Non-Canonical Scripture: An Analysis of the Early Anglican Understanding of the Apocrypha.

This article shall analyse how the Church of England treated the books of the Apocrypha between 1547-1662 and what her theologians understood the Apocrypha's canonical status to be. In particular, the article focuses on whether, or in what sense, the Apocrypha was seen as part of the Bible and considered to be Scripture. The central argument of this essay is that there was a widely held consensus about the Apocrypha among the key Anglican figures of this period, which accorded well with the Apocrypha's use in the Church of England's religious life. Moreover, this consensus is not undermined by certain statements found in the Books of Homilies which appear to ascribe canonical status to the Apocrypha. Ultimately, the Anglican perspective on the Apocrypha was that while they are noncanonical and not divinely inspired, they are nevertheless part of the Bible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]