Marginal Catholics
by Ivan Clutterbuck
GoodBookStall Review:
The intentions of the first catholic reformers in the Church of England, was to uncover for all, rich and poor, the spiritual treasures which already existed in the BCP (Book of Common Prayer). Ritual was never intended to be more important than sound teaching and the Church Union was founded to uphold these aims. Ivan Clutterbuck became the organising secretary of the Church Union for a number of years, so his own story and that of the Union is interwoven with the story of the Oxford Movement or Tractarians as they became known.
The author recounts the many difficulties encountered by these early reformers, though they had a staunch following of faithful priests and laity. Among other things the movement led to the revival of various religious orders greatly influenced by the Rule of St Benedict. The Bishops considered that the Anglo-Catholics had turned the church into a battlefield and had no idea how to deal with the situation that arose, though some must have had a sneaking regard for priests who dedicated their whole lives to their slum parishes, giving sound teaching and pastoral care while building up their flocks of communicants.
Difficulties continued to divide the church, and the author continues with descriptions of the changed attitude after the First World War, the first and subsequent Congresses in the 1920s and 30s, the high spot of the movement, and then came the Second World War, by the end of which many of the churches where ritualist priests had toiled were damaged and destroyed and the areas around them likewise.
Then came Vatican II which ushered in a new attitude by Rome to other denominations especially Anglo-Catholics, but these were scandalised by some of the changes introduced by Rome, worship that they had no wish to copy.
We then read about more recent church history, the Anglican Methodist Scheme and Women priests in particular. The book was finished in 1992, so even more has changed since then.
Whatever your thinking, this is an accurate and very readable account of troubled times.
Sale price £9.99. Editor 31.10.11
Reviewer: Mary Bartholomew (31/10/11)
The intentions of the first catholic reformers in the Church of England, was to uncover for all, rich and poor, the spiritual treasures which already existed in the BCP (Book of Common Prayer). Ritual was never intended to be more important than sound teaching and the Church Union was founded to uphold these aims. Ivan Clutterbuck became the organising secretary of the Church Union for a number of years, so his own story and that of the Union is interwoven with the story of the Oxford Movement or Tractarians as they became known.
The author recounts the many difficulties encountered by these early reformers, though they had a staunch following of faithful priests and laity. Among other things the movement led to the revival of various religious orders greatly influenced by the Rule of St Benedict. The Bishops considered that the Anglo-Catholics had turned the church into a battlefield and had no idea how to deal with the situation that arose, though some must have had a sneaking regard for priests who dedicated their whole lives to their slum parishes, giving sound teaching and pastoral care while building up their flocks of communicants.
Difficulties continued to divide the church, and the author continues with descriptions of the changed attitude after the First World War, the first and subsequent Congresses in the 1920s and 30s, the high spot of the movement, and then came the Second World War, by the end of which many of the churches where ritualist priests had toiled were damaged and destroyed and the areas around them likewise.
Then came Vatican II which ushered in a new attitude by Rome to other denominations especially Anglo-Catholics, but these were scandalised by some of the changes introduced by Rome, worship that they had no wish to copy.
We then read about more recent church history, the Anglican Methodist Scheme and Women priests in particular. The book was finished in 1992, so even more has changed since then.
Whatever your thinking, this is an accurate and very readable account of troubled times.
Sale price £9.99. Editor 31.10.11
Reviewer: Mary Bartholomew (31/10/11)
