The Accidental AnglicanAbout the Book
Many are longing for historical connectedness and for theology that is “not tied to the whims of contemporary culture, but to apostolic-era understandings of Christian faith and practice.” They also yearn for rhythms and routines that build spiritual health. Still others are responding to a call to participate in worship rather than merely sitting back and looking at a stage. Liturgy offers all of this and more.
J.I. Packer & Todd Hunter
In this book Todd Hunter chronicles his journey from the Jesus People movement and national leadership in the Vineyard to eventually becoming an Anglican Bishop. Along the way he explains why an evangelical Christian might be drawn to the liturgical way. Curious about the meaning of liturgy? Come and discover what may be waiting for you there.
“There is something in the air today, something in the spirit of our age, something in the Spirit that is leading thousands, maybe millions, of people to reconsider liturgical forms of worship. Liturgical seekers cherish the confidence that comes from historical connectedness, from theology that is not tied to the whims of contemporary culture but to apostolic-era understandings of Christian faith and practice.”
NOW AVAILABLE
January 1st, 2011 at 11:29 am
Bishop Todd,
I really enjoyed The Accidental Anglican—the funny stories about your journey to becoming an Anglican bishop and a great description of the Anglican treasure chest. As an evangelical who had been raised Roman Catholic and married a charismatic and who found his way into the Anglican Church several years ago, I deeply appreciate your emphasis on comprehensiveness.
Anglicanism is comprehensive. Jesus is comprehensive. His call is comprehensive.
As you wrote on p. 118, comprehensive Anglicanism “has within it three main streams: Anglo–Catholics … evangelicals … and those of the broad church.” Or as J.I. Packer wrote in the forward, “ideal Anglicanism” is “Bible-based,” “catholic” and “Christ-centered.” Or in Anglican Mission terms, Anglicanism is “three streams: the Scripture, the Sacred and the Spirit.” Why is Anglicanism comprehensive?
Anglicanism is comprehensive because Jesus is comprehensive. And Jesus is the “heart of the Mission,” the heart of Anglicanism at its best. Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life,” according to John 14:6 (and the Anglican Mission winter conference website). Or as you wrote on p. 86-88, Jesus is not only the Savior who makes forgiveness of sins possible, Jesus is the Lord who serves and calls us to do the same.
Because Jesus is comprehensive, his call is comprehensive, too. As your earlier book title says, Jesus calls us to “Christianity Beyond Belief.” Or as you wrote on p. 89, “follow Jesus … enter the story he was telling, … receive the good news he was proclaiming—the gospel of the Kingdom of God.” Believe. Follow. Receive.
In brief, Jesus: believe his truth, receive his life, follow his way.
3 is enough.
Thanks for writing this book and for bringing hope to another “accidental” Anglican. Happy New Year.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
In his new book, Todd Hunter, recounts the unexpected trail that took him from the Jesus People movement of the 1970s through the Vineyard community of churches to his recent appointment as an Anglican Bishop charged with the mission of planting two hundred new Episcopalian churches in the western United States in the next 20 years. Is that a wild and crazy ambition, or what?
My own notions of high church Episcopalianism were set by my family’s outlook. I grew up as the product of several generations of Southern fundamentalists, and we were more than a little suspicious of what we regarded as the “rigamarole” of Episcopalianism–not too far distant from the heresy of Catholicism. We figured that any prayer that had to be read–e.g., from the Book of Common Prayer–could not possibly be a sincere or genuine prayer, from the heart. We were suspicious of choir robes and ministerial garb of any kind. We never used the word “liturgy” to describe anything that we were doing, and I was pretty sure that any “liturgical” church was full of people who were going to hell because they were more focused on form than substance.
So it is fascinating to me to read Todd Hunter’s stated mission of creating “Churches for the Sake of Others.” By that phrase, he means something fundamental about how he approaches his Christian faith. Hunter says faith is all about serving others, listening to others, loving others. It’s a funny form of self-denial, which, says Hunter, rebounds to do unexpectedly good things for the person who follows that path. By setting out to serve and listen to others, you find fulfillment and happiness for yourself.
Far from being deadly and formalistic, Hunter says, liturgy is vital to how he understands and practices his faith. It provides him a structure for his practice of Christian love and faith; it gives him a consistent and trustworthy community of fellow practitioners; and it leads to respect and reverence–an increased love of God and neighbor. I will be interested to hear more of where Todd Hunter’s calling takes him.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:50 pm
I read your book about becoming an Anglican priest with much joy. I was raised Catholic and missed the liturgy and communion. I am going to a wonderful Anglican church in my county in Florida. but I am concerned about family members that left the Vinyard with much rsentment and are now anti-church and agnostic. This was in Indianapolis and many others are in counseling because of the way they were treated. Some of them returned to God, many did not. I am happy for you, but what about all the others who are being mislead by the teaching of Wimber and others? I think you are cavelier about your years with him and his disception. I would like for you to speak about this in truth instead of escaping into the Anglican church.
March 31st, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Hi Susie,
I am sorry to hear about pain caused by a Vineyard church–or any other church. But I respectfully disagree with your criticism of my book. We cannot condemn a whole denomination based on the actions of a few people. If we go down that road, every denomination will be condemned. There have been millions of acts of goodness done by people in Vineyard Churches. I know they are not perfect–and I know where all the skeletons are. But I do not regret writing about them positively, because at net, I believe they make a positive contribution to the Kingdom of God.
April 25th, 2011 at 9:56 am
I read your book and found it to be very interesting. I myself made a somewhat different journey to Anglicanism. My journey started there in the fifties being raised in the Episcopal Church but in the late sixties I took a detour. I joined the Mormons for about thirty years and then drifted into agnosticism for about ten years. Events in my life had caused me to question the direction I was going and when my mother died the Spirit spoke to me and returned to the Anglican church. My eyes have have been opened and I am seeing for the first time. I know that the the Lord loves us because he directed my long journey, forty-three years, and returned me to Him. If he cared not for us I’d still be without light to guide my steps on my journey to His presence. Keep up your good work and may the Lord bless you on your journey through this part of life.
May 9th, 2011 at 7:04 am
I made a similar journey to the Eastern Church 15 years ago. I heard Hunter speaking on a random radio station this a.m. and was shocked to finally hear somebody start talking about the Creeds as an answer to the questions that the PostModern Christian is asking. I especially like how “anything goes” Californian Christians believe that repeating the creeds actually seems to rewire their lazy minds. Lewis’s Uncle Screwtape referred to the great work that the lower realms did to create a mindset that could care less about truth. It is nice to know that other people are rowing upstream against postmodernism. I made a similar journey to the Eastern Church 15 years ago.
July 1st, 2011 at 12:17 am
Good morning Todd,
Greatly encouraged to discover your book about a journey to Anglicanism which parallels my own. I was in charismatic/evangelical circles in the 1970’s and derived so much from them. I am still haunted by the spiritual emphasis and form of spirit-led spontaneous preaching. Now I am an Anglican Team Rector of churches along the North Devon coast, UK. Our emerging vision here is looking good; networking together for growth and missional values that can be brought within the Anglican DNA. My own book, The Peacweaver, is an attempt to engage with contemporary culture. Best wishes Rev Dr Chris Steed