Overview

ARE BISHOPS BIBLICAL? As fissures emerge within the worldwide Anglican communion, the principle and praxis of episcopacy have never been more pertinent. For some Anglicans, bishops are essential for the church. For others, they are something of a necessary evil; baggage from the English Reformation that we might be better off without. These concerns are nothing new. In the seventeenth century, debates surrounding the validity and authority of bishops abounded. Into those debates wrote James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. Ussher was a remarkable figure: a preeminent historian, biblical scholar and theologian, respected by English Puritans and Irish Jesuits alike. As is often the case with such luminaries, various camps have claimed Ussher as their own; whether they be Puritan, high church, or Anglo-Catholic. By studying Ussher's ecclesiastical career and his two works on church government, this study assesses Ussher's episcopalian convictions, particularly regarding the validity and authority of bishops. In doing so, it hopes to reintroduce Ussher to the evangelical Anglican world, and demonstrate that episcopacy is not a necessary evil, but a force for good in the church of God. PETER BLAIR is married to Jodie and serves as the Curate-Assistant of All Saints' Church, Belfast. He studied at Moore Theological College, and was ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia. Whilst in Sydney, alongside his studies, he served as a catechist in Unichurch, UNSW, and Two Ways Ministries.

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"""As an introduction to the thought of Archbishop Ussher on the nature of the episcopacy, Peter Blair's work both informs and stimulates. In particular it challenges us to re-think the episcopacy as a biblical ministry. I warmly commend it."" Dr Peter Jensen, former Archbishop of Sydney ""Amid the controversies of the seventeenth century, one moderate and comprehensive voice stands out -- that of Archbishop James Ussher. His proposals for bishops in a Reformed church failed to catch on at the time, but in our more ecumenical age they deserve to be heard again. Peter Blair has done this in a winsome way that may help us reassess and renew the episcopate for the global Church of tomorrow."" Gerald Bray is Director of Research for the Latimer Trust and Research Professor at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA ""Revd Peter Blair clearly sets out that Archbishop Ussher was defining the office and role of a bishop, not in response to institutional requirements or ecclesiological distinctives, but first and fore mostly from his own close reading of Holy Scripture. Every faithful theologian, presbyter, and bishop must learn to navigate their own cultural moment while maintaining a robust confidence the goodness and sufficiency of God's Word. In this regard, Revd Blair ably and helpfully holds up Ussher as a model worth following today."" David Martin, Director of Irish Church Missions ""Bishops (or overseers) are good for the church, but what type of bishops do we need today? Our inherited Anglican order requires urgent rethinking, and James Ussher is an excellent conversation partner, because he engaged in the same project in his generation. Archbishop Ussher - helpfully distilled here in brief by Peter Blair - takes us back to the Bible and the early Christians, to think again."" Andrew Atherstone, Latimer Research Fellow, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford ""We owe a great debt of gratitude to Peter Blair for this dissertation, which has done a far more thorough job than I did to explain the historical background and nuances of Ussher's views. What he has written is very well researched but accessible, and raises all the right questions for us to profitably think through in the light of his exposition of Ussher's views. It is wonderful to see a new generation much more aware of our heritage, and Peter's work will undoubtedly help us further with this knowledge. There are excellent reasons for being a 'Reformed Anglican'- read on and discover!"" Wallace Benn, former Bishop of Lewes"

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PETER BLAIR is married to Jodie and serves as the Curate-Assistant of All Saints' Church, Belfast. He studied at Moore Theological College, and was ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia. Whilst in Sydney, alongside his studies, he served as a catechist in Unichurch, UNSW, and Two Ways Ministries.

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