If you've visited here before, you'll notice that I've changed things a bit and that you'll now find me listing books that aren't by Anglicans or that aren't even about Anglicanism. Don't worry, I'm still an Episcopal priest, I've just reconsidered the list's contents recently. What you'll find here now is more of an annotated bibliography not just of Anglican books, but of books that Anglicans should read. There are great Christians writers out there who aren't Anglicans after all! I'm not going to list anything that's going to direct anyone away from the Reformed Protestant stream in which we Anglicans stand, but I do think we ought to broaden our horizons a bit, because there are some excellent Christian books out there that we Anglicans need to read. If you have questions, comments, or additions (or you just think I'm off my gourd) please don't hesitate to email me. Non-Anglican authors are in grey. I've also tried to provide an idea of the reading level: beginner, intermediate, advanced, or very advanced.

General Theology

Introduction to Dogmatic Theology, by E.A. Litton. The number of Anglican works on dogmatic theology is pretty limited, but to date this is the best I've found, and it truly is a very good dogmatic theology. Litton presents a sound explanation of good Anglican theology from a Reformed perspective that draws heavily on St. Augustine. The beauty of Litton's theology is in his desire to hold dogmatically to the essentials of an evangelical faith, while readily admitting that secondary matters and speculative theology are just that -- secondary in importance or speculative in nature. Much of the book is oriented around the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion as the primary formulary for Anglicans, but be aware that this is a dogmatic theology, not a commentary on the Articles of Religion. I will give the disclaimer that Litton's Sacramental theology is a bit odd, but his sections on Baptism and the Real Presence are worth reading. You might also want to look for a copy of either the first or third edtion (the REC is reprinting the third), as both of these editions contain his final chapter on Eschatology which is thought provoking. The book has been out of print since the 1960s, but is currently being reprinted by Classical Anglican Press. Advanced

An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, by Edward Harold Browne. This is my favorite commentary on the Articles of Religion and was written by the Bishop of Ely in 1865. It used to be a seminary staple, but is seldom seen anymore. Browne shows the relationship between the Articles, the thought and writing of the English Reformers, and the Early Church Fathers and shows that Anglicanism is not only well founded in Scripture, but in the working and thinking of the catholic Church. Advanced

The Principles of Theology: An Introduction to the Thirty-nine Articles, by W.H. Griffith Thomas. Another good commentary on the Thirty-nine Articles written by a well-known evangelical scholar of the eary 20th Century. This book is a bit easier to read than Browne and addresses a somewhat more contemporary audience, but I don't think it's as good on the whole. Griffith Thomas was also a well-know Dispensationalist and that fact shows through from time to time in the book. Intermediate

Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, by Richard Hooker. Richard Hooker was the theologian who did the most to define Anglicanism in the 16th Century. The Book of Common Prayer outlines Anglican theology and Hooker provides the apologetic in this, his magnum opus. You can't truly understand Anglicanism unless you've read at least some of this book. It's difficult to read, but it's also well worth plowing through. The Folger Shakespeare library is currently printing this in a very expensive multi-volume annotated set. I'm not aware of any other editions printed in the U.S. that aren't heavily abridged, but Everyman's Library has an inexpensive edition available from the U.K. Very Advanced

The Homilies, edited by John Griffiths.  Otherwise known as the Elizabethan Homilies or the First and Second Book of Homilies, these are the sermons written by the English Reformers for reading in the churches of the time and mentioned in the Thirty Nine Articles.  These homilies are much doctrinal formularies as the Articles and the Prayer Book and are a must read for any Anglican.  Griffiths' new edition is presented well and makes these five-hundred-year-old sermons much easier to read than older editions.  Intermediate

God

Our Triune God: A Biblical Portrayal of the Trinity, by Peter Toon. While I think most Anglicans today think of Dr. Toon as a liturgical scholar thanks to all the work he's done in promoting the traditional Book of Common Prayer, he is in fact by training and education a theologian and served for a number of years as professor of systematic theology at Nashota House. Our Triune God is an excellent survey of Trinitarian truth -- something that is sadly ignored amongst many modern Christians. If we don't know who God is we are in danger of worshipping an idol of our own creation. Intermediate

The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul. Another must read by the master theologian on the subject of God's holiness. Sproul, a high-church Presbyterian, has built his entire ministry on countering the trend in contemporary Christian culture that has eclipsed the holy and given us a God who is no longer worthy of our worship. This book calls us back to an understanding of our truly holy God and ought to drive us to our knees. (Note: there is also an accompanying study guide for groups and both audio and video series.) Beginner

Holy Scripture

God Has Spoken, by J.I. Packer. This is an excellent book on the subject of Biblical authority and inerrancy, and probably the best on the subject from an Anglican perspecitve. The book is an Anglican response to the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy -- a document that Packer, himself, was partially responsible for. Packer urges Christians to return with open hearts to the reading and study of God's Word as revealed in Scripture. This book takes us all back to the basics of how to read and receive Scripture as the authoritative Word of God -- something severely lacking in many churches today. Beginner to Intermediate

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. This is the best of the books that fit in the "Bible Owner's Manual" category. Fee and Stuart explain how to approach and read the Bible -- what question's to ask as you read, how to tackle things you don't understand, and how to apply what you read. It's an easy-to-read book about interpretation and hermeneutics for the layman. Beginner

The Shape of Sola Scriptura, by Keith A. Mathison. The Reformation doctrine of sola scripture (scripture alone) was meant to recover the Bible from medieval theology that buried it under the supposedly infallible interpretation of the Church. In recent years, many Protestants have abused this doctrine and have turned scripture alone into scripture only. Mathison does an excellent job of explaining the classical Protestant position on the place of reason and tradition as guides to understanding Holy Scripture. Mathison isn't an Anglican, but I think most readers will find that his position differs little, if at all, from the traditional Anglican understanding of the Bible. Intermediate

Justification & Salvation

Saved from What?, by R.C. Sproul. This is a great little book that goes a step beyond the evangelist's question: "Are you saved?" The big question is, "Saved from what?" Sproul explains the entire point of what it means to be "saved" through the death of Christ on the cross. Beginner

Faith and Works: Cranmer and Hooker on Justification, by Philip Edgcumbe Hughes. Hughes, a contemporary evangelical Anglican theologian, takes us through a brief history of the doctrine of justification from Wycliffe, Colet, and Bilney, through the Reformation, and on to Jewel and Hooker. Hughes gives a concise overview of the doctrinal issues at stake and then presents both Cranmer's Homily on Salvation and Hooker's A Learned Discourse of Justification. Advanced

The Sacraments

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered: A Study of Holy Baptism, by Ray R. Sutton. Bishop Sutton gives an excellent study of both the history and theology of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. He deftly shows us what the Bible has to say about baptism and shows how the Church and her various branches have understood baptism through the years, and finally explains the classical Anglican theology of baptism and its biblical roots. Intermediate

A Defense of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Our Saviour Christ, by Thomas Cranmer. This is Archbishop Cranmer's treatise defending the spiritual nature of the sacrament of Holy Communion against the false doctrine of Rome. Cranmer defends the true Catholic faith and refutes the Roman errors using Scripture and the Fathers. Intermediate

The Christian Life

Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, by R.C. Sproul. This is the perfect book to hand to a new Christian. Sproul explains five basics needed for survival and growth in the Christian life: Bible study, worship, prayer, service, and stewardship. The book isn't particularly Anglican, but until there's an Anglican alternative I've got to continue recommending this book because it is so excellent in its simplicity. The content is also available as an audio series. Beginner

An Outline of an Anglican Life, by Louis Tarsitano. This book gives a basic summary of what it means to be an Anglican and is perfect for confirmation or new-comer classes. Not as basic as Sproul's Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, but a good overview of what it means to be an Anglican Christian. Beginner

Growing in Christ, by J.I. Packer. Packer explains the basics of the faith: the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Sacraments, etc. and gives us a sure and solid foundation on which to build real faith. Beginner

Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. Every Christian needs to read this book! Packer's desire is to bring real Christian truth about God to the average Christian and give it practical application. One person commented that in this books Packer "puts the hay where the sheep can reach it--plainly shows us ordinary folks what it means to know God." Beginner

The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges. This is a wonderful, short, little book that very profoundly and clearly stresses the need for Christians to pursue holiness in their lives. This is the chief goal of the follower of Christ -- to be holy as he is holy. Bridges isn't an Anglican, but he has written an easy-to-read and profoundly practical book that will stick with you for a long time. Beginner

Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, by J.C. Ryle. Here's a heftier volume on person holiness that's written by one of the heavyweights of evangelical Anglicanism. Ryle's desire was to see modern Christians turn away from worldliness to consecrate themselves entirely to God. Packer says, "Real Christians will find this book a feast, a gold mine, a spur and heart-warmer, food, drink, medicine, and vitamin tablets, all in one. Tolle, lege -- take it and read it!" Intermediate

The Rule and Exercise of Holy Living, by Jeremy Taylor. This book takes theology from the academic to the practical. Taylor's goal was to take the convictions of the Christian faith and apply them to the daily life of the Christian, and so here we have a book giving a "rule" to assist us in living out and making the Gospel active in our lives. Intermediate

The Sinfulness of Sin, Edward Reynolds. Growing in holiness goes alongside of an understanding of the sinfulness of sin -- an understanding of just how fallen we are as humans and just how heinous our sins are to God. Bishop Reynolds gives an excellent and humbling look at just how sinful we really are and just how hideous that sin is. Many Christians think of themselves as basically good people, but if that's how we think of ourselves we will never come to fully rely on the grace of God for our salvation and we will forever be hindered in our pursuit of holiness. Advanced

A Call to Prayer, by J.C. Ryle. Ryle opens with this challenge: "I have a question to offer you...DO YOU PRAY? The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether you have family prayers in your house or not, your relatives know. But whether you pray in private or not, is a matter between yourself and God." Ryle's point is that prayer is a necessary part of the Christians life -- you can't grow if you don't know God and you won't know God if you don't spend time with him. Here is a rousing call to a life of prayer. Beginner

The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theolgian who worked with the resistance during the 1930's and 40's. He worked to establish the underground Confessing Church and was diligent in assisting Jews to escape the Holocaust. He spent over a year in prison when caught. He was later tied to a resistance plot to overthrow Hitler and was hanged in the concentration camp at Flossenbürg. He was a man who understood the commitment required of Christians by their Lord. This book reminds us that grace is free, but not cheap, for as Bonhoeffer writes, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Beginner

General Anglicanism

Anglicanism, by Stephen Neill. This is an excellent introduction and overview of Anglicanism and touches on many areas from theology to history. Bishop Neill's book is sadly out of print at present, but used copies are readily available via the internet. Intermediate

The Study of Anglicanism, edited by Stephen Sykes, John Booty, and Jonathan Knight. This book is a collection of essays that give a thorough overview of contemporary Anglicanism. The book is similar in scope to that written a half-century ago by Bp. Neill, but reflects more the current liberal state of Anglicanism in places like the United States, Canada, and the U.K. There are some good essays by well known evangelicals like Peter Toon and most of the writers are authorities in their own fields. This book is at leaset valuable for its comprehensiveness and for the fact that it does a good job of presenting contemporary Anglicanism. Intermediate

The Protestant Face of Anglicanism, by Paul Zahl. This short little book re-examines Anglicanism as a truly Protestant expression of Christianity. Contemporary Anglicanism has been fed primary by two streams: 19th Century Anglo-Catholicism and 20th Century liberal ecumenism. The result has been several generations of Anglicans that have little or no understanding of Anglicanism's Protestant roots. Zahl deftly puts us back on track by showing us the Protestant face of Anglicanism. Beginner

The Book of Common Prayer

Worship without Dumbing-down, by Peter Toon. This short book addresses the relevance of the traditional Book of Common Prayer to the spiritual formation of Christians. Toon gives a great overview of the Prayer Book tradition, explains the significance of each major portion of the Prayer Book (i.e., Baptism, Confirmation, Daily Office, Holy Communion, the Psalter, etc.). He also addresses the issue of traditional vs. modern language. This is an updated edition of Toon's earlier book Knowing God through the Liturgy, which has been made available online. Beginner

The Annotated Book of Common Prayer, by John Henry Blunt.  This is a massive book sadly long out of print, but if you can find a copy it's well worth the price.  Blunt does come from a more Anglo-Catholic perspective, but his massive commentary based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer provides absolutely wonderful insights on the history, tradition, and doctrine behind the Prayer Book.  This book really is a must have and copies can still be found used online.  Intermediate

The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary, by Massey Shepherd. This is another book that has been out of print since the 1960's and is very hard to find, but it's worth the money if you can find a copy. Shepherd provides a very good running commentary on the full text of the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer. The Prayer Book text is usually presented on the left hand page with commentary on the right. He explains the origins and history of every part of the Prayer Book as well as the theological significance of it all. This book has been out of print for quite some time, but used copies can still be found online. Intermediate

Liturgy and Worship, edited by W.K. Lowther Clarke and Charles Harris. This book is a collection of articles that cover various aspects of worship in general and of Anglican worship specifically. There are articles on the various offices and portions of the Prayer Book. Most of the articles are well written and informative. The book was written in 1932 and is based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Most of the book reflects an English perspective. It was reprinted by the SPCK well into the 1960's and used copies are fairly easy to find online. Intermediate

The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, by C. Frederick Barbee and Paul F. M. Zahl. This book takes the opportunity of the 450th anniversary of Cranmer's first Book of Common Prayer to examine, explain, and comment on the history, theology, and devotional aspects of the collects used by Thomas Cranmer in the 1549 Prayer Book, most of which are still in use today. This is an excellent historical and devotional resource that should be on the shelf of every Angican. Beginner

The Works of John Boys. John Boys was dean of Canterbury from 1619-25 and the main body of work in this volume is a commentary on the Epistle and Gospel lessons from the Prayer Book propers along with commentary on the Daily Office canticles, the Decalogue, and other Scripture texts in the Prayer Book. Intermediate

Neither Archaic nor Obsolete: The Language of Common Prayer and Public Worship, by Peter Toon and Louis Tarsitano. Toon and Tarsitano present here an excellent apologetic for the traditional language of prayer and worship as found in the Book of Common Prayer. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks language is unimporant in our worship. Beginner

Anglican History and Biography

The Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation, by Diarmaid MacCulloch. Another great book by MacCulloch that serves as a companion to his biography of Cranmer. Again, it's pretty academic, but it's not nearly as weighty as Thomas Cranmer: A Life. Advanced

Richard Hooker, Prophet of Anglicanism, by Philip B. Secor. This is wonderfully informative and easy to read biography of Anglicanism's great theologian. Secor not only tells us about Hooker's life, but he also helps to explain his writing as well. I suggest you read this book before reading Ecclesiastical Polity -- you'll have a much better foundation on which to build after you've read this biography. Beginner

Five English Reformers, by J.C. Ryle. Bishop Ryle presents the lives of John Hooper, Rowland Taylor, Hugh Latimer, John Bradford, and Nicholas Ridley -- all martyrs for their faith and for their desire to reform the English Church. A short easy read. Beginner

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland Bainton. Yes, I know, Martin Luther wasn't an Anglican...he was, of course, ummm, Lutheran! But it was Martin Luther who started that whole Reformation thing. Bainton's biography has stood the test of time and is wonderfully readable and edifying and we Anglicans would do well to know about him. Beginner

The Early Church, by Henry Chadwick. We all need to know our Church History and this is a great place to start. Chadwick (an Anglican, by the way) has given us a spectacular overview of the first five centuries of the Church in this book. Beginner

Western Society and the Church in The Middle Ages, R.W. Southern. This book is in the second volume in the Penguin History of the Church and it picks up where The Early Church left off. This is a great overview of the Church from the Seventh Century to the Reformation. Beginner

The Reformation, by Owen Chadwick. This is the third volume in the Penguin History of the Church and gives a great overview of the Protestant Reformation. This is the best entery-level book on the subject that I'm aware of. Beginner

The Reformation: A History, by Diarmaid MacCulloch. If you want more than a basic overview like that found in Chadwick's book, you'll enjoy this hefty tome. MacCulloch has given us an in-depth overview of the Reformation in one big volume. Advanced

A History of the Church in England, by J.R.H. Moorman. This book provides a great overview of the history of the English Church from the Second Century through the 1950's. It provides good information on the Early and Medieval Churches, on the Reformation in England, and on the development of Anglicanism to the modern age. Very readable. Beginner

A History of the Episcopal Church, by Robert Pritchard. This isn't a particularly good book, but it's one of the better books out there on the history of Anglicanism in America. It's current, but unfortunately takes a liberal slant on things. The book is very self-congratulatory and tends to gloss over people and movements that most liberals would rather forget, thus white-washing a lot of the Episcopal Church's history and suggesting that there has been little or no theological controversy. Read Allen Guelzo's book first. Beginner

For the Union of Evangelical Christendom: The Irony of the Reformed Episcopalians, by Allen C. Guelzo. This history of the Reformed Episcopal Church (a denomination started in 1873 by a large group of evangelical Episcopalians) is particularly valuable in that the first half of the book is devoted to the history of evangelicals in the Episcopal Church -- something you won't find anywhere else. Even if you're not interested in the REC, I recommend reading this book before you read others, like Robert Pritchard's. Unfortunately Guelzo only takes us to the early 1930's in the history of the REC, but the earlier material he provides is extremely valuable. This book is also available from the Reformed Episcopal Publication Society for a bit less than Amazon. Intermediate

Divided We Stand: A History of the Continuing Anglican Movement, by Douglas Bess. This book is the first comprehensive history of the Continuing Anglican movement -- those churches that formed as Episcopalians began to leave the Episcopal Church starting in the 1960's. This book traces the history of these numerous groups from the 1960's to the present. This is a valuable book for those wanting to sort out the "alphabet soup" of the Anglican Continuum, but be warned that most of the book's content is based on highly biased sources and the author readily admits that much of the history of the Continuing churches depends on who's giving the account. An interesting, although rather depressing, read. Intermediate