Perfective Unction: A Discourse of Confirmation (The Library of Anglican Theology)

Confirmation has sometimes been described as a sacrament in search of a theology. In Perfective Unction, theologian and bishop Jeremy Taylor embraces that search, carefully sifting through the wisdom of patristic theology, the prayers of liturgical manuscripts, and the authority of conciliar decrees. In this way, Taylor not only defends confirmation as a central, sacramental rite of the Christian life, but he also manages to model an Anglican theological method, one that takes seriously the example of the early church, even as it meets the heart of the individual believer with pastoral compassion and generosity. “This is that power from on high which first descended in Pentecost,” Taylor writes of confirmation, and it is the mission of the Church to share this immense gift with the world.

About the Author
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) was born the son of a barber and died as Bishop of Down and Connor in Ireland. Known for his devotional writings, especially Holy Living and Holy Dying, Taylor can also be numbered among the Caroline Divines for his eloquent defense of many Anglican hallmarks—including episcopacy, liturgical prayer, and the riches of sacramental life.

About the Editors
Reginald Heber (1783-1826) was Bishop of Calcutta. In addition to editing Jeremy Taylor’s Whole Works, he was a passionate hymn-writer, best known today for “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!”

Charles Page Eden (1807-1885) served as a priest in the Church of England and contributed his skills as an editor to The Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology and Taylor’s Whole Works. Eden is also the author of Tract 32, “The Standing Ordinances of Religion,” in Tracts for the Times.

About the Library of Anglican Theology
Published by Seminary Street Press, the Library of Anglican Theology seeks to provide newly typeset editions of important works from the Anglican tradition for a wide array of contemporary readers—Christian laypeople, historians of the Church, seminary students, bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, and theologians. The Library will provide a rich foundation on which to build as Anglicans continue to theologically engage with the pressing questions of our time.