Is Anglican Christianity Protestant?

Some Anglicans, as well as other observers, emphasize the "Catholic" aspects of Anglicanism. They assert certain points to support their claims. These points include Anglican adherence to the ancient creeds, respect for the ancient church fathers and councils, use of liturgical forms, and a sense of historical continuity in the Church. These "catholic" characteristics are generally more evident in the Anglican tradition than in most traditions influenced by the Protestant Reformation.

However, the historical facts indicate that in some basic ways, Anglicanism is "Protestant." The principles of the Protestant Reformation are reflected in the traditional Books of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.  The Prayer Books are filled with Reformation themes, including scriptural authority, unmerited grace, and justifying faith. The Articles of Religion are a moderate "Protestant" document, influenced by both Lutheran and Reformed tendencies and confessions as well as by ancient catholic tradition.

So, Anglicanism is a unique case. It has kept many basic beliefs and practices from ancient and medieval Catholicism. However, from a historical viewpoint, it is a moderate form of "Protestantism." At the very least, Anglicans are Western-rite Christians who reject universal and immediate papal authority. In addition, the traditional Prayer Books, the Thirty-nine Articles, and the general Anglican ethos from the sixteenth century onward support observers from a variety of Christian traditions who view Anglicanism as one of the developments from the Protestant Reformation. Despite its affirmation of ancient catholic Christianity and the existence of varied Anglican perspectives on history and theology, Anglicanism in all its forms reflects the influences of the sixteenth-century Reformation.