Essays Anglican and Analytic: Explorations in Critical Catholicism

by Robert MacSwain

Overview

Explore the riches at the intersection of Anglican and philosophical theology.
 
In this thought—provoking essay collection, Robert MacSwain explores important connections between Anglican and philosophical theology. Shining a spotlight on the underappreciated theological work of Austin Farrer and David Brown, he brings them into creative conversation with better—known figures such as Joseph Butler, C. S. Lewis, Stanley Hauerwas, and Eleonore Stump. He skillfully leads readers through diverse conceptual territory ranging from the Reformed epistemology of Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff, to the hiddenness argument of J. L. Schellenberg, to a sacramental vision of human culture and the arts. More broadly, MacSwain outlines what he calls “Critical Catholicism,” explaining how it differs from other movements in contemporary Christian thought such as Radical Orthodoxy and Analytic Theology. These perceptive essays will be of particular interest to scholars and pastors who are curious about connections between theology, philosophy, and Anglican studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802883117
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/17/2025
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert MacSwain is an Episcopal priest and associate professor of theology at the School of Theology, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. He has been a visiting scholar at Duke, Harvard, and Vanderbilt Divinity Schools and a recipient of two research grants from the Templeton Religion Trust. MacSwain is the author of Essays Anglican and Analytic: Explorations in Critical Catholicism and Solved by Sacrifice: Austin Farrer, Fideism, and the Evidence of Faith. He is also the editor or co—editor of seven additional volumes, including The Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis and Theology, Aesthetics, and Culture: Responses to the Work of David Brown.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
1. An Analytic Anglican: The Philosophical Theology of William P. Alston
2. Above, Beside, Within: The Anglican Theology of Austin Farrer
3. Austin Farrer’s Baptism in the Church of England: Correspondence and Documentation
4. A Fertile Friendship: C. S. Lewis and Austin Farrer
5. Imperfect Lives and Perfect Love: Austin Farrer, Stanley Hauerwas, and the Reach of Divine Redemption
6. “The Evidence of Faith”: Austin Farrer, Diogenes Allen, and Reformed Epistemology
7. Human Holiness as Divine Evidence: The Hagiological Argument for the Existence of God
8. Contemporary Anglican Systematic Theology: Three Examples in David Brown, Sarah Coakley, and David F. Ford
9. The Tradition of Reason: David Brown, Joseph Butler, and Divine Hiddenness
10. Moving Texts and Mirror Neurons: David Brown and Eleonore Stump on Biblical Interpretation
11. “A Generous God”: The Sacramental Vision of David Brown
Conclusion
Index

Editorial Reviews

[Essays Anglican and Analytic] is well worth reading in particular for the service it provides in opening the door to Farrer’s neglected works, into the character of the man who wrote them and into the work of friends, students and followers who make clear something of the ongoing fruitfulness of his thought. MacSwain is a good guide to this territory and will rightly leave most readers wanting to explore further.”
—Scottish Journal of Theology

“Essays Anglican and Analytic is a rich, rewarding read. It reaffirms the viability of Anglican systematic theology. It shows how analytic tools can illuminate, not flatten, the depth of the Anglican tradition. And it encourages renewed engagement with neglected voices like Austin Farrer while opening new paths for theological inquiry. Anglicans, theologians and scholars of religion alike should take up and read.”
—Reviews in Religion & Theology

“Robert MacSwain is an incisive thinker, an approachable writer, and a person of deep personal faith. Each piece in his Essays Anglican and Analytic exemplifies what Anselm called faith seeking understanding. For those of us devoted to braiding together the life of the heart and the life of the mind, this collection of essays is a must read. Preachers, teachers, and the spiritually curious will find in these pages one jewel of insight and inspiration after another.”
—Jake Owensby, University of the South, Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana
 
“Robert MacSwain’s dedication to reenergizing the field of Anglican studies pays off in this insightful invitation to a ‘Critical Catholicism’ that reunites theology and philosophy. His essays catalyze an expansive opportunity for Anglican—friendly thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic to elaborate a methodologically open Anglophone Christianity—that is, a way of being Christian that honors classically orthodox Anglican divines but is also nuanced by insights from ecology, feminism, and other justice—oriented perspectives.”
—Ellen Charry, Princeton Theological Seminary
 
“In this wide—ranging and ambitious collection, Robert MacSwain makes a strong case for the importance of analytic philosophy as a way of doing Anglican theology. In dialogue with a number of philosophically minded Anglican scholars, especially Austin Farrer and David Brown, the author develops a style of theologizing that is at once catholic and critical. These are essays that both stimulate and challenge the reader to engage the heart and the mind in the quest to grasp something of the mystery of God.” 
—Mark D. Chapman, University of Oxford
 
“Robert MacSwain’s book brings to light the profound Anglican contribution to theology and philosophy since the mid—twentieth century. It is erudite, engaging, based on thorough research, and includes his own insights on the relationship between faith and reason. Highly recommended to non—Anglicans and Anglicans, scholars and laypersons.”
—Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College

From the Publisher