Tim Chester
48 pages
Thomas Cranmer, one of the Reformation's most famous martyrs, can accurately be described as the architect of the Church of England, and consequently, of the worldwide Anglican communion. Despite this, compared with other key figures of the Reformation, little has been written about him in recent years. This omission is both remarkable and understandable: remarkable, because undoubtedly Crammer's involvement in England's break with the historic Roman Church was crucial - a break which formed the foundation for the freedom of the gospel in England for the next 450 years; understandable, because his was no dramatic conversion loved by story tellers - rather he undertook a life-time journey away from the Roman sacramental system to an understanding that heaven was the gift of God to all those whom he loves. And, despite the fact that we are all fallen men and women, we so often want to see our heroes as giants, able to cope with every situation life throws at them without faltering - Cranmer was not such a man. This book looks to assess his life from the perspective of a 21st century evangelical Christian - that is someone who accepts the Bible as the final authority on what God requires of men and women in this life. It is a term that Cranmer, as he neared his famous, dreadful, and glorious end, would have been happy to have applied to himself.