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THOMAS CRANMER
By Colin Hamer
EP Books. 126 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 0 852 347 737

Colin Hamer’s biography of Thomas Cranmer is a timely reminder of the person who has been properly described as ‘the architect of the Church of England’. He was a man who set Scripture in high regard in the time when people were dependant on the words of men.

The readers who are unfamiliar with church history are assisted with a timeline at the beginning and descriptions in the text of unfamiliar terms (e.g. canon law, papal legate) with a glossary and a summary of Cranmer’s theology at the end. The only notable omission is the explanation of the term ‘conservative’ which would assist those who are meeting this term for the first time in the context of the Reformation.

The material has been meticulously researched, as there are few previous publications, which are highlighted in the further reading section.

This Archbishop of Canterbury is portrayed as a person who had his strengths and weaknesses like any other person. An example was that he allowed John Frith to be executed by burning for his evangelical views and yet defended Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, who preached biblical truths.

Although Cranmer recanted several times due to pressure, he preached courageously on ‘Scripture only’ before he went with joy to meet his Saviour. His legacy was The Book of Common Prayer and the Forty-two Articles of Religion, which were the basis of the later works, including the Thirty-Nine Articles.

I recommend this brief and readable biography of a man who honoured God’s Word.

Andrew Drury,

leadership team at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey