Dear friends in Christ,
We come to the end of the liturgical year this evening, and tomorrow the new year begins with Advent Sunday. Maranatha!
But the classes, rather than ending, are continuing:
- Sunday at 10 o’clock on the fifth floor of the parish house, the class on the Thirty-Nine Articles on Religion will start a section on the authority of the church. We begin with Article 32, an uncontroversial affirmation of the right of clergy to marry if they judge it will serve godliness, then continue with Article 33, a likely controversial teaching on shunning the excommunicate. You are welcome to the class, even if it would be your first time. We have coffee and tea in the room.
- Monday at 12:40pm on the second floor, I repeat the Sunday class. This is particularly for those who cannot be with us on Sunday, and for those who work in the area. The Monday class lasts 40 minutes.
- Tuesday at 6:30pm in Andrew Hall (third floor), Professor Jeremy Waldron will join me for the final class on Oliver O’Donovan’s book On the Thirty-Nine Articles. This week we’ll be looking at chapters 8 and 9, on church authority and civil authority. O’Donovan, often regarded as the leading moral theologian of the Anglican Communion, brings forth always interesting (and sometimes controversial) questions that are raised for us by this 16th-century text. But you are welcome to the class even if you have not read his book. The class lasts an hour.
I hope next week to announce the books that we’ll be reading for the opening 2016 “Good Books & Good Talk” seminars (the first one is on Monday, January 25). In the meantime, Happy New Year!
Peace,
Father Austin
