Saturday Lagniappe: Evangelical Anglicanism Loses One of Its Premier Theologians and More

J. I. Packer, ‘Knowing God’ Author, Dies at 93

The influential evangelical theologian leaves a final lesson for the church: Glorify Christ every way. Read More

J.I. Packer described himself as a "heritage Anglican." In his early years he ably defended the central Anglican theological tradition against those who would have moved the Anglican Church and Anglicanism in a different direction. He rightly deserves the tributes offered on Christianity Today and other evangelical websites: "J. I. Packer (1926–2020)", "Theologian and churchman J.I. Packer dies at age 93", "Don Carson Pays Tribute to J. I. Packer", and "Reformation Theology in the Hands of a Servant." After he left the Anglican Church of Canada and joined the Anglican Church in North America, he was cynically exploited by its leaders. While he served for a time on its prayer book and liturgy task force, his presence on the task force was a ruse, intended to deceive evangelicals in the Reformed tradition that they had a voice on the task force. His recommendations were ignored. The task force produced a prayer book and liturgy that was far from the central Anglican theological tradition that he had championed. He was persuaded to write the introduction to the ACNA's catechism in which he asserted that it would be acceptable to all legitimate theological schools in the Anglican Church. However, a close examination of the catechism clearly shows that what he had written was not the case. The catechism broke with the central Anglican theological tradition or misrepresented it in number of  places. Packer's failing eyesight and health may account for why the ACNA leadership was able to exploit him as they did. I cannot speculate on the extent to which he was aware that he was being exploited and why he went along with those who were exploiting him. But I do believe that he deserves the tributes being paid him and more. We have lost one of evangelical Anglicanism's premier theologians with his death.

10 Things You Should Know about J. I. Packer

Leland Ryken, the author of J. I. Packer: An Evangelical Life, remembers Packer. Read More

J. I. Packer’s Final Words to the Church

A self-described Puritan, theological exegete, and latter-day catechist, J. I. Packer for more than half a century of public ministry was a great popularizer of reformational theology through his writing and teaching ministry. He died at age 93. Read More

40 Quotes from J. I. Packer (1926–2020)

Matt Smethurst shares 40 of his favorites J. I. Packer quotes. Read More 

Four Barriers We Create That Keep People From Jesus

Our calling is to labor, in every possible way, to mirror Jesus' ministry and message in our own. Read More

Do Pastors Have Blind Spots?

Pastors don’t do so well with self-awareness and awareness of others. Read More