Anyone Know Why J.I. Packer Isn't a Presbyterian/Reformed?

[jinc1019]

It may sound like a strange question, but J.I. Packer, perhaps the most famous conservative Anglican in North America today, is incredibly Reformed. In fact, you could argue he's more Reformed on certain issues (images of the Godhead, for instance) than many Presbyterians are today.

Does anyone know why he's chosen to remain Anglican instead of Presbyterian? I'm curious because those are the two denominations I have been considering for quite some time now. While I've definitely come to be very Reformed in my theology (I agree with probably 95 percent of what the Three Forms of Unity say), I'm not all the way there, and traditional Reformed Anglicanism has always interested me.

Any thoughts on Packer, other Reformed Anglicans, or anything else I've said?

 

[hedrick]

Here's his answer, though it's a fairly long one: http://www.virtueonline.org/anglican-commitment-comprehensiveness-jipacker

 

[jinc1019]

Awesome! Thanks for this. I'll read it over as soon as I get a chance. I think this is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[HeraldOfTheHolyOne]

As someone who left Anglicanism for theological/ecclesiological reasons, I strongly advise against joining any Anglican church. Not only is their polity inconsistent with the use of επισκοπος/πρεσβυτερος in Scripture, but they are near-unanimous in their opposition to the regulative principle of worship. As a brother in Christ, I would counsel you not to join yourself to a church which tolerates such blatant unsanctioned practices in worship.

That said, I do like J. I. Packer, though I don't understand why he has endorsed the ACNA in the past, seeing as Anglo-Catholicism seems to run rampant in the denomination.

 

[jinc1019]

As someone who left Anglicanism for theological/ecclesiological reasons, I strongly advise against joining any Anglican church. Not only is their polity inconsistent with the use of επισκοπος/πρεσβυτερος in Scripture, but they are near-unanimous in their opposition to the regulative principle of worship. As a brother in Christ, I would counsel you not to join yourself to a church which tolerates such blatant unsanctioned practices in worship.

That said, I do like J. I. Packer, though I don't understand why he has endorsed the ACNA in the past, seeing as Anglo-Catholicism seems to run rampant in the denomination.

I think this answer, provided by CF user Hedrick, is the answer to the question about Packer (albeit, a very long one):

http://www.virtueonline.org/anglican-commitment-comprehensiveness-jipacker
Basically, Packer's argument is that within the orthodox (as opposed to liberal) framework of traditional Christianity, a certain degree of tolerance for various views on a number of issues (including the sacraments, church polity, etc.) should be present. This, in Packer's view, does not mean there is no "right" answer or that he agrees with all of the different views. In fact, he stresses throughout the document he believes in traditional, reformed, evangelical Anglicanism. However, he says the best way for the church to eventually become of one mind is not to separate, but to stay together (so long as the orthodox framework is still present) and work out the disagreements in house. He basically says that if all good Reformed Christians run off to their own private churches/denominations, it's not likely we'll ever have unity.

He also alludes, without going into too many specifics, to the fact that many Protestant churches are quite rigid about things that should be considered "non-essential." In other words, does the Bible specifically mandate a presbyterian polity? Packer suggests it doesn't. He also seems quite willing to accept a variety of views on the Eucharist (not transubstantiation) and baptism.

 

[jinc1019]

As someone who left Anglicanism for theological/ecclesiological reasons, I strongly advise against joining any Anglican church. Not only is their polity inconsistent with the use of επισκοπος/πρεσβυτερος in Scripture, but they are near-unanimous in their opposition to the regulative principle of worship. As a brother in Christ, I would counsel you not to join yourself to a church which tolerates such blatant unsanctioned practices in worship.

That said, I do like J. I. Packer, though I don't understand why he has endorsed the ACNA in the past, seeing as Anglo-Catholicism seems to run rampant in the denomination.

A couple of things I'd love to talk to you about in regards to these issues. I'll PM you, since this is an Anglican forum.