Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) played a critical, formative role in the creation and development of the Church of England, from his sudden and dramatic appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532, through his granting of Henry VIII's divorce from Queen Katharine, his emergence under Edward VI as a determined reformer in the mould of his European contemporaries, and to his memorable death under Mary Tudor in 1556.

He is best remembered as the prime editor and creator of the two Books of Common Prayer of 1549 and 1552, and these indeed stand at the head of Anglican liturgical identity and tradition. Their influence and importance cannot be overstated.

This collection seeks to offer a survey of his growth and development as theologian and leader of the church through the lens of his written work: not only liturgy, but also homilies, correspondence and official doctrinal statements. It introduces Cranmer as a churchman, theologian and liturgist whose original contribution to Anglican spirituality in its earliest, formative moments cannot be underestimated.