The Joy of William Wilberforce
Paul Barnes reminds us of a key man in recent world history, and of some who influenced him –
“In 1786 Edmund Burke, the renowned orator and politician, was sure that the abolition of the slave trade was a fantasy – that it stood no hope of being accomplished. We might find this surprising, and think it would be obvious that something as horrendous as the capturing and selling of people should be abolished. Thus, it is difficult for us to understand just how impossible the abolition of the slave trade looked.
Although he was certainly not the only one against the Slave Trade, William Wilberforce has rightly taken primary place as the man who achieved the impossible. But how did Wilberforce achieve the impossible in a world that looked down on his faith and what he was trying to achieve? …”
– Read the full essay at AP, the national Presbyterian journal.
Image: Painting of Wilberforce by Anton Hickel.
The Sydney Family Album 8 — Howard Mowll
In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, published a series of posts, entitled “The Sydney Family Album”, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the eighth in the series, on Howard Mowll, Archbishop of Sydney, 1934 – 1958.
It really is rather hard to overplay the contribution of Howard Mowll to the shape and character of the contemporary Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
His election as Archbishop in April 1933 was a critical moment in the diocese’s history, a decision for its evangelical heritage rather than the more eclectic theology others were advocating at the time. His tenure of the office during World War II and the equally critical post-war years set directions, embedded principles and fostered a new generation of leaders who enabled Sydney Anglicanism to remain unambiguously Protestant and evangelical while engaging seriously with the challenges of a new era.
Among so many other things gifts to the diocese, he was the driving force behind the invitation to Billy Graham to come to Sydney in 1959, though Mowll died six months before the Crusade began.
Other posts in the The Sydney Family Album series (as we add them) are in our Resources section. There is still one more to go!
Photo: Archbishop Howard Mowll, from his biography by Marcus Loane.
‘Dick Lucas’ mind was blown apart’ – with Andrew Atherstone
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“1986. London’s Westminster Central Hall. The then young Australian preacher Phillip Jensen takes the platform at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly, and detonated UK Anglican Evangelicalism
Dick Lucas, the elder statesman of UK Evangelicalism Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate, said his mind was “blown apart by these bold Australian exhortations.”
Chris Green says a room full of ministers in training were “revolutionised overnight.”
It’s the third in our occasional series of specials on evangelical oral history.
We are with Dr Andrew Atherstone (Wycliffe Hall Oxford) and this time we trace how a Sydney rector’s insistence on Bible teaching and the local congregation, over and above inherited Anglican structure made such an impact on the UK evangelical scene.
Jensen’s 1986 and 1988 addresses didn’t just inspire, but they gave a generation of English ministers permission to think differently about bishops, boundaries and where real spiritual authority lives.”
– Watch it at The Pastor’s Heart. And yes, Phillip Jensen’s talk did create quite a stir! Much to be thankful for.
The Pastor’s Heart page has links to Phillip’s talks at the EMA in 1986 and later.
The Sydney Family Album 5 — Frederic Barker
In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, published a series of posts, entitled “The Sydney Family Album”, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the fifth in the series, on Bishop Frederic Barker.
“Barker’s long episcopate (until his death in 1882) saw massive change in the colony. Barker was certainly up to the challenge. He was a gifted administrator and was both visionary and practical.”
Other posts in the The Sydney Family Album series (as we add them) are in our Resources section.
Artefact in Focus: The Taylor Prism
From Tyndale House in Cambridge – this page and short video by George Heath-Whyte, Junior Research Fellow at Christ Church College, Oxford.
“The ‘Taylor Prism’ has stood on display in the British Museum for 170 years. Named after Colonel R. Taylor, the British diplomat who purchased it in the 1830s, it is a masterful example of ancient Assyrian cuneiform and craftsmanship, with its six tightly-inscribed columns standing almost 40 cm tall.
Remarkable to look at, it is even more remarkable to read. …”
– Watch the video and read the accompanying story.
The Sydney Family Album 4 — William Macquarie Cowper
In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, published a series of posts, entitled “The Sydney Family Album”, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the fourth, a guest post by Peter Bolt on William Cowper.
If you’ve ever been confused about who the two William Cowpers were, this will help!
“Together, the two William Cowpers were largely responsible for the strength and vitality of Evangelicalism in Sydney.”
Other posts in the The Sydney Family Album series (as we add them) are in our Resources section.
The Sydney Family Album 3 — William Cowper
In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, published a series of posts entitled “The Sydney Family Album”, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the third, a guest post by Peter Bolt on William Cowper.
Other posts in the The Sydney Family Album series (as we add them) are in our Resources section.
J. Gresham Machen: Where he died Is important
Michael Horton shares this insight into the life of J. Gresham Machen –
“Already frail in health, J. Gresham Machen kept his appointment to preach in North Dakota. For someone reared in Machen’s world, the Presbyterian Church was far from being a ‘little flock,’ as Jesus described his church (Luke 12:32). It was powerful in every area of civil and social life.
From a family of Baltimore elites, Machen, born in 1881, had a Harvard Law School–trained Episcopalian father (Arthur Webster Machen) and a Presbyterian mother, Mary Jones Gresham. It was his mother who had the greater influence on his life, teaching her son Greek, Latin, and the classics as well as piano. He enjoyed regular Sunday dinners with Woodrow Wilson and his family after the morning service at Princeton’s Nassau Presbyterian Church. …”
The Sydney Family Album 2 — Samuel Marsden
In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, penned a series of posts entitled The Sydney Family Album, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the second, a guest post by David Pettett on Samuel Marsden.
Related:
Sunday sermons shed light on pioneer – SydneyAnglicans.net, December 2016.
The Scriptures unto our salvation – Exhibition at Moore College
A fascinating exhibition opens at Moore College’s Donald Robinson Library next week – The Scriptures unto our salvation –
“This exhibition commemorates the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s groundbreaking 1526 New Testament, a pivotal moment in the transmission of scripture, shaping the development of the English language and advancing new possibilities for vernacular access to the Scriptures.
All of the major early modern English translations are also featured, alongside Martin Luther’s German translation and key editions of the Bible in Latin, demonstrating the academic use of Latin by the Protestant Reformers in their study of the Word.
Alongside early printed editions the exhibition also highlights Indigenous Australian, Polynesian, and Papuan language Bibles, highlighting the complex linguistic, cultural, and historical contexts through which scripture has been rendered into diverse languages.
Together, these works invite reflection on translation not only as a textual practice, but also as a process deeply intertwined with the history of Christian missions in Australia and Oceania.
On display [from 13 July 2026] until 27 November during library hours (8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday).”
The Sydney Family Album 1 — Richard Johnson
In 2011, Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College, penned a series of posts entitled The Sydney Family Album, for his website, Theological Theology.
We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.
Here’s the first, starting at the beginning with Richard Johnson.
Glad tidings and the New Testament of William Tyndale
“Five hundred years ago, William Tyndale produced an extraordinary gift to the world: his English translation of the New Testament. It has rightly been called ‘a treasure of English-speaking culture’. The old adage ‘No Tyndale, no Shakespeare’ is probably spot on.
But Tyndale would be surprised if we were to rejoice in his impact upon English language and culture only. No, it is the immeasurable spiritual impact of his work for which we ought chiefly to praise God. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Mark Earngey, Head of Church History at Moore College, gives thanks for William Tyndale and his work.
Photo: Moore College.
How Katoomba shaped a generation of Sydney Evangelicals with Phillip Jensen, David Cook and Al Stewart
From The Pastor’s Heart –
“For a generation of Sydney evangelicals, the Katoomba Christian Conventions weren’t just events in the calendar – they shaped church programs across the city.
In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, thousands gathered under the circus tent and then later in packed auditoriums to hear the Bible taught, sing with conviction and be raised up for ministry.
But how did Katoomba become such an influence in Sydney evangelicalism? What decisions shaped its extraordinary impact? And what lessons are there for today.
We start a new occasional oral history series on the Pastor’s Heart, with former Katoomba Chairs Philip Jensen, David Cook and Al Stewart, reflecting on Katoomba’s phenomenal influence, the priority of expository preaching, the importance of guarding the platform and why ‘we teach the Bible’ became a defining conviction.”
– Watch here.
Much cause for thanksgiving, as well as some sobering memories, and a reminder to pray for the continued work of the Katoomba Christian Conventions.
Mark Earngey’s New Book
From Moore College –
“A recent book by Moore College faculty member, Dr Mark Earngey, offers a major new study of John Ponet (1516-1556), one of the most significant yet often overlooked figures of the early English Reformation.
John Ponet (1516-1556): Scholar, Bishop, Insurgent (Brill) draws on newly discovered archival material and a reconstructed catalogue of Ponet’s personal library to provide the most comprehensive account of his life and thought to date.
Earngey first encountered Ponet while undertaking postgraduate research at Oxford into the life and theology of Thomas Cranmer.
‘I realised that the little-known but prodigious Ponet was patronised by Cranmer and became his right-hand theologian,’ he says. ‘When I began work on Ponet an avalanche of new manuscript material came to light, and the project in recovering his story began!’
The book presents Ponet as a leading scholar, bishop and reformer whose influence extended across theology, church leadership and political thought. Earngey traces Ponet’s role in advancing evangelical reform during the reigns of Henry VIII (as Cranmer’s chaplain) and Edward VI (as Cranmer’s theological advisor) and examines his later writings during the reign of Mary I, in which he became one of the earliest English Reformation voices to argue for a limited monarchy and resistance to tyranny.
The research also uncovered a number of significant discoveries about Ponet and his influence.…”
The Hidden Cost of Avoiding Theology
At The Gospel Coalition, Jacob Perry argues for the importance of theological clarity in churches. As part of his conclusion, he writes –
“Theological clarity isn’t a burden pastors impose on their people, but a gift. By teaching doctrine clearly, a shepherd protects his sheep from wolves in sheep’s clothing, from predators who speak in the sheep’s own language. Doctrine is an expression of love for Christ’s body. By teaching it, pastors help their congregations know what they believe and why it matters. …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…