Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy Part 19 of ??

Anglican

McLaren combines Anglican with Anabaptist into one chapter. I guess if he didn't combine some terms he'd have too many chapters. I would have suggested combining Anglican with Methodist instead, which would have worked better lengthwise and would make sense historically. He joins Anglican and Anabaptist into one chapter on the grounds that, "in their differing ways and degrees Anabaptists and Anglicans withheld their full allegiance from modernity."

McLaren appreciates Anglicanism's seeking of a via media (middle way) between the Lutherans to their northeast and Roman Catholics to their southeast. By this, they sought to embrace the reformation movements while maintaining what was of value from medieval Catholic Christianity. McLaren admits to being overly generous by overlooking the whole Henry VIII episode.

McLaren admires the Anglican ability to practice compromise and thus persevere unity amongst people who hold to differing views (I think it interesting that the Puritan and Methodist movements, so different in some theological aspects, both emerged from Anglicanism). He also notes sadly that this ability seems to be failing them of late.

McLaren also admires the Anglican use of the misleadingly named Wesleyan Quadrilateral. This method has a high place for Scripture, but also looks to tradition, experience, and reason for guidance. They believe all of these things are gifts from God, and that if they are in disagreement then it is better to live with the tension and wait for an issue to be resolved than to prematurely dictate a position and thus close off discussion on the issue.