Online Review: Signs of God's Promise

In today's edition, the Church Times publishes a review of Gordon Jeanes' book Signs of God's Promise by Professor Raymond Chapman:

THE development of Cranmer’s thought, and its consequences for the Prayer Books of 1549 and 1552, has become a standard topic in discussing the English Reformation. Was he heavily influenced by Continual Reformers, particularly Bucer and Peter Martyr, as well as his nearer neighbour John Knox? Did his ideas evolve independently, fuelled by his vast reading, and perhaps already finding their own direction as early as 1547?

Gordon Jeanes addresses the ques­tion in a work of detailed scholar­ship, referenced with a breadth of reading worthy of Cran­mer himself. Previous work has concentrated mainly on Cranmer’s eucharistic theology. Jeanes takes baptism and eucharist together: his interest began with a proposed study of Anglican baptismal liturgy. He shows that the principles behind the two sacraments are closely linked, and that the structure of the ser­vices as they appear in the succes­sive Prayer Books have many paral­lels in thought and structure.

The 16th century produced bitter disputes about the sacraments on a scale comparable to disputes over the Person of Christ in the early centuries of the Church. Jeanes steers his way judiciously through the controversies. Some critics of Cranmer have found his thought negative, developed in opposition to other contemporary ideas.

His sacramental ideas are not unique, but they are shown to be firm and positive. Essentially, baptism and eucharist signify, but do not convey, divine grace. The title of the book is apposite: they are “signs of God’s promise”. There is no propitiatory sacrifice, and there are no vicarious spiritual benefits for those who are present at either service without being recipients. Yet the words and actions are more than empty tokens or simple acts of obedience. The sacraments are efficacious through the faith that is already there, and the grace that faith brings. Baptism and eucharist enrich and strengthen the spiritual life of the Christian. God receives the child in baptism, the child re­ceives forgiveness and grace, and is brought into the believing congrega­­tion, whose faith is thus con­firmed.

The changes in the Prayer Book services reflect the increasing empha­sis on the participation and response of the people in worship. Ceremon­ies are not to be abrogated; they are “essentially didactic aids”, a com­ment that the Prayer Book Pre­face “On Ceremonies” seems to sup­port. There will still be room for the discussion to continue. It may be that Cranmer responded to pressure from others. Perhaps the 1559 Prayer Book, with its combination of the two sentences in administer­ing communion, best represents the breadth of his thought.

Some will still support the Tractarian argu­ment for a more Catholic interpre­ta­tion of the Prayer Book as we have it. But by considering the two Gospel sacraments together, Jeanes has made a persuasive case, which must be taken into account by future writers on the subject.

The Revd Dr Raymond Chapman is Emeritus Professor of English in the University of London.