Irish Anglicanism, 1969–2019
Essays to mark the 150th anniversary of the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland
Kenneth Milne & Paul Harron, editors
"This well-produced and generously-illustrated book is designed to commemorate that ‘disaster’, the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871 which, despite the original fears of its members, has turned out to be such a surprising success ... it covers, in a series of relatively short chapters, almost all the workings of the Church: worship, women’s ministry, youth work and pastoral care, media and communications, ecumenism, relations with the wider Anglican Church and with other faiths, the Church and law, architecture and the arts, the Irish language, archives and publishing, and education … For the Irish Anglican and, indeed, the general reader, this volume offers a rounded portrait of the Church of Ireland as it is today. For the historian of religion, it points to a number of potential research topics, some old, many new, as the Church of Ireland, having survived the ‘disaster’ of disestablishment, confronts the challenges of the twenty-first century." Alan Ford. Journal of Ecclesiastical History (Vol. 71. 2020)
'This informative book is beautifully presented by Four Courts Press. It is indispensable for those who wish to understand the mind of Irish Anglicanism, as within the changing structures of the Church, it navigates the challenges of modern life', Robert Marshall, The Irish Catholic (2020).
'It is hardly surprising that the Church should decide to mark the anniversary of the disestablishment with a volume of essays on developments over the list fifty years ... this new work is the product of the Church of Ireland itself - all the contributors ... are actively involved with the Church of Ireland and its structures. This is a view from the inside ... A view from inside is undoubtedly valuable. Familiarity with a institution brings insights ... As an institutional history this volume is remarkably comprehensive and there are few parts of the institution that have escaped its scrutiny. The twenty essays cover everything from worship , music, women's ministry, youth worth and pastoral care through politics, media, ecumenical relations, dialogue with other faiths, architecture and arts, the Irish language, archives and publishing, theological training and education in both Northern Ireland and the Republic', Raymond Gillespie, A church of Ireland Journal, Vol.43.1 (Spring 2020).
“This handsome volume has been produced by leading figures in the Church of Ireland, recalling the journey which that community of faith has travelled over the past five decades … this is very much an insider’s account of how Ireland’s second largest Christian denomination negotiated 50 years of change and challenge … The record and reflections presented here deserve to be read and reflected upon by those outside the Anglican community, just as they will be appreciated by those within.” Dermot McCarthy, Doctrine & Life (Vol.70. No. 8, October 2020)
