Anglicanism- Catholic and Evangelical

Whenever a new year begins, my thoughts tend to be drawn to the nature of Anglicanism. Over nearly five There have been numerous descriptions and labels applied to Anglican Christianity over nearly 500 years. Many of these descriptions contain some truth but have certain drawbacks. For example, I like the description "evangelical catholic," but that term also has drawbacks. The word "evangelical" has a lot of historical and sociological baggage, and the term "catholic" has been disputed through the centuries. The combination "evangelical catholic" has been used by several other Christian traditions as well as by different strains of Anglicans. Nevertheless, this post attempts a brief explanation of my views on Anglicanism as "evangelical catholic."

Both historically and theologically, Anglicanism has often been considered a Protestant or Evangelical tradition. It broke from Rome and incorporated some insights from Luther and other reformers. The Anglican Church has emphasized the primary authority of Scripture and the centrality of the Gospel (euangelion). In their liturgies and official statements (the Thirty-Nine Articles, Lambeth Quadrilateral, Affirmation of St. Louis, and Jerusalem Declaration), Anglicans have affirmed faith in the Gospel.  Most Anglicans have not been "evangelicals" according to some popular modern expressions, but sincere Anglican believers have been evangelicals in their core beliefs. That is, they have been and are evangelical because they believe in justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and they expect living faith to produce good fruit in the lives of believers.

 At the same time, despite breaking from Rome in the sixteenth century, Anglicans have always viewed themselves as a continuation of catholic Christianity. Anglican churches differ from most churches that broke from the late medieval papacy, and they rightly note that they have retained their catholic heritage. In interpreting Scripture, Anglican reformers and their successors often consulted the early church fathers and claimed a basic continuity in Christian history. Anglican liturgies (whether simple or elaborate) have preserved basic elements from ancient catholic tradition. Anglicans have retained the ancient Creeds as statements of core beliefs, and they have respected the ancient general or ecumenical councils (although sometimes debating the meaning or applicability of some council rulings). Anglicans have retained and respected the ancient orders of ordained ministry, and they have confessed belief in the gracious power of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.  

 Evangelical catholic Anglicanism (like some other Anglican tendencies) has had several expressions. What all these expressions have in common is a focus on the biblical Gospel combined with a respect for universal Christian principles and practices across the ages. Thus, historic Anglicanism has been guided by two broad principles: evangelical and catholic. The first central characteristic is evangelical faith in the biblical good news of redemption through the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God the Son. This evangelical faith has been guarded and expressed through the second central characteristic: the catholic or universal teachings and practices of Christianity. The evangelical and the catholic constantly interact; they depend upon each other for their best expression. Anyone who neglects one or both of these elements misses the fullness of Christianity, and anyone who values both elements shares a common core faith.

Anglicans and The Augsburg Confession of 1530

At best, most Anglicans are only vaguely aware of the Augsburg Confession. Yet, the principles of this Lutheran Confession are embedded in the Anglican tradition. On 25 June 1530, German Lutheran princes, civic leaders, and theologians presented their confession of the Evangelical faith to Emperor Charles V and to the Diet convened at Augsburg. (This year marks the 494th anniversary of that momentous event.) The Augsburg Confession is a clear and relatively concise statement of the theological principles of the conservative Reformation in Germany. Among other points, it demonstrates respect for church tradition while also affirming basic Reformation views on Scriptural authority, justification by faith, the nature of the Church, and the importance of the two Gospel Sacraments. Although certainly reflective of its historical context in Germany, the Augsburg Confession has abiding importance as a Christian affirmation.

Both directly and indirectly, the Augsburg Confession has influenced many other formularies and theologies. Christians as diverse as John Calvin and Pope Benedict XVI have expressed admiration for its broad Christian principles. Thomas Cranmer and other English reformers were under its direct influence. From the first Book of Common Prayer onward, traditional Anglican liturgies have reflected its principles. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion originated from attempts to adapt the principles of the Augsburg Confession to the English ecclesiastical, cultural, and political situation. The general content and even the exact wording of numerous Anglican Articles reflect familiarity with the Augsburg Confession and other Lutheran works. The theological value or meaning of the English adaptations may be debated, but the influence is clear.

So, Anglicans should be more aware of and appreciative of the Augsburg Confession. Although it is not an official Anglican standard, it has had a significant influence on Anglican history, liturgy, and doctrine. The broad principles of the Augsburg Confession are embedded in the Prayer Book and the Articles, and its Scriptural principles have perennial value for Anglicans and all Christians!

Anglicans as Reformed

Many Anglicans say that Anglicanism is "reformed"  Christianity. That is an interesting description, and over the centuries, Anglicans with diverse views might accept it. Almost all Anglicans have been "reformed" in a general way. They have emphasized Scriptural authority, have accepted vernacular liturgy, and have had married clergy. They have also rejected papal infallibility and direct papal jurisdiction. Nevertheless, many Anglicans have acknowledged that they are reformed in some sense without being very clear about what being reformed means. 

So, how should contemporary Anglicans view being "reformed"? Anglicans need to understand being reformed in light of their heritage. Like most Anglicans since the Elizabethan Settlement (roughly 1559-1571), contemporary Anglicans should acknowledge the value and the positive insights of the Reformation. While Anglicans value ancient catholic tradition, they reject Roman authority and emphasize Scriptural authority. This Scriptural emphasis of historic Anglicanism has deep theological implications.

In a practical, sometimes fuzzy, Anglo-Saxon way, Anglicans acknowledge the Reformation "solas": sola Scriptura, sola gratia, and sola fide. Furthermore, Anglicans cannot honestly deny that Reformation figures such as Luther, Bullinger, Bucer, Calvin, and Melanchthon influenced the theology and practice of the Anglican Reformers and many Anglicans down through the last five centuries. The Books of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles are Reformed documents. So being Reformed or Protestant is an inherent characteristic of Anglican belief and practice. No amount of revisionism by either high church or progressive partisans changes the historical facts.

Thomas Cranmer- 21 March 1556

 On the twenty-first day of March in 1556, Thomas Cranmer died at the stake in Oxford, England. Despite his human weaknesses, he died as a martyr for his understanding of the Christian Faith. Although no one person founded Anglicanism, Cranmer left an enduring legacy in the Book of Common Prayer, the general content of the Thirty-Nine Articles, and four of the Anglican Homilies. Some details of his evolving personal theologies would not be acceptable to many later Anglicans; yet in his theological and liturgical writings, Cranmer did express the Anglican perennial respect for both Scripture and the ancient Church Fathers. He was also a master of the English language. Furthermore, he had a great personal influence on both Elizabeth I and his Elizabethan successor, Archbishop Matthew Parker. This all means that the Elizabethan Settlement and later Anglicanism owe much of their content to Cranmer.

Anglicans and the Reformation

Late October is a time when many Christians think about Martin Luther and the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Although Anglicans sometimes have divergent views about the 16th-17th century reforms, the Reformation clearly influenced the beliefs and practices of the English Church.

In the early years of the Reformation, some English Reformers were influenced by Luther. For example, William Tyndale was described as and martyred as a "Lutheran." His Bible translation, which has influenced subsequent English versions, was guided in many respects by the Luther Bible. Lutheran liturgical reforms influenced the Anglican Daily Office, the Order for Holy Communion, and the Litany. The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of  Religion were influenced by the Augsburg Confession and by some Reformed or "Calvinist" documents. Furthermore, many collects and other prayers were revised or rewritten under Reformation influence to emphasize grace and faith and to minimize ideas of human merit. 

As time went on, various continental and native reformers became influential in England, but the English Reformation followed a conservative Reformation model. It emphasized Scripture while affirming the ancient Creeds, preserving liturgical worship, and keeping traditional forms of ministry. The English Church sought to reform itself while avoiding radical discontinuity with the Christianity that had gone before. It rejected more extreme reforms as well as papal authority and some medieval doctrines. 

In general terms, observers within and without the English Church considered it Protestant.  Although influenced by European Protestantism, English thinkers such as Jewel, Hooker, and Andrewes began to develop unique English tendencies. Anglicans developed a different ethos from other Reformation heritages. While still honoring the ancient catholic tradition, Anglicans asserted that the medieval Church needed reforming. They honored certain observations and principles of the Reformation. Anglicans placed Scriptural authority first; they emphasized grace and justification by faith, and they saw sanctification as a fruit of grace and faith. Anglicans viewed these Reformation principles as consistent with the best in the catholic or universal Christian heritage of all times and all places.

The Anglican Blend

As we approach Pentecost and consider the descent of the Holy Spirit to establish and empower the Christian Church, I have been ruminating on the place of Anglicanism in the universal Church. Most Christian traditions have a narrowly defined theology, but Anglicanism tends to be different. Most Anglicans have had a broader outlook. Sometimes, such Anglican breadth may seem like a weakness, and sometimes, it may seem like a strength, but in either case, Anglican doctrine is not usually defined very narrowly. Historically at least, Anglican liturgy and Anglican polity have been easier to identify while Anglican doctrine has seemed less distinctive.

Anglican doctrine has covered a wide range, partly because of political, social, and religious factors in English history. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion reflect some of these factors in the sixteenth century. Some points of the Articles are clear, but some are deliberately vague. In addition, many Anglicans have deliberately sought to be comprehensive theologically. Thus, Bishop John Cosin (1594-1672) has often been quoted as saying that the Anglican Church is "Protestant and Reformed according to the principles of the ancient Catholic Church." Likewise, Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher (1887-1972) wrote that Anglicanism "has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning." While Fisher exaggerates, he does have a point. Anglican theology is both Catholic and Protestant. It brings together and passes on the best from the whole heritage of broadly orthodox Christianity.

So is there anything unique in  Anglican theology? Yes, but upon reflection, it is not a specialized systematic theology. It is rather in the blend. Like some good teas, coffees, or wines, Anglicanism takes good things from the whole of Christian history and tradition- from the Apostles, the ancient Fathers, the medieval Church, and a variety of (but not all!) modern movements in Christianity. Particular Anglicans may stress one aspect of the blend or another, but it is the blend that gives Anglicanism its unique flavor in doctrine as well as in liturgy and polity. Of course, there are limits. Scripture, ancient catholic tradition, and Reformation insights define certain core aspects of both doctrine and morality; everything is not permissible. Yet, the Anglican blend reflects the realities of Christian history and experience. It is a recognition that God has worked and still works in various and sundry ways.

Why A Traditional Book of Common Prayer? A Brief Reflection

Over the years, numerous people have asked me why I prefer traditional Prayer Book services. Sometimes, that question seems to contain a hidden suggestion. The suggestion or implication is that the traditional versions of the Book of Common Prayer and all traditional religious language services are outdated. Of course, Prayer Book language differs from contemporary secular language; at times, the average Christian of our time does need to pause in order to understand certain words or phrases. Some expressions or uses could be clarified or updated by trustworthy editors. Over the past centuries, great liturgies have undergone some modifications, and they will doubtless continue to be adapted in the future.

Yet, acknowledging some linguistic issues does not mean that the Book of Common Prayer as a whole is outdated. Most of the language in a traditional BCP service is comprehensible to a moderately literate English speaker who wants to understand the Christian faith. The contemporary issue is more often whether a person really wishes to understand traditional Christianity. In other words, for many contemporaries, the difficulty in understanding traditional Common Prayer liturgies is not primarily linguistic but personal and theological.

Proclaiming the Christian Faith is a central issue, and traditional Book of Common Prayer liturgies provide us with a treasury from almost two millennia of Christian doctrine and devotion. So the main solution to problems of understanding is not to dilute the sound doctrine of traditional Prayer Books; the solution is to preach and teach sound Christian theology. That means that we all need to understand certain Christian theological vocabulary. Some of this vocabulary may sound unfamiliar to secularized people, but this Christian vocabulary is rooted in Scripture and Christian history. Certain words and concepts are essential for a mature understanding of the Scriptural message of salvation. And this Scriptural message of salvation permeates traditional Book of Common Prayer services. So while clergy and other teachers may explain certain words and ideas, it is best to continue the tested Christian traditions of worship.