Book Review: The Anglican Understanding of the Church

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this slim little book recently, as it answered some questions I have had for a long time! As a Baptist in ecclesiology by upbringing, currently Vineyard in practice and membership, I have run the full gamut of responses to the C of E! This has, unfortunately, included misconception and misunderstanding, but is currently primarily a posture of value and respect, for the most part. The Church of England is the national Church of the country I live in, and so this helpful book is a good one to read.

Written by Paul Avis, Canon Theologian of Exeter, and in a new edition published by SPCK, this is a helpful and concise little book that seeks to really look at what the Anglican understanding of the Church is. This is essentially an ecclesiological book (the study of the church), looking at whether or not there is a specific and self-aware Anglican understanding, and if so, what this might look like.

Avis packs a great deal into 109 pages! This represents revision and expansion on the initial version, and so this edition should be of interest to people who have read the book in its previous guise. Avis writes well and provides clear structure as he works towards his final chapter, "The shape of an Anglican ecclesiology". His route here takes six chapters, blending the aforementioned primary concern of ecclesiology with with the related and critical concept of understanding.

This notion of understanding is at the heart of Avis' second chapter, "Why do Christians need to understand the Church?". Whilst on the face of it a redundant question, in a time where the Church of Christ is fragmented and diverse, Avis offers in this chapter a helpful survey of issues, and ultimately a response. He goes on to say that "a basic ecclesiology is in fact an essential item for every thinking lay Christian to carry in their backpack, for we cannot be Christians at all without the Church". Avis is helpful throughout in distinguishing from the Church catholic and universal, and the specific understanding of Church as he understands it, and ministers in, the Anglican Church.

As a non-Conformist Christian I found this book very helpful. I would imagine it would also be helpful to secular reader interested in what on earth the C of E thinks it is, and I would recommend reading it together with 'Faith Confirmed', another good book from SPCK which brings together the basic elements of the Christian faith for confirmation candidates and offers a readable introduction to Anglican Christianity. I hope to review another book soon offering some other ecclesiological perspectives, but as a book which helpfully does what it sets out to do, I can recommend 'The Anglican Understanding of the Church' to interested readers.