Anglicanism Anglicanism is recognized as one of the religious expressions that are integrated into Christianity but that are derived from the schism that represented the Protestant Reformation in the 15th century . Unlike what happens with other forms of Protestantism, Anglicanism is characteristic and almost exclusive to England since it arose as a particular interest of Henry VIII (the then monarch of England), who sought to separate from the Catholic Church and thus establish his own religion.
Summary
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- 1 Emergence
- 2 Beliefs
- 3 News
- 4 Sources
Emergence
Anglicanism emerged in England after the Act of Supremacy ( 1534 ), proclaimed by Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church within his kingdom. In the following centuries, Anglicanism spread throughout the British Empire. The Anglican Communion comprises some 25 independent national Churches, united by communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Almost half of the world’s Anglicans live in the British Isles.
Theologically, Anglicanism must be distinguished from the reformation that Luther and Calvin began. Henry VIII was strongly anti-Protestant and kept most of the elements of the Tradition, so that – regardless of the recognition of the pope as head of the Church – early Anglicanism was not very different from Roman Catholicism. However, a growing number of Church of England leaders showed great sympathy for the thinking of the continent’s reformers, especially Calvin. Consequently, Anglicanism gradually evolved towards a mixture in which some elements of the Catholic tradition were preserved along with an appreciation for some aspects of the Protestant Reformation. As such, Anglicanism has been defined as a middle way.
The Anglican communion has also been characterized by the “understanding” with which a fairly wide diversity of doctrines and disciplines was tolerated, once the acceptance of the fundamental elements of Christianity was established. These fundamental elements reached their classic expression in the so-called Lambetll Quadrilateral ( 1888 ), produced by the Lambeth Conference, the meeting of delegates from the entire Anglican communion, which began in 1867 and then convened every ten years. According to the Quadrilateral, there are four elements necessary to Christianity: faith in the Scriptures as the Word of God, profession of ancient creeds; celebration of baptism and the Eucharist as the two sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ; and the historical episcopate.
Beliefs
Anglicanism as a religious system was outlined as it exists in the Established Church of England, taking into account that there are differences in detail, especially in the liturgy and government of the church, which are found in other parts of the Anglican communion.
- Members of the Church of England are confessed Christians and claim that they are baptized members of the Church of Christ.
- They accept the Scriptures as the word of God , as it appears in the Authorized Version.
- They affirm that Scripture is the only and supreme rule of faith, in the sense that Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation and that nothing can be required as an article of faith that does not appear in them or can be proven by them.
- They accept the Book of Common Prayer as a practical rule of their faith and worship and in it they use the three Creeds as standards of doctrine: that of the Apostles , that of Nicaea and that of Athanasius.
- They believe in two Sacraments of the Gospel — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — as necessary for salvation.
- They claim to have apostolic succession and a validly ordained ministry and only authorize people who they believe to have been so ordained to exercise ministry in their churches.
- They believe that the Church of England is a true and Reformed part, or branch or pair of provinces, of the Catholic Church of Christ.
- They maintain that the Church of England is free from foreign jurisdiction.
- They recognize the king as the supreme governor of the Church and acknowledge that “the government is concerned with all civil or ecclesiastical properties, in all causes.”
- Before being appointed for a benefit or licensed to preach, the clergy declare and subscribe that they “agree to the thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer and to the ordinance of bishops, priests, and deacons, and believe that the doctrine of the Church of England as expressed is according to the Word of God ”.
- One of the articles ( XXV ) thus signed approves the First and Second Books of Homilies that contain “a divine and complete doctrine necessary for these times”, and approves them so that they are read in the churches “diligently and clearly”.
They accept the Bible , much freedom of interpretation is given to the nature and extent of inspiration; that the Eucharistic teaching of the Prayer Book is subject to varied and opposite interpretations; that many consider apostolic succession beneficial but not essential to the nature of the Church; that assent can only be sought from the laity on the Apostles’ Creed and that the Articles of Religion are only required for clergy who have obtained benefits and license.
Present
At present the highest authority of Anglicanism is the Archbishop of Canterbury , although he lacks powers of government. It is a primacy of honor assuming spiritual leadership. The Anglican Churches are always independent of the state although they recognize the Church of England as their mother. One of the most interesting debates in Anglicanism is female priestly ordination. Some Anglican Churches have accepted this question and others have rejected it. The Lambeth Quadrilateral The four principles formulated in 1888 synthesize the doctrinal principles of Anglicanism:
- Sacred Scripture is the revelation of God and contains what is necessary to save oneself through grace and faith. It is the supreme rule and last instance of faith.
- The Nicene creed: it is adequate and sufficient for the Christian faith. The apostolic creed is established as a baptismal symbol.
- The baptismal sacraments and the Lord’s Supper are celebrated as instituted by Christ.
- The historical episcopate is the most important in the ministry of the Church.
