Primitive Christian Worship Or, The Evidence of Holy Scripture and the Church, Against the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary

Challenging long-standing devotional practices, Primitive Christian Worship Or, The Evidence of Holy Scripture and the Church, Against the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary by James Endell Tyler presents a rigorous mid-19th-century case rooted in Scripture and patristic testimony. Combining careful exegesis with appeals to early church usage, Tyler—an Anglican rector and canon—maps the theological and historical arguments against invoking saints, angels, and the Virgin Mary, while calling for temperate, respectful debate between the Church of England and Roman Catholicism. Part theological treatise, part historical study, this work surveys biblical texts, liturgical traditions, and the writings of the fathers to recover what the author sees as primitive Christian worship. Themes include authority of Scripture, the development of devotional practices, and the pursuit of unity without compromising conviction. Tyler’s tone aims to replace polemic with measured inquiry, reflecting Victorian-era concerns about ecclesial identity and ecumenical civility. Ideal for students of theology, church history, and Christian apologetics, as well as clergy and curious listeners interested in liturgy and 19th-century ecclesiastical debates, this audiobook illuminates a pivotal argument in debates over worship, devotion, and doctrinal boundaries.