I could have headed this post 'Protestant' but here my context gets the better of me. This is a blog from an English perspective and so I write about what I know. There are other episcopal Protestant Churches, such as the Lutherans and Zwinglians, which like the Anglicans claim to have inherited the apostolic succession and in addition many other small churches which have reinvented episcopal church structures but make no claim to apostolic succession.
The Anglicans, like the other mainstream Protestant churches, claim to trace the line of Bishops back to the first apostles. This is a controversial claim from several perspectives but it is seen, by those churches making this claim, as a significant unifying factor, particularly for those seeking unity with the Catholic and Orthodox churches. There are, for example, Methodist Bishops (although not in Britain) who do not make this claim. If the British Methodist Church ever has Bishops it will be through taking up the historic episcope but more about that later.
Anglicans can be found all over the world but Anglicanism is not a world church. There is communion between Anglican churches and they maintain this through the Lambeth Conference which meets every 10 years.
The Church of England is distinctive in being the first Anglican church and in its established status in England. (The Church in Wales and Scottish Episcopalian Church are separate Anglican churches and not established.)
One distinguishing feature of the Church of England, which in my view is significant, is that the clergy are trained and deployed nationally. The link between the priest and his or her home diocese seems to be weaker than in the Orthodox or Catholic churches, although it does seem there is a tendency to stay within one Diocese once assigned there. However, this does not in itself weaken the Parish system. It may though account in some degree to the tendency of the Church of England to form theological factions.
Whether these factions are a strength or weakness depends on how they are viewed. As a strength they are evidence of the Church of England's genius at ecumenism. They are evidence that, primarily through common liturgy, a church can hold together a wide range of theological positions. As a weakness, certain issues tend to pull the church apart, particularly in recent times the debates around sexuality and the ordination of women.
Ecumenically, Anglican churches see themselves as a part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Their resultant strong emphasis on unity has been a strength of the Church of England and one that is easy to overlook. Their internal inclusiveness, is expressed ecumenically as a commitment to Christian unity. It is not hard to see to what extent this all inclusive view has contributed to England's self-identity as a nation even though it can be underestimated.
Disclaimer: My aim in these accounts of ecclesiology is to paint a positive overall picture, although I may from time to time touch upon problems and issues. I am not an expert in this field and may make some mistakes. I welcome any comments that will help me present a clearer and more accurate picture. Please note I am not aiming for an in-depth analysis at this stage.
Comments