You can’t miss Christmas when you’re talking about English faith and culture! Despite the busy-ness of the past couple of months that has prevented the production of new episodes of the Canterbury Trails podcast, the boys are back in town, just in time for Christmas!

Join us as our hosts, C. Jay Engel and Jared Lovell, talk about why “The English do Christmas Best.” This fun and engaging episode tackles everything from Scrooge and Figgy Pudding to the economics of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, to the odd English tradition of Christmas Cracker Crowns.

Jared and C. Jay address the libertarian critique of Dickens’ classic work (and their unintentionally hilarious defense of pre-redemption Scrooge), and how “the Jacobin character of American style Capitalism” has affected the celebration of Christmas.

Our hosts ably defend Dickens, particularity, virtuous economics, and even the frivolities of cultural Christmas celebrations.

And they remind us that the frivolities are the point. That’s where the memories lie. You won’t remember the specific gifts you get each year, but you will remember the frivolous things, the patterns that are replicated from year to year. Those are the things that shape the soul.

And those are the things that Christmas can really bring to life.

So get ready to say, “Bah! Humbug!” to the free market absolutists (like Ben Shapiro) who think that Scrooge and Potter (from It’s a Wonderful Life) are the real heroes of their stories, and find a little room in your heart for Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and the people right in front of you this Christmas season.

And God bless us. Every one.

Who were the Tractarians? What was the Oxford Movement? Was this a good, necessary, and salutary development for the Anglican Church? Or not?

C. Jay is away today, but Jared is joined by Dr. Charles Erlandson, his former professor and mentor at Cranmer Theological House to discuss the Oxford Movement of the nineteenth century.

For some new to Anglicanism (like Jared in his early days), the first impression of the Oxford Movement is that it was the source of all evils in modern Anglicanism: liberalism, pride flags, and everything else. And why? Because it was an Anglo-Catholic movement! But Jared began to read and learn, over time, that there’s more nuance than he had suspected. Was the Oxford Movement truly an Anglo-Catholic movement? Did it open the door to liberalism in the church? What can we learn from the Tractarians today?

Join us on Canterbury Trails today as Jared and Dr. Erlandson discuss all this and much more, including the Oxford Movement as a catholic revival and reaction against the excesses of Evangelicalism; the Oxford Triumvirate of John Keble, John Henry Newman, and Edward Pusey; Keble’s poetic works and links to Romanticism; Newman’s infamous Tract 90 and eventual conversion to the Roman Catholic Church; the Oxford Movement and the Thirty-Nine Articles; et cetera.

Our guest, the Rev. Dr. Charles Erlandson, is head of the department of church history at Cranmer Theological House and assistant rector at Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal Church in Tyler, TX. He is the author of Orthodox Anglican Identity: The Complexity of Religious Identities in a Post-Modern World, among other books, and is working on a new book on English history. Visit him online at:

https://gsrec.org/ (Good Shepherd Reformed Episcopal Church)

https://www.cranmerhouse.org/ (Cranmer Theological House)

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

Few hot button issues are hotter than the question of the Jewish people and antisemitism. But that’s the very question on the table in today’s episode of Canterbury Trails.

Our listeners know this podcast is dedicated to the cultural apologetic for Anglicanism, so why are we talking about this subject? We're responding to a recent article in The Christian Post (“New Antisemitism Rising Among Christians is Heresy”) written by a prominent Anglican professor, Dr. Gerald McDermott.

And here’s the problem: McDermott’s article adopts a Zionist perspective—a perspective in opposition to the historic views of the Church—then equates rejection of his Zionism to antisemitism, which he then defines as a heresy.

We’re not looking for a fight, but we are looking to shift the terms of this debate.

To help answer this inflammatory article, our hosts, Jared Lovell and C. Jay Engel, have invited Father Ricky McCarl of Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Harrisburg as today’s guest. Father Ricky serves as vicar of the church, and as a hospice chaplain. His uncle was a Palestinian and a Christian who witnessed firsthand a lot of appalling history in that part of the world—and he shared those stories with Father Ricky as a young man.

The article sets the narrative right up front: “antisemites” who disagree with McDermott’s Zionism are heretics in the tradition of Marcion, Arius, and Pelagius. But “antisemitism” increasingly has no meaning. To some, the Christian desire to see Jewish people come to Jesus is itself antisemitic. None of our hosts or guests are antisemitic or are promoting hatred or violence against the Jews. Nor do they believe Jews are behind every bad thing that happens in the world.

Instead, contra McDermott, they believe we can condemn murder and hatred of Jews without entering into theological error concerning the nature of the Jewish people and covenant.

The point of this episode is not to create controversy or sow division by picking a juicy topic to talk about, but rather, to promote peace: to suggest that maybe we should not be calling those who hold positions that have been held throughout the history of the church heretics and antisemites.

Visit Father Ricky online at Good Shepherd Anglican Church: https://www.goodshepherdanglican.net/

Read Professor McDermott’s article on antisemitism: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/new-antisemitism-rising-among-christians-is-heresy.html

By Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

In Episode 17 of Canterbury Trails, Jared and C. Jay discuss an important upcoming conference sponsored by Jared’s church: Building Generational Wealth: Preparing Heirs for the Unexpected Journey. But this is no mere promo video: join us as our hosts engage in a fascinating conversation about the conference topic and related matters: vocation, the Medieval view of wealth, intergenerational living, and how such a way of life can be a catalyst of cultural continuity in a world of cultural liquidation.

What Christians need today is an older understanding of the economy that transcends the transactional; and a definition of wealth that moves beyond mere money. True Wealth includes the family itself. Modern individualism has lost this understanding. But there is a strong English tradition that approaches wealth and the community in this forgotten way. This way is fundamentally Burkean: a social contract between the living, the dead, and those yet unborn.

Christians in America today, Evangelicals specifically, struggle to think except in terms of individualism. But shared memories and shared experiences are a type of generational wealth. Skills, even of an artistic nature, are wealth that can be passed on to children. And so much more.

Don’t miss this conversation! And remember that we're just scratching the surface of what will be covered in the plenary sessions and workshops of the upcoming Generational Wealth conference. This is the fifth conference sponsored by Grace Anglican Church: previous conferences have covered Anti-Fragility; Tolkien, Beauty, and Natural Law; The Medieval Mind; and The Modern World (the Real Dark Age). This Generational Wealth conference is perhaps the most practical one yet. Make plans now to joins us in Scranton, PA, October 9–11, 2025. For more information, visit the website at https://thegenerationalwealthconference.com. And note that there is an early bird discount if you register before the end of August.

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

You’ve heard the Puritan narrative of the history of America—the Pilgrims, the Mayflower Compact, the Great Awakening, all leading up to Independence and the Revolution. But are you ready for the Anglican version of the story?

In the early days of America, few outside New England would have even heard of the Mayflower Compact. But Anglicanism was not merely a regional denomination: it extended across all the colonies and provided a kind of common culture.

Building on Jared Lovell’s recent lecture at the Christianity and the Founding conference, Jared and C. Jay discuss the significant but somewhat forgotten role of Anglicans in the founding of the American nation.

George Washington was an Anglican. So was John Jay, our first Supreme Court Chief Justice. There were Anglicans among both Loyalists and Patriots.

But even more important for us to understand, here on the brink of our 250th national birthday, is the role of Anglicans in the conservative or rightwing side of our founding.

The Revolutionary War and its aftermath involved a compromise between conservative and liberal factions. Those two legacies, those two arguments for the Revolution, have persisted in American politics down to the present. You might be surprised to learn that much of the rhetoric and imagery that is so dear to us was inherited from the left wing of the Revolution.

But what if our War of Independence was not all about individual freedom-maxxing, but rather a secession movement of 13 separate communities that had rights as communities: to establish their own church, their own legal system, their own social hierarchies?

We live in a time of political and moral chaos. But maybe there are insights from the English traditionalists, including the Anglicans, that we as right wingers can lean on as we seek to counter the trajectory of the left.

One of the most fascinating and relevant episodes of Canterbury Trails, don’t miss C. Jay and Jared on the Anglican story of the American founding!

Watch Jared's lecture on "The Anglicans & the Founding of America": https://youtu.be/AALJJMQDZ8s?si=oFoT1uffIL8B6jMm

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

What defines American Protestantism? Recording this episode of Canterbury Trails the week after the American Independence Day, Jared Lovell and C. Jay Engel reflect on this question, and delve into the impact especially of language on the theology of our Anglo-American faith.

Perhaps the two most popular books in early American history were the King James Bible and the Works of William Shakespeare, both of which had a tremendous influence on our English language.

But did you know that about 85% of the King James New Testament came straight from William Tyndale’s earlier translation?

Shakespeare’s influence is undeniable, but before Shakespeare, William Tyndale was coining words and phrases we still use today.

The focus of today’s episode, therefore, will be on William Tyndale, and the influence he had on the English language, and on our theology today as American Protestant Christians. This is a fascinating discussion of an important historical figure that one biographer described as “The Man Who Gave God an English Voice.”

The average American evangelical Christian may know of Tyndale as the man who was burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. It might be said that “Evangelical Pop Culture Tyndale” is all about democratizing the Bible so we can all read it and believe whatever we want.

But that is far from the truth, as you will learn in today’s episode. While Tyndale may be a hero of the faith for today’s Christians, his political opinions would not sit well with the average American evangelical.

Beyond Tyndale’s specific influence, you’ll discover how language itself shapes our understanding of God and His Word. And you’ll come to appreciate the (perhaps surprising) fact that the English language itself has helped to bring you to the theological inclinations you have.

Don’t miss this one!

What is the purpose of preaching? Is it just something to endure while waiting for the Main Event of Communion? Or is preaching itself the Main Event, with Communion merely a monthly or quarterly extra? Or does the truth lie somewhere in the via media?

On this week’s episode of Canterbury Trails, Jared (without C. Jay, who is out this week) answers these questions with our special guest, Father Matt Kennedy, rector of Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, NY, co-host of the Stand Firm Podcast, and, most relevant to today’s discussion, Canon for Preaching in the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word.

God speaks directly to His people through the act of preaching, so it’s not just a 30-minute pep talk, or an academic lecture. There is business being done by the Holy Spirit when a pastor preaches.

But there are different views on preaching among Christians—and a variety of experiences.

For Anglicans who have come out of evangelical or fundamentalist churches, there can be a sense that Anglicanism is about getting away from preaching and doctrine and everything associated with their former churches: that the beauty of the liturgy will be enough to convey whatever sense of spirituality they are now looking for.

And what about the different kinds of preaching: topical, liturgical/church calendar/lectionary, expository? Are pastors allowed to preach about politics and social issues from the pulpit, and if so, to what extent?

Listen in to get wise commentary on all these matters and more, including some fascinating insight into the Biblical story of Joseph that you’ve likely never heard before.

Visit Father Kennedy online at Good Shepherd Church: https://goodshepherdbinghamton.org/

Listen to Father Kennedy’s Stand Firm podcast: https://standfirminfaith.com/

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

What do sanctification, basketball, playing guitar, and plumbing have in common? And why does our special guest have “ora et labora” tattooed on his hands? On today’s episode of Canterbury Trails, C. Jay Engel and Jared Lovell talk to plumber, writer, and postulant in the Reformed Episcopal Church, Nathaniel Marshall, about trades, repetition, the mechanical arts, manual labor, and how they all relate to Christian sanctification. Glancing back to Episode 2 where we discussed Benedict and his Rule, our hosts and guest remind us that the Christian is apprenticed to a Carpenter. Many modern Christians separate the spiritual life from their day-to-day work life. But Nathaniel helps us to understand how manual labor trains us in virtue and helps us grow in faith and holiness.

Read Nathaniel’s article, “Anglicanism: Apprenticeship to the Carpenter-King” at North American Anglican here: https://northamanglican.com/anglicanism-apprenticeship-to-the-carpenter-king/

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

C. Jay is away this week, but Jared carries on with a fascinating conservation about Time. With returning guest Jesse Nigro of The North American Anglican, Jared talks about how the way we think about Time can serve catechetical purposes. One reason Christianity was able to survive through the Middle Ages is how they thought about Time, and the rituals in which they engaged throughout the day, week, seasons, and years.

Jared and Jesse discuss the need for us, here in the 21st century, to think about how we inhabit time. St. Paul wrote in Ephesians that we should be “redeeming the time.” How do we apply that in a world that resists deep reflection on Time? Ritual and the Christian Calendar can be helpful here: filling the hours and days with Christian meaning rather than emptying them and creating a vacuum for our secular age; or rejecting them in the name of a “simple, old-time religion.”

Join the conversation as we consider various questions: How is ritual useful? How can we, as modern, untethered, evangelical Christians, think about ritual? Why was it virtually impossible to disbelieve in God in the Middle Ages, but so easy, perhaps unavoidable, for many in our modern day?

Instead of living in a world where Time is marked by reminders of the God who created us, we live in a world where, if you’re mindful of Time at all, you’re doing it wrong. But what if there is a better way?

Time will pass, no matter how or whether we mark it. Life will still fly by, but in a world where Ritual marks Time, you can think back: “what did I do this morning, or last week, or last year at this time?” And you will know. Because it’s a particular season of the Church Year, you know what you did, and what was going on, because you’re aware of the time.

And because you mark the time using Christian categories, you can relate your story, your time on earth, to the Great Story of Christ.

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

The image on the thumbnail, "The Ancient Custom of Blessing the Fields on Rogation Sunday at Hever, Kent", was taken from the Geograph project collection. The copyright on this image is owned by Ray Trevena and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

What does it mean to be an Anglican? Or even a Christian? The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, written and adopted by the Anglican Church in 1571, have a lot to say on the subject. But today, The Thirty-Nine Articles are regarded as more of a formulary, little more than an interesting historical document Anglicans use for reference. Thus this important confession has been relativized, diminished, and reduced from its original importance, when subscription to it was required for ministers of the Church of England.

On Today’s episode of Canterbury Trails, hosts C. Jay Engel and Jared Lovell discuss this important subject in Jared’s forthcoming article, “Toward a Confessional Anglicanism: The Importance of The Thirty-Nine Articles for Anglican Identity and Unity” (to be published in The North American Anglican).

To correct this downgrading trend that has been going on for 150–200 years, The Thirty-Nine Articles must take a more elevated position in the Anglican Church. Without a clear doctrinal standard, the “via media” of the Anglican Way becomes a mere negation: we’re neither this nor that. But what are we? What does it mean to be a Christian in an Anglican context?

Join Jared and C. Jay for a discussion that involves history, liturgy, doctrine, and even politics. The Thirty-Nine Articles were written in a political environment where a degree of compromise with other Christians—without forsaking the Gospel—and of preserving orthodoxy without excessive specificity—was badly needed.

Requiring subscription to this historic Anglican confession today will help but will not solve every problem. Given the many challenges to the Christian faith in our day—including the full spectrum of Wokeness—might there even be a need to add new Articles to the historic 39? And why is it so controversial in our day to suggest that The Thirty-Nine Articles should be the binding confessional document among Anglicans?

Doctrine is historical, rooted in the story of a people as they came to confess their beliefs in specific ways, and in specific contexts. Once we understand this, the church can be seen for what she is—not a dead church, but a living church, a church of history. The Thirty-Nine Articles, as you will soon discover, are steeped in 2000 years of Christian struggle and triumph.

Image of Anglo-Saxon map by Hel-hama - Own work using:InkscapeSource: England and Wales at the time of the Treaty of Chippenham (AD 878). From the Atlas of European History, Earle W Dowe (d. 1946), G Bell and Sons, London, 1910 (see: File:England-878ad.jpg), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072