Foreword
When a review of twentieth and twenty first century
Anglican Church history is written, it would be tragic if the Reverend Canon John
Heidt were not mentioned. In many ways it would be difficult for an historian
to describe not only Dr. Heidt himself, but also the remarkable impact he made
on the life of our part of God’s church.
Was he a scholar? If one has read virtually anything that
he has written, the obvious answer is "yes." However, what type of
scholar was he? Indeed, he was a systematic theologian - but not only that. He
was an observer of the world and the humans who had shaped Christian thought,
and by using theological principles was able to evaluate movements, trends, and
fads as a physician examines a patient.
Mere observation, however, would not describe his
methodology. He was a rare theologian in
the sense that he observed and participated in a variety of cultures and
responded theologically. His articulations do not reek of gloomy judgmentalism
coupled with condescension nor do they justify what one might call a natural evolution
due to enlightenment. In all things he saw that theology is life, and his
entire life was a type of celebration of the Incarnation.
Seen by some as a Traditional Anglo-Catholic, which was
certainly my experience of him when as a teenager I first met him, nonetheless
one must then explain how the "Rock Masses" in his English parish
reflected that. For those who take a limited view of Anglo-Catholicism this
would seem incongruous at best, but perhaps that is the closest way to define
Fr. Heidt - ultimately no one could define him!
Born in Wisconsin in a less than affluent set of
circumstances, and educated at Yale and Nashotah House Seminary, Fr. Heidt
married in Denton, Texas, after serving in several parishes. Together with his
wife, Katherine, he began married life in Oxford, England, where he studied
under the eminent Anglican theologian, Austin Farrar.
Although his studies and ministry would take him from
Wisconsin, to Texas, to England, and then back again to all three places, one
principle was clear: All theology is ultimately expressed in a pastoral way. While
it is true that what he spoke was consistent with what he wrote and taught, it
was the way he articulated the truth that is most memorable. To say he was a
bit eccentric would be to present an unworthy caricature. To say that he was
erudite would be to minimize his charm. In fact, he was one of those rare
intellects who could explain deep truths by sprinkling philosophical,
theological, anecdotal, and humorous gems together to form a seamless gift to
the recipient.
To say more would be an offense to his humility, but to say
less than I have would be to downplay the significant contribution he made to
the people on several continents who knew him personally or through his writing.
This collection of essays gives a glimpse into that contribution.
I am just one of the many young men who were mentored by
Fr. John Heidt as we discerned a calling to the priesthood, and I am delighted
to work with "FJ's" (as he was sometimes called) son Fr. Michael
Heidt, who has taken on the joyful task of selecting the material for this
book.
The Parish Press is honored to participate in making these
essays and reflections available to a generation that needs to read them.
The
Rt. Rev. K. L. Ackerman
Eighth
Bishop of Quincy (Rtd)
I once joked with Canon Heidt that he wrote much better
than he spoke. He enjoyed that observation and often reminded me of it. But it
was true. This collection of some of his writings is evidence of that.
He accepted an invitation to serve as my Canon Theologian
at a turbulent time in the Anglican Communion. Whenever I needed to issue a statement
on some new development or controversy in the life of the Communion, I would
always run it by Canon Heidt before making it public. In every case, he would
turn around a sentence, or restructure a paragraph, and otherwise edit what I
was attempting to say in such a way that it was always more clearly and more
convincingly expressed. He was not only a brilliant systematic theologian, but
he also understood the ecclesiology of Anglicanism as an authentic expression
of the catholic faith.
When he died, I told the clergy and people at his requiem
that we were all diminished by his death. Now I can say that we are all
enriched and enlightened by this short collection of his essays.
They speak to us today as strongly as when he first wrote
them, and I commend them to you.
The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo
Iker
Third Bishop of Fort
Worth
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