Martin Thornton
Encyclopedia
Martin Thornton was an Anglican priest
and spiritual director, author and lecturer on ascetical theology
. His "theology of the remnant
" has been influential in Anglican circles.
He was active for much of his life in the Diocese of Truro
, England.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and spiritual director, author and lecturer on ascetical theology
Ascetical Theology
Ascetical theology is the organized study or presentation of spiritual teachings found in Christian Scripture and the Church Fathers that help the faithful to more perfectly follow Christ and attain to Christian perfection. The word ascetic is from the Greek word ἄσκησις askesis, meaning practice....
. His "theology of the remnant
Remnant (Bible)
The remnant is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bible. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as "What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe."...
" has been influential in Anglican circles.
He was active for much of his life in the Diocese of Truro
Diocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
, England.
Published works
- Rural Synthesis: The Religious Basis of Rural Culture (1948)
- Pastoral Theology: A Reorientation (1956); new edition The Heart of the Parish: Theology of the Remnant (posthumous, 1989)
- Christian Proficiency (1959)
- Essays in Pastoral Reconstruction (1960)
- Margery Kempe: An Example in the English Pastoral Tradition (1960)
- The Purple-Headed Mountain (1963)
- English Spirituality: An Outline of Ascetical Theology according to the English Pastoral Tradition (1963)
- The Rock and the River: An Encounter between Traditional Spirituality and Modern Thought (1965)
- The Function of Theology (1968)
- Prayer: A New Encounter (1972)
- My God: A Reappraisal of Normal Religious Experience (1974)
- Spiritual Direction (1982)
- A Joyful Heart: Meditations for Lent (posthumous, 1988)
Further reading
- Michael Proctor, God and the Englishman: A Biography of the Reverend Martin Thornton, 1915-1986. Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2003. ISBN 9781872424545.