Eastertide: Meditations on the Easter Collects of Thomas Cranmer(Knowing Anglicanism)

There are people and events which we need to forget; there are others we ought to remember. Thomas Cranmer is definitely in the second category and as the years pass, we must remind each generation of the depth of his theological legacy and the power of his writings. The depth and a power was sealed by his martyr's death. The present book of meditations on the Easter collects from the Book of Common Prayer 2019 fulfills this need. Not surprisingly, the collects themselves continue to minister to our souls and give us the words with which we may address the Lord God. They represent the Biblical piety which flows so naturally from the insights of the Protestant Reformation. Their brevity (part of their genius) can hide the riches of their insights. That is what this book by Dr. Ashley Null accomplishes. Dr. Null is in the very front rank of contemporary Cranmer scholars. But, as those who have heard him speak will know, his erudition is matched by his huge enthusiasm for the same biblical gospel which Cramner preached. Dr. Null's meditations on the collects are thus full of the wisdom and the challenges which shape our relationship with God himself. We need to read his book slowly, accepting its challenge to study and savor the collects, and being aided by an author who himself stands as close to the teaching of Cranmer as possible and brings its meaning home to our hearts. Archbishop Peter Jensen [from the Preface]

About the Author :
The Revd Canon Dr John Ashley Null is an internationally respected scholar on the grace and gratitude theology of the English Reformation. Holding a MDiv and STM from Yale and a PhD and BD from the University of Cambridge, Ashley has received numerous academic awards for his work, including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities, Guggenheim and German Research Council fellowships as well as being elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. He is a visiting fellow at the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University and St. John's College, Durham University. Based in Berlin, Germany, where he is a Director of the Wittenberg Center for Reformation Studies, he is currently editing the private theological notebooks of Thomas Cranmer, the author of the independent Church of England's founding formularies, for Oxford University Press. This is a five-volume project. Besides his scholarly activities, Ashley is an ordained priest, the Theological Advisor for the Anglican Church in North America's Diocese of the Carolinas and the Canon Theologian for the Anglican Province of Alexandria, where he is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Alexandria School of Theology Education System. Ashley also teaches regularly for seminaries, conferences and churches throughout the world. In addition, since Ashley grew up in Kansas, he is the author of "Cowboys, Cowtowns and Cattle Trails" in 150 Years of Kansas Beef (Donning Company, 2011). Finally, Ashley serves as a chaplain to elite athletes and coaches, helping them to integrate the Reformation's emphasis on the unconditional love and grace of God with their vocation to pursue excellence as professional sportspeople. He is the author of Real Joy: Freedom to be Your Best (Haennsler, 2004) and a veteran Chaplain at five Olympic Games. He also advises professional sport clubs on emotional wellness, both in Europe and the USA. Ashley is the Chairman of the Board of the United States Council for Sports Chaplains which trains Olympians to be chaplains to Olympians in association with Ridley Hall, Cambridge, England. In Germany, he is Chairman of the Board of the Arne Friedrich Foundation which works to integrate refugee children into Berlin society. Lastly, in Mexico, Ashley is a regular speaker for Hope Sports where Olympic and professional athletes build homes for homeless families in Tijuana.