J. I. Packer, who went to be with his Triune covenant Lord on July 21, 2020, was never able to see this final book in print. But The Heritage of Anglican Theology was near and dear to his heart, the one book he wanted to give his last years to. At one point along the way, when his macular degeneration had advanced to such a degree that he could no longer read the written page, his wife read the edited manuscript aloud to him and he verbally offered his corrections.
The original idea to do this book was made by Professor Don Lewis, a church historian, faculty colleague, and fellow church member with Packer. Lewis explains in the introduction how the book came about and the process that was used to turn Packer’s classroom teaching on Anglicanism into a book.
“This book is in a sense J. I. Packer’s last will and testament to the church he served for so many years. Reflecting on both the history and the theology of Anglicanism, he offers Anglicans and others a vision of the historic riches of the Anglican tradition and a vision for how the past can be used to address the present and the future. Distinctively Protestant yet catholic in spirit and tone, these pages reflect the thought, churchmanship, and piety of the man. I will always regard Packer as the great Presbyterian theologian we never had. But our loss was Anglicanism’s gain, as this book so admirably demonstrates.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College
“The subject matter of this book is vast, and only someone with particular gifts of theology, Christian commitment, and skillful communication could attempt to cover it. Packer succeeds with consummate mastery, lucidly guiding the reader through what he refers to as ‘a jungle of lush growth of all sorts.’ The result is a compelling, informative, and instructive read that should have its place in the lives of all Anglicans, theologians and laity alike. I recommend it most highly.”
—Benjamin Kwashi, Archbishop, Diocese of Jos, Nigeria; General Secretary, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON)
