Is Anglicanism Reformed Catholic?

In Anglican circles, one sometimes hears or reads that Anglicanism is "reformed catholic."  That is an interesting phrase, and with qualifications, most Anglicans over the centuries might accept the description. However, there have been great differences in the understanding of and application of the term "reformed catholic." Many Anglicans have not been clear about what being both catholic and reformed means. For some Anglo-Catholics, Catholic seems to mean accepting a medieval Thomistic, a Tridentine, or a Vatican II theology. The fact is that these extreme views do not represent the historic tendencies of the Anglican tradition.

A better historical understanding of the term "reformed catholic" is found in leaders such as  Cranmer, Parker, Jewell, Whitfield, the Wesleys, Simeon, Ryle, and Packer. These Anglicans were "reformed catholic" in the sense of honoring both the best doctrine and practice of the ancient church and the insights of the Reformation.  Anglicans have affirmed that the Medieval and Renaissance Church needed serious reforming, but they have also affirmed the catholic elements of their heritage, especially elements of liturgy and theology received from the Church of the early centuries.  Most Anglicans since 1549 have respected both the ancient Catholic tradition and major insights of the Reformation, and many contemporary Anglicans do the same. Being both catholic and reformed is part of the Anglican heritage, and it continues to be a distinctive part of Anglican Christianity.