E. J. Bicknell Thirty-Nine Articles 1932 Theology Provenance
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Title: A Theological Introduction to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England
Author: E. J. Bicknell
Publisher: Longmans, Green and Co., London, New York, Toronto
Date: 1932
Edition: New Edition
Printer: Robert MacLehose and Co. Ltd., University Press, Glasgow
 
The preface notes that this reprint included revised references and engagement with contemporary theological scholarship, including the work of Dr. Badcock on the Creeds.
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
This important Anglican theological study became one of the standard twentieth-century scholarly introductions to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.
Written by E. J. Bicknell, Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of London, the work combines historical theology, doctrinal analysis, biblical scholarship, and ecclesiastical history.
 
The Thirty-Nine Articles remain one of the defining doctrinal formularies of Anglicanism, and Bicknell’s study was widely used by:
clergy 
theological students 
Anglican seminaries 
university scholars 
 
Annotated working copies such as this are particularly interesting because they demonstrate active theological engagement and clerical study during the interwar period.
 
About the Author
E. J. Bicknell was an Anglican theologian best known for his studies of the Thirty-Nine Articles.
 
Provenance & Association
This copy carries particularly interesting clerical and academic provenance.
Ownership labels include:
“Rev. W. G. Sanderson, Woodham Vicarage, Woking” 
“Ex Libris Donald S. Allister” 
“B. H. Blackwell Ltd., Oxford” 
 
Research strongly suggests that Donald S. Allister was the later Rt Revd Donald Spargo Allister (1927–2017), a Church of England bishop, scholar, and donor to Peterhouse, Cambridge.
 
He later published theological works and ecclesiastical commentary, including writings connected with Anglican doctrine and churchmanship.
 
The additional inscription:
“S. M. Bacon October 1932 L.M.H. Settlement”
appears to associate the book with Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, giving the volume further academic and ecclesiastical interest.
 
The extensive pencil annotations and underlining throughout strongly suggest prolonged scholarly or clerical use.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
Bound in blue cloth with gilt lettering and gilt borders to the spine.
 
The binding remains structurally sound and attractive for its age with wear including:
rubbing to edges 
soft bumping and rubbing to corners 
very small tears to head and tail of spine 
small edge dent to upper front board 
light scratches and marks 
A solid and respectable theological working copy.
 
Interior Condition
Pages are lightly tanned with light foxing to some preliminary pages and endpapers.
Features include:
multiple ownership labels 
pen inscriptions 
ink blots at top of pages 204 and 205, not affecting text.
extensive pencil annotations and underlining 
occasional small marks and light foxing 
a removed rear flyleaf, likely blank 
a few very small edge tears not affecting text 
several light gutter cracks without structural weakness 
All xxi + 565 pages are present and secure.
 
The annotations materially enhance the book’s scholarly character and evidence prolonged theological study.
 
Physical Details
Pages: xxi + 565
Dimensions: Approximately 22.9 cm x 14.9 cm x 4.4 cm
Weight: Approximately 989 g
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
This title is uncommon in early twentieth-century editions and remains an important Anglican theological reference work.
 
While copies do appear periodically on the market, examples with:
clerical provenance 
scholarly annotations 
ecclesiastical associations 
Oxford-related ownership history 
are distinctly more interesting than standard reading copies.
 
The association with Donald S. Allister significantly strengthens the book’s appeal to collectors of Anglican theology and Church of England history.