
"Christ's atoning work must be seen in its context, which is that of covenantal election and predestination. If it is removed from that and made to apply to everyone without distinction, the result must be a doctrine of universal salvation, since it is impossible to believe that human beings have the power to thwart or nullify the grace of God."
Another example, which also touches on the nature of baptism:
"Justification follows our encounter with God. It is the result of our conversion and not its cause....God calls us to himself first and then he justifies us by pointing us to the shed blood of his Son. It is easy for people to be moved by the sufferings of Jesus, but that is not the same thing as being justified by his atoning sacrifice....Baptism stands in relation to justification rather in the way that a wedding ring stands in relation to a marriage. The two things go together and the one reflects and reinforces the other, but just as wearing a ring cannot by itself produce a relationship, so being baptised in water and incorporated into the church does not automatically produce justification."
He also doesn't shy away from commenting on the state of the Anglican Communion today, which is hardly surprising since the book is published by The Latimer Trust. The position of orthodox believers such as myself within a compromised denomination such as the Church of Ireland is tricky (at best), and something I struggle with. My thinking is perfectly encapsulated by what Bray says on the topic:
"In theory at least, nobody is forced to believe or do anything that goes against the teaching contained in these formularies, although it would be a brave soul who would suggest that there is nothing in the church today that is contrary to them. The point is that as long as those things are optional they can be regarded as aberrations and ignored by the 'faithful men' who make up the true church of Christ. One of the problems facing Anglicans today is whether the current option of ignoring or avoiding the beliefs and practices of others in the Communion will remain viable for much longer."
The question of whether this is still viable is an important one, and I think that a moment of decision is imminent for Western Anglicans, as we will be required to choose whom we will serve. The chapter on article XVIII, on obtaining salvation only through the name of Christ, is particularly helpful. As Bray points out, this is one of the few articles that is even more relevant today than it was in the 16th Century. In part, this is due to the West being much more diverse in background and religious belief now than when the Articles were written, but an even more significant factor is the rise of secular humanism with its intolerance and forced pluralism. Additionally, we must take note of the liberal members of our denomination who agree with this and who take every opportunity to criticise and condemn those who proclaim the unique and exclusive claims of Christ. It is impossible to share our faith without sharing the claims it makes. Christians are not morally superior to anyone else, but we do have the truth, and the truth has set us free. If we love others as Christ loves them, then we cannot leave them in bondage by denying the truth and accepting other beliefs as equally true as ours. This needs to be a conversation in the context of a relationship, and done with grace, gentleness and respect, but it does need to be done, and we need to accept that the message we have to proclaim will not always be joyfully received by those who, by nature, despise it.
Ultimately, that is more important to me than being an Anglican, and certainly more important than being an Anglican that is recognised by Canterbury. A moment of decision is imminent, and this book is an invaluable resource to equip us to face it with courage, conviction and faithfulness.
July 12, 2023
This book is useful in so far as it presents the 39 articles. it shouldn't be seen as an introduction, there's a lot of assumed knowledge and terms used here, this was fine for me because I have some background in reading theological works from the period.
What stood out to me is how big "R" "Reformed" the articles are, and yet how mixed the Church of England is. I really appreciated the first half of the book, 2nd half is very brittish politics and hard to follow, so i mostly skim read.
What I appreciated is how un-apologetically Reformed Bray is, in his treatment of Predestination & the atonement. I think that the work the Westminster divines did to expand on the articles was needed, because in their current state, the articles are quite archaic, and as it talked about in the book subscription is not as enforced as it ought to be.
Overall, this is a useful book to have on hand, if someone is already familiar with reformation theology, and general church catholicity; that's not to say that there wasn't any history - there was, but it's more about where you'll have to fill in the blanks.
Signed, a confused Anglican who probably should be a Presbyterian.
What stood out to me is how big "R" "Reformed" the articles are, and yet how mixed the Church of England is. I really appreciated the first half of the book, 2nd half is very brittish politics and hard to follow, so i mostly skim read.
What I appreciated is how un-apologetically Reformed Bray is, in his treatment of Predestination & the atonement. I think that the work the Westminster divines did to expand on the articles was needed, because in their current state, the articles are quite archaic, and as it talked about in the book subscription is not as enforced as it ought to be.
Overall, this is a useful book to have on hand, if someone is already familiar with reformation theology, and general church catholicity; that's not to say that there wasn't any history - there was, but it's more about where you'll have to fill in the blanks.
Signed, a confused Anglican who probably should be a Presbyterian.
June 18, 2022
This book is packed with information, about the Reformation, but also where the Anglican Church fits in with both the Government and other denominations, and the role of the monarchy with the church. The style is eminently readable. Highly recommended.
March 30, 2023
I have read hundreds of theology books this is one of the duller books of theology I have read. It is good for what I need it to be (studying for ordination exams), but it is certainly not "fun" reading.
June 2, 2020
Historic
Good historic overview but not so much an exposition as a running commentary on the state of the Anglican Church.
Good historic overview but not so much an exposition as a running commentary on the state of the Anglican Church.
January 4, 2023
This book is a good choice to have an introduction to Anglican base theology. It's not an Anglican Theology for dummies type of book, the author take you seriously and doesn't underestimate the reader. I learned and understood a lot about Anglicanism and Christianity deep beliefs.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews