Darwell Stone, Expanded by Thomas Plant. Christian Dogma: Outlines of Orthodox Anglican Theology. Anglican House, 2025. What Great Tradition? It is very common to hear Anglicans appeal to a solid body of doctrine that existed in the past. Christians have referred to it by various names: the ancient faith, the “little-c” catholic Faith, the Great…

At Epiphany 3, out of the church’s selection of Sunday Gospel readings, we contemplate in worship the glory of Jesus Christ revealed in the earliest events of his ministry in Galilee (northern Palestine). In Year A, the assigned Gospel reading this week is from Matthew 4:12-22. In his narration of Jesus’ move north, Matthew (as…

Frank Thielman’s Paul, Apostle of Grace begins with a welcome note of scholarly humility. Acknowledging the difficulty of reconstructing the life of one of Christianity’s most influential figures, Thielman makes clear that his aim is not to offer an exhaustive biography but rather a historically responsible portrait.

Each winter, as the Church’s Christmas festivities give way to the more diffuse joys of Epiphanytide, Anglican seminaries and theological institutes across the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) remain busy with study, prayer, and formation.

The church’s rich artistic heritage is worth reclaiming. In doing so, we can rethink the vital relationship between Christianity and the arts. Throughout the ages, Christianity has had a robust relationship with the arts.

Liturgical churches most often consider the period after the Feast of our Lord’s Baptism and the day before Ash Wednesday to be “Ordinary Time” in the season of Epiphany. The term “ordinary” refers not to space for the mundane but to a period ordered by numbers in the BCP and a series of Gospel readings…

The baptized receive regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, and adoption as children of God and members of the covenant. Both infants and adults, upon being baptized, are made members of the Covenant of Grace.

On a crisp, bright Alabama day in December of 1994, I received my commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. I proudly stood before my friends and family in my dress greens (an abominable polyester creation) as each of us new officers received the gold bars of our new rank. One of…

Karen Swallow Prior. You Have A Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2025. 146 pp. If you have grown up in or around the Church, the topic of God’s calling on your life has, at some point, weighed heavily on your mind. Especially in the fervency…

As both a therapist and a parishioner, I have watched many weary believers seek refuge in liturgical traditions—drawn by beauty, order, and a sense of rootedness after years of spiritual fatigue within politicized or performance-driven church cultures. I have seen institutions rise to moments of grace and stumble into failure. The difference often lies not…

Sound doctrine sets us free. The Reformation needed to happen, not just because there was a debate to be won but because souls were in the balance. Bad doctrine leads to bad pastoring. Sometimes, we forget that Anglicans have a fantastic statement of faith in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. The same exact brilliant men…

Prepositions are important in the Book of Common Prayer. One change in the BCP 2019 that can easily go unnoticed is the designation Sundays “of Epiphany” in the new book compared with Sundays “after Epiphany” or “after the Epiphany” in earlier versions. What does the new title communicate? One response is that the Epiphany (the…

Though you may be accustomed to seeing your priest in an alb and stole, choir dress is always an appropriate vestment in the Anglican tradition. Indeed, I would argue that there are many reasons it may be the preferred choice! Choir dress is the vestment that is never wrong.

Every Sunday, Christians rise to confess the faith once delivered: “We believe in one God… We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ… We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” The Nicene Creed moves with a steady rhythm of affirmations, statements about what God has done in history, and what he has promised to…

Good news! We’ve completed the latest edition of the Daily Office Booklet. Beginning to pray the Daily Office is a great way to start the New Year. This edition will guide you through Morning and Evening Prayer, using the lectionary readings from January through April 2026. As always, we’ve rendered PDFs for you to print in both booklet and…

Reviewing the top articles on Anglican Compass this year, the story that emerges is a season of remarkable growth. It’s not just numerical growth, though that theme is present. Rather, there is a marked growth of interest in the history, doctrine, and spiritual practices of the Anglican tradition. In other words, we are growing both…

We continue to celebrate the Christmas season on the Second Sunday of Christmas. For Christmas 2, the Church gives two options for the assigned Gospel readings in all three lectionary years. These, together with the various options for Gospel readings on Christmas Day, provide coverage of all the infancy and childhood narratives of our Lord’s…

Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, is the second day of Christmas and a day of charity and public festivity. The day is named for gift boxes given to those outside the immediate family, especially those who serve us throughout the year. (It might have something to do with boxing, too, but you’ll have to…