Help! Our Church's Advent Study Group Using Anglican Authored Book as Reference

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So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
 
GaryM said:
So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
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I love to read C.S. Lewis and he was never Catholic, but Anglican. For the most part, Lewis was theologically orthodox is his writing (not perfect). That said, I don’t know enough about the book one way or the other. Read some reviews.
 
GaryM said:
So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
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Well, Ave Maria Press is the publisher if that helps any.
 
I would not assume that a Protestant author cannot write good and accurate Bible commentary. This author appears to be of the Anglican Church in North America, a continuing Anglican group that split from the US Episcopal Church over the latter group’s liberalism.
 
GaryM said:
So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
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To be honest with you, and I hate to say this, but many of the Anglican Advent resources, in my experience are much better than the Catholic ones. Go with it and I am sure you won’t find any theological differences, but say something if you do.
 
GaryM said:
So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
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Can’t hurt to ask why a Catholic resource was not used. If they were going to be using purchased material it would be nice to support Catholic products. Since it is past that point here is a free one that is very good…

agapebiblestudy.com/Advent%20Study/Advent_Study_Menu.php

Maybe you can suggest incorporating it into the class. Or at least use it yourself and bring what you have learned into the discussion.
 
I recently read a book on prayer from a
PROTESTANT author Philip Yancey,
it was excellent in explaining WHY we
should pray. It certainly helped me.
 
liturgyluver said:
To be honest with you, and I hate to say this, but many of the Anglican Advent resources, in my experience are much better than the Catholic ones. Go with it and I am sure you won’t find any theological differences, but say something if you do.
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if it is published by Ave Maria Press I would think it would be considered a good book for Advent. And it is using the Gospel of Luke.
I believe the church year for the Anglicans is the same as for Catholics.
Advent has the same meaning. I guess if it bothers you, you could ask the group leader. Wouldn’t the priest have to approve of the book being used also?
 
Many excellent books are written by Anglicans and other Christians. Unless there are specific problems with the contents of the book, there is no problem in reading them and using them in group studies. We need to be working for unity in the Body of Christ, not creating unnecessary divisions.

And yes, many Anglicans (certainly the Church of England) use the same calendar as the RC does. This is the First Sunday of Advent for Anglicans as well.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I love to read C.S. Lewis and he was never Catholic, but Anglican. For the most part, Lewis was theologically orthodox is his writing (not perfect). That said, I don’t know enough about the book one way or the other. Read some reviews.
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Are Anglicans closest to the Rc church in beliefs?

You could attend and agree with what is compatible with the Rc church, and disagree and defend what is not,

Eg: reading some of CS Lewis is helpful, so christian books can have a lot of content harmonious with Catholic doctrine and very helpful
 
Thank you all for the many thoughtful responses. We’ll just roll with it and ask the faith formation leader why she chose this particular book over some of the others. I too enjoy reading of authors of many different faiths and I hope I didn’t come across too stong like that. I was just a little surprised that a “study group” inside the Catholic Church would choose to use a non-Catholic authored book, that’s all. There are very few reviews of the book on Amazon et al, however Monsignor Charles Murphy wrote a nice review inside the book giving it high marks.
 
Anglicans can be very close to the RC. I’ve attended high church Anglican services in the past. Any Catholic who did so would find it very familiar. I’ve even heard Anglican priests strongly suggesting they believe in the real presence. In fact, there are many, many Anglicans that would probably strongly consider becoming Catholics if someone reached out to them and invited them to find out more about Catholicism. This is why creating divisions is not helpful. Many people talk of restoring unity with the Orthodox churches. That would be wonderful of course, but restoring unity with many Anglican churches is also a distinct possibility.
 
peter26 said:
Anglicans can be very close to the RC. I’ve attended high church Anglican services in the past. Any Catholic who did so would find it very familiar. I’ve even heard Anglican priests strongly suggesting they believe in the real presence. In fact, there are many, many Anglicans that would probably strongly consider becoming Catholics if someone reached out to them and invited them to find out more about Catholicism. This is why creating divisions is not helpful. Many people talk of restoring unity with the Orthodox churches. That would be wonderful of course, but restoring unity with many Anglican churches is also a distinct possibility.
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yes. restoring unity with the Anglicans and Orthodox would be wonderful!!! :extrahappy::dancing::hug1:
 
GaryM said:
So my wife and I recently signed up to attend our parishes faith formation class starting this first Monday of Advent. The course is called “Exploring Advent with Luke” based on the book by the same name. amazon.com/Exploring-Advent-Luke-Questions-Spiritual/dp/1594713049. It’s a 4-week course. The parish faith formation leader told all who signed up to buy the $5 book. So we did and then I did some research on the author only to discover he’s not Catholic but Anglican. Wondering what you all think about whether this is the right thing to do? I mean with all the Catholic resources out there, why study Luke and Advent by a non Catholic? What to do? Attend or not? Say something or not?
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I personally would not find this offensive however I believe canon law requires material used in faith formation must carry an imprimatur and/or a nihil obstat.
 
adrift said:
I personally would not find this offensive however I believe canon law requires material used in faith formation must carry an imprimatur and/or a nihil obstat.
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Interesting. Wonder where I would find that reference, not that I feel like engaging the faith formation leader in a canon law debate though but it would be good to know.
 
adrift said:
I personally would not find this offensive however I believe canon law requires material used in faith formation must carry an imprimatur and/or a nihil obstat.
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I wasn’t sure if that would be a requirement or not, but I had thought of the same thing.
 
GaryM said:
Interesting. Wonder where I would find that reference, not that I feel like engaging the faith formation leader in a canon law debate though but it would be good to know.
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Vatican web site I have linked it below.
7_Sorrows said:
I wasn’t sure if that would be a requirement or not, but I had thought of the same thing.
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(Cann. 822 - 832)
Can. 827 §1. To be published, catechisms and other writings pertaining to catechetical instruction or their translations require the approval of the local ordinary, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 775, §2.
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§2. Books which regard questions pertaining to sacred scripture, theology, canon law, ecclesiastical history, and religious or moral disciplines cannot be used as texts on which instruction is based in elementary, middle, or higher schools unless they have been published with the approval of competent ecclesiastical authority or have been approved by it subsequently
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I guess it might be questioned what higher school means.
 
adrift said:
Vatican web site I have linked it below.

(Cann. 822 - 832)

I guess it might be questioned what higher school means.
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Thanks. I found the source as well and had the same question of what higher school means? I would think at the very least, if the parish is promoting the class, then the parish Priest should approve the book for study, if not the Bishop.

I read the first few chapters and so far, I think it will be just fine. First class is tomorrow morning:)
 
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