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.

The Thirty-Nine Articles and Anglican Identity

 A significant question about Anglican Christianity, past and present, concerns its definition. What makes a church or a person Anglican? Is it merely English heritage or being Anglophile? Is it mainly having a traditional Book of Common Prayer or a modern derivative? Is it having bishops?  Is it being recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury? Is being Anglican a matter of sharing opinions held by some historic Anglican party such as Low, High, or Broad Church? More than one of these characteristics probably applies to anyone who identifies as Anglican. 

However, there remains one important characteristic of Anglican identity that I have not listed. That characteristic is the position of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion as a formulary or standard. Ironically, this theological statement that was intended to promote relative harmony in the sixteenth-century Church of England (1562,1571) has occasioned much debate and dissension over the years. In recent times,  Anglicans of varied persuasions have distanced themselves from the Articles. Even Anglicans who praise the Articles in theory often seem to ignore them.

Despite such recent trends, the historical fact is that most Anglicans for well over 400 years have affirmed some adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles. Since at least 1662, they have been printed with the English Book of Common Prayer and Ordinal (and since 1801 with the American Book of Common Prayer). Furthermore, when non-Anglicans from diverse backgrounds write about Anglican beliefs, they always seem to mention the Articles along with the Prayer Book. So whether particular Anglican individuals or groups appreciate the Thirty-Nine Articles or not, as a historical reality, the Articles are associated with Anglican heritage and identity.

The Articles help one understand what Anglicanism intended to be. Along with the Prayer Book liturgies, the Articles express some basic Anglican principles and tendencies. They emphasize the authority of Scripture, affirm core teachings of the ancient catholic faith, and maintain some important Reformation insights on faith and life. Despite historical developments since their approval, they are still a valuable statement of principles. They contain basic Christian affirmations along with some distinctive English emphases. Through the Articles and the Prayer Book, one can see the basic characteristics of Anglican historical identity, an identity that has sought to be catholic, evangelical, and reformed.