Theological. Practical. Pastoral. Anglican. These four words capture the heart of the Cranmer Lecture series, co-sponsored by the Diocese of Central Florida, with funding via a grant received from Lilly Endowment Inc., and Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando, Oviedo. Named after Thomas Cranmer, first archbishop of Canterbury and compiler of the Book of Common Prayer, the lectures seek to celebrate Anglican heritage, meet needs expressed by diocesan clergy and serve the community at large.
The first annual lecture took place on Jan. 6, 2022, and featured The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Linebaugh, who spoke on the topic “Comfortable Words: Praying and Proclaiming the Gospel in the English Reformation.” The second lecture, moved up because of scheduling conflicts, occurred on the evening of Sept. 1, 2022, with The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, canon for vocations, speaking on “Good Lord, Deliver Us: Trauma and Anglican Liturgy.” A third lecture is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2024, with The Rev. Dr. Zac Hicks presenting on “Cranmer on Worship by Faith Alone.”
An audience of approximately 150 attended the Sept. 1 lecture, which brought attendees the expertise of both Holcomb, who has studied, taught and written on trauma and its effects, and Dr. Elizabeth Pennock, an expert in trauma-informed counseling who serves as assistant professor of counseling at RTS Orlando.
“Justin Holcomb regularly blesses our seminarians with his graduate-level teaching on topics as wide-ranging as apologetics and Anglican studies and even the thorny issue of abuse in the church,” said Dr. Mike Allen, academic dean of RTS Orlando. “This Cranmer lecture was an opportunity for the wider diocesan community to glean also from his cutting-edge research, especially on such a vital topic.
“Dr. Elizabeth Pennock, assistant professor of counseling, joined Dr. Holcomb for Q&A following his lecture,” he added. “She’s an expert on trauma-informed care by clergy, so the theme was right up her professional alley.”
“Anglican liturgy is Christ-focused,” Holcomb told the audience. “The person and work of Christ are the bullseye of what trauma survivors need with regard to the effects of trauma. This is why scripture-focused, Christ-focused preaching and liturgy are so important.”
The focus of Anglican liturgy is also a “God toward human movement,” Holcomb said. “The emphasis is not on what humans are doing toward God. It’s not a human-Godward emphasis; it’s actually a God-humanward emphasis. … the emphasis cannot be only on what are you going to do to participate in your hope and healing, but on what God is doing for your hope and healing.”
“Canon Holcomb took things that I talk about more generally with students and applied them very specifically to the context of the Anglican liturgy,” Pennock said after the lecture and Q&A. “As a member of The Episcopal Church, I really enjoyed talking with him about the specific ways that our liturgy is helpful in healing.”
“I got a lot of feedback from clergy about how they felt seen and understood as I acknowledged both the way that they are constantly dealing with trauma as they care for people in their congregations and how that can impact them, because clergy are people too, but also ways they can grow so they are able to provide care,” she added. “I was able to field some of those questions during the Q&A time as well as have some conversations after the fact.
“I think part of what I wanted to do was to say, ‘You already have a lot of tools within the Anglican Episcopal liturgy that are really helpful to people who have survived trauma, because so much of trauma is held in the body,'” Pennock explained. “And so much of our liturgy is something we physically act out week after week … there’s something about the liturgy inviting us into a movement that tells a story that’s redemptive, that can hold what we’ve been through but also give some context to it, that can be really healing for people who are trauma survivors.”
Hicks’ upcoming presentation will maintain the emphases of previous Cranmer lectures. “We can’t wait to host Zac Hicks, whose doctoral research focused on Cranmer’s theology of worship,” Allen said. “In this third annual Cranmer lecture, he’ll show us how Cranmer’s prayer book was meant to model a posture of faith and a principled Christ-centeredness. For sinners, this is wonderful news that we can come to God in Jesus’ name.”
“All of these lectures have a pastoral dimension,” Holcomb said. “This upcoming one is about worship: How does the Anglican way of doing worship, the theological commitments, the emphases within it, that we trace back to Cranmer, how does this influence our theology of worship, our experience of worship and our participation in worship? … This one lecture is just one piece of a larger constellation of programs and ministries for collegiality and mentorship for clergy.”
“We at RTS are delighted to host these annual Cranmer lectures to herald the theological commitments of such lived significance, both in the time of Cranmer and also today,” Allen said. “We are grateful for the diocese’s support and eager to learn each year from leading scholarship of great pastoral and personal benefit.”