An Explanation and Guide to Anglicanism

By the Rev. D. Rebecca Dinovo

Anglicans & Episcopalians: An Explanation

Many people are quite confused over the differences and similarities between Anglicans, Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics. Here is a very short, succinct explanation!

History

ln order to really get this, you first have to know a bit about the history behind the church. In the sixth century the Catholic Church arrived in England through missionaries from Rome and Ireland. This church grew and spread and was an integral part of the wider Catholic communion. In the sixteenth century the church in England declared itself independent from Rome under Henry VIII and then in 1570 Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth l. The church in England then became "The Church of England" and later was referred to simply as the "Anglican Church" (from the word "Anglo").

Anglicans settled in many countries throughout the world and were among the first to settle in North America shortly after the Puritans arrived. However, when the Revolutionary War occurred in North America, the U.S. declared its independence from England and American Anglicans quickly changed their name to "Episcopalians" in order to avoid persecution and obvious ties to England. "Episcopal" simply means "to have bishops."

Picture of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury Today the Anglican Communion consists of churches on every continent. In order to be a member of the Anglican Communion, a Church must be in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury, England. There are currently many Anglicans in countries where the British established colonies and focused missionary efforts including Africa (particularly the Sudan and Nigeria), India, and China, but Anglicans can be found in every country today. Anglicanism is the third largest Christian religious body in the world.

Anglicans and Roman Catholics

Many people are also confused by the similarities they see between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Obviously these similarities are due to their common roots and heritage (since they used to be the same church), but Anglicanism was heavily influenced by the Protestant Reformation and this accounts for some significant differences. An Anglican worship service or "mass" is almost identical to a Roman Catholic service except for a few minor differences. The most obvious difference is the fact that most Anglicans ordain women to the Diaconate, Episcopate, and Priesthood, unlike the Roman Catholic Church. But many other differences exist between Roman Catholics and Anglicans as well. For example, all Anglicans allow their clergy to marry and celibacy is never mandated for clergy unless they are under Religious vows as a monk or nun. Many Anglican Dioceses (not all) ordain homosexuals and bless homosexual unions. While Anglicans respect the Papacy, they are not under Papal authority. Anglicans allow for family planning among their members and encourage the use of contraceptives. Divorce and remarriage is also allowed in the Anglican Church with the counsel and consent of one's priest and Bishop.

Heritage and Tradition

Image of Jesus At the same time, Anglicans treasure their heritage and tradition and are very strong believers in maintaining those ancient traditions, particularly in the areas of worship, liturgy, sacraments, architecture, and patristic theology. lf you really want to upset most Anglicans, tell them that the Eucharist is merely a symbol and not really the Body and Blood of Christ! Anglicans also insist on maintaining Apostolic Succession: the direct lineage of ordination that can be traced back to the apostles. In other words, when my Bishop laid hands on me to ordain me, he had the authority to do so because the Bishops who laid hands on him had hands laid on them who were in the direct line of Bishops going back to the apostles. Anglicans honor and respect their traditions and the writings and practices of the early church and seek to find ways to both maintain their heritage while moving forward to address current issues, thereby living out the middle way or "via media," which is an Anglican ideal.

Moving Forward

The Episcopal Church USA has entered into full communion with the ELCA, the Lutheran Church in America and in so doing, they have reversed nearly 500 years of schism between the churches since the Reformation. Anglicans continue to work with other churches and denominations in many ecumenical efforts to bring unity to the world wide Church. Anglicans are also at the forefront of interfaith dialogue and seek to work together in unity with people of other religions rather than oppose them.

Our Beliefs

To gain a sense of the fundamental beliefs of the Anglican Church, check out our Book of Common Prayer and read our Catechism.

Why Liturgy?

The Anglican Church is accurately described as a "liturgical church" and our worship is entirely liturgical. Below is an explanation as to why we use and love liturgy.

1. Liturgy is Active and Participatory

Liturgy literally means, "the work of the people." Worship in the early church was liturgical-it was not a passive experience but a participatory action and event in which the assembled people of God actively worshipped together. Liturgy requires the active participation of the whole assembly through corporate forms of prayer, song, response, and action. (See the section which explains specific participatory acts in the last section for details.)

2. Liturgy is Biblical

Image of Jesus When we look to the many models we have of worship in Scripture, we find some common themes. First, we see that God's people took seriously the holiness of God in their worship. Often in our western expressions of worship, we have lost a sense of God's holiness in our well-meaning attempts to make God more approachable. This is where we need to make a distinction: God is indeed approachable through Jesus Christ because Jesus has mediated salvation and forgiveness to us. ("Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him." Eph.3:12). However, God is still God and deserves to be approached with awe, reverence, and deep respect for God's Holiness and Other-ness in the context of worship. "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). Hebrews 12:28-29 reminds us, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire."

Image of a bible Old Testament worship, as well as early Church worship, was liturgical. lt included liturgical elements such as ritual and decorative, beautiful surroundings. In God's commands to build the Temple, it was to be decorated . ornately with golden cherubs, lamp stands, carvings, dishes for incense, fine linens of blue and purple, crimson yams, looping blue curtains, sacred vestments, bells, anointing oils, perfumes, etc. (See Ex. 25-30). These passages shed light on how God deigns to be worshipped by God's people; we can apply the spirit of such worship in our worship environments today. This tradition of taking seriously the holiness of God continues in the New Testament. Notice that Jesus was raised in the context of the fullness of jewish worship. Mary, loseph, and Jesus participated fully in the liturgical celebrations and rites of the Temple and local Synagogues. Jesus never spoke against the form of worship itself but he did speak out against the legalism and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day. Jesus upheld the idea that God's house is to be a place of reverential prayer and worship; the only account we have of Jesus being greatly angered is when he encounters the money changers in the Temple. The people were not taking seriously the sanctity of God's house and had turned it into a market place and "den of robbers." This is a serious sin.