In the early seventeenth century, as the vehement aggression of the early Reformation faded, the Church of England was able to draw upon scholars of remarkable ability to present a more thoughtful defence of its position. The Caroline Divines, who flourished under King Charles I, drew upon vast erudition and literary skill, to refute the claims of the Church of Rome and affirm the purity of the English religious settlement. This book examines their writings in the context of modern ecumenical dialogue, notably that of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) to ask whether their arguments are still valid, and indeed whether they can contribute to contemporary ecumenical progress. Drawing upon an under-used resource within Anglicanism’s own theological history, this volume shows how the restatement by the Caroline Divines of the catholic identity of the Church prefigured the work of ARCIC, and provides Anglicans with a vocabulary drawn from within their own tradition that avoids some of the polemical and disputed formulations of the Roman Catholic tradition.

This introductory book for students and general readers sheds fresh light on the study of liturgy and worship, reflecting important new directions in contemporary research. The contributors, who are at the forefront of teaching and research in the United Kingdom, United States, and Ireland and who represent a variety of denominations, offer multiple insights into a range of topics neglected by traditional approaches. The book is divided into themed sections, influenced by developments in scholarly methodologies in the social sciences, anthropology, philosophy, and linguistics, building on previous textual and historical foundations. Significantly, The Study of Liturgy and Worship has also taken inspiration from the growth of ecumenical dialogue and exchange in recent years. Academics have praised the book for “its accessibility and clarity”; “the personal tone and examples given by the authors”; “its easy adaptability to both an advanced undergraduate and master’s level usage”; “’inspired’ organization”; and how “it addresses the themes [of] my introductory course . . . [and my] advanced seminars with PhD students.”