'Master in the Art of Holy Living': The Sanctity of William Stevens. (4th January 2016)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- 'Master in the Art of Holy Living': The Sanctity of William Stevens. (4th January 2016)
- Main Title:
- 'Master in the Art of Holy Living': The Sanctity of William Stevens
- Authors:
- Andrews, Robert
- Abstract:
- Abstract : The following paper explores the sanctity of the late eighteenth-century High Church Anglican layman, William Stevens (1732—1807), as seen through the eyes of his biographer, Sir James Allan Park (1763–1838). A largely unstudied figure, Stevens, a prosperous London hosier who dedicated most of his adult life to philanthropic, theological and ecclesiastical concerns, arguably represents one of the most important figures within pre-Tractarian High Churchmanship. Park was a close friend of Stevens. A judge of the Common Pleas and a founding member of Stevens's 'Club of Nobody's Friends', Park shared Stevens's interest in theology and church-related concerns, even publishing in 1804 a short discourse directed towards young people, on the need for a frequent reception of Holy Communion. In focus here is a facet of Stevens's life that came to be closely associated with his many achievements as a lay divine and activist within the pre-Tractarian Church of England, namely, his personal sanctity; this was marked by a close connection between faith and works, a strict dedication and devotion to the Church of England's services and sacraments, and a rejection of'enthusiasm' in its pejorative sense — all of which he held while maintaining a strong sense of cheerfulness and zeal. A portrait of sanctity that conforms to what is known about pre-Tractarian spirituality, the Memoirs may additionally be viewed as offering a representative understanding of what constituted holinessAbstract : The following paper explores the sanctity of the late eighteenth-century High Church Anglican layman, William Stevens (1732—1807), as seen through the eyes of his biographer, Sir James Allan Park (1763–1838). A largely unstudied figure, Stevens, a prosperous London hosier who dedicated most of his adult life to philanthropic, theological and ecclesiastical concerns, arguably represents one of the most important figures within pre-Tractarian High Churchmanship. Park was a close friend of Stevens. A judge of the Common Pleas and a founding member of Stevens's 'Club of Nobody's Friends', Park shared Stevens's interest in theology and church-related concerns, even publishing in 1804 a short discourse directed towards young people, on the need for a frequent reception of Holy Communion. In focus here is a facet of Stevens's life that came to be closely associated with his many achievements as a lay divine and activist within the pre-Tractarian Church of England, namely, his personal sanctity; this was marked by a close connection between faith and works, a strict dedication and devotion to the Church of England's services and sacraments, and a rejection of'enthusiasm' in its pejorative sense — all of which he held while maintaining a strong sense of cheerfulness and zeal. A portrait of sanctity that conforms to what is known about pre-Tractarian spirituality, the Memoirs may additionally be viewed as offering a representative understanding of what constituted holiness for this Anglican tradition. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Studies in church history. Volume 47(2011)
- Journal:
- Studies in church history
- Issue:
- Volume 47(2011)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 47, Issue 2011 (2011)
- Year:
- 2011
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 2011
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2011-0047-2011-0000
- Page Start:
- 307
- Page End:
- 317
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01-04
- Subjects:
- 270
- Journal URLs:
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/studies-in-church-history ↗
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0424208400001042 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0424-2084
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store
- Ingest File:
- 5298.xml