Anglicanism- Catholic and Evangelical

 At the beginning of a new year, my thoughts are often drawn to the nature of Anglicanism. 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 is a brief attempt to explain how I view Anglicanism as "evangelical catholic."

 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 the interpretation of 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, especially Baptism and the Eucharist.  

At the same time, both historically and theologically, Anglicanism has often been considered a Protestant 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 (Thirty-Nine Articles, Lambeth Quadrilateral, Affirmation of St. Louis, and Jerusalem Declaration), Anglicans have affirmed faith in the Gospel. Anglicans have not been "evangelicals" according to some popular 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.

Evangelical catholic Anglicanism (like 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.

Advent II- Romans 15:4; Luke 21:33- Scripture

In the Anglican tradition, the Second Sunday in Advent highlights the importance of Holy Scripture. We see this importance in two verses in the Scriptures for the day. Romans 15:4 says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." In St. Luke 21:33, Jesus says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." 

In theory, all Christian groups maintain that the Bible is a foundational Christian authority, but Christians from varied backgrounds view this authority in distinctive ways. Traditional Anglicans do not read or understand Holy Scripture in isolation. The Bible is our primary doctrinal and moral authority, and it contains God's self-revelation for all generations of Christians.  However, Anglicans believe that Scripture should be understood within the community of faith, the Church. Thoughtful believers from different times and backgrounds have agreed on the basics, and they have summarized Scriptural beliefs in the ancient Creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian). In the sixteenth century, Anglicans called these biblical principles "things necessary to salvation" (Article of Religion VI).

The basic and necessary teachings of the Bible are clear and are expressed in the Creeds, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the two greatest Sacraments (Baptism and the Eucharist). Such Scriptural teachings are good and powerful. Yet, these Biblical teachings are not magical formulae. We cannot separate Scripture from the core historic interpretations of Christ's catholic and orthodox Church. A true understanding and application of Scripture is not an isolated individual experience; it comes through divine grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in the body of believers from all times and places. 

During Advent, we think about the coming of Christ, the incarnate Word. As we reflect, let us also meditate on the written Word in Holy Scripture. May we be open to reading, hearing, and learning from God's Word in the Bible throughout Advent and all the days of our lives!

What about the Thirty-Nine Articles?

Since the sixteenth century, Anglican Christianity has often struggled with its identity. Certain characteristics have been obvious, such as its liturgical worship rooted in the Books of Common Prayer, a deep respect for Scripture, and the continuation of the ministry of bishops, presbyters/priests, and deacons. 

One disputed question has been the position of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. At first, the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were intended to establish broad theological boundaries for the Elizabethan Church of England (1562, 1571). The Articles can be described as an attempt at theological inclusiveness, but they have often occasioned (and sometimes still cause) debate or dissension. Although the Thirty-Nine Articles are an inescapable fact of Anglican history and are still printed in most Books of Common Prayer, many Anglicans have debated their authority and their precise meaning. Some Anglicans and many non-Anglican observers have viewed them as a strict definition of Anglican doctrine; other Anglicans have ignored the Articles or dismissed them as practically irrelevant. The original intent of the Crown, Parliament, and Convocation of clergy seems to have been more moderate than either extreme. They generally viewed the Articles as broad and comprehensive boundaries for English Christianity.

The Articles themselves reflect diverse influences- patristic Catholicism, Renaissance Christian Humanism, the Lutheran Reformation, the Swiss Reformation, and English ecclesiastical traditions. They exclude certain medieval and Counter-Reformation "Catholic" views, "Zwinglian" and Anabaptist sacramental views, and strict congregational or presbyterian ecclesiology. With these exclusions, they remain susceptible to varied interpretations. During the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline periods, the Articles were often interpreted from either "Calvinist" or "Arminian" perspectives, but they were also open to other quietly held interpretations. 

In conclusion, neither Anglicans nor other Christians can ignore the historical fact that the Thirty-Nine Articles are associated with Anglican heritage and identity. The Articles express some basic Anglican theological tendencies. They emphasize the authority of Scripture, affirm core teachings of the ancient Christian faith and the Creeds, assert the value of the Sacraments, and support three orders of ministry. They are also moderately "reformed" or "Protestant." Nevertheless, the Articles are open to different interpretations on many issues. They are not a statement of systematic theology. They are neither strictly Lutheran, Calvinist, Tridentine, nor liberal. Their teachings are affirmations of some basic Christian principles from a moderate Reformation perspective.

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.

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." So, let us think about the concept. 

For some Anglicans, reformed has meant Reformed in a "Swiss" sense.  They see a major theological influence on the English Reformation in figures such as Melanchthon, Bucer, Bullinger, and Calvin. Of course, these reformers often influenced English church history. Although the Anglican Church never officially accepted all of their ideas or practices, the English Church did have close ties with these continental Reformers for about a century.

For some other Anglicans, catholic has meant accepting medieval Thomism, Tridentine definitions, or Vatican II theology. While catholic Anglicanism has shared points with those traditions, Anglicans do not accept their formulations and practices on significant points. The most notable disagreements center around the role and authority of the Bishop of Rome. The Anglican tradition does not accept papal claims or papal theological definitions from the Middle Ages, Trent, Vatican I, or Vatican II. Their views of papal authority are not compatible with the historic tendencies of the Anglican tradition. The Bishop of Rome "hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England" (Article XXXVII), either civilly or ecclesiastically. The same applies among all Anglicans.

A broader understanding of the term "reformed catholic" has existed among many Anglicans over five centuries. Anglicans have been "reformed catholic" in the sense of honoring both the best doctrine and practice of the ancient church and key insights of the Reformation era.  Anglicans have recognized that the Medieval and Renaissance Church needed serious reforms, while also affirming the catholic elements of their heritage, especially elements of liturgy and theology received from the Church of the early centuries.  Most Anglicans since 1559 have respected both the ancient Catholic tradition and major insights of the Reformation. Being both catholic and reformed has been a characteristic of the Anglican heritage, and it remains a distinctive description of orthodox Anglicanism.