Peter Toon was a Yorkshireman, an Anglican clergyman, theologian, and church historian. Former librarian of Latimer House in Oxford, curate of St Ebbe's, and later a tutor at Oak Hill, after a brief spell in County Durham he moved to America and served churches in the United States until almost the end of his life. He was President of the Prayer Book Society in the United States, but eventually returned to England to serve as Priest-in-Charge of a Staffordshire village church. He was widely in demand as a speaker throughout the Commonwealth, Europe, and Asia.
The inaugural Peter Toon Lecture, established in his memory, was delivered by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali on the subject of what the Thirty-nine Articles call the "most wholesome doctrine" of justification by faith. His thoughtful presentation ranges widely from Genesis 15 and Galatians 3, to Augustine, the Reformers, the Council of Trent, Tom Wright, John Piper, and Benedict XVI.
'In a tour-de-force, Bishop Michael tackles the vital subject of being right with God exegetically, historically, theologically, and pastorally. It is stretching, though intelligible for the ordinary lay Christian, and demonstrates good evidence of keeping up with contemporary scholarship on this subject, which is of course vast.' (Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society)
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali was formerly bishop of Rochester. A personal friend of Peter and Vita Toon, Dr. Nazir-Ali's latest book Triple Jeopardy for the West examines the very hot topics of aggressive secularism, radical Islam, and multiculturalism. He is currently the President of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy, and Dialogue.
