Session #3 - Shades of Anglicanism

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Movements within the Church

From its very inception the Anglican Church has been defined by internal movements struggling for their particular vision of the Church to win out over all others.  The first 30 years of our history can be best understood as a tug-of-war between those who wished to remain faithful to many of the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church ('Catholics') and those who felt that the beginning of change in the Church of England was an opportunity for a full 'Protestant' reformation ('Puritans').  Despite the Elizabethan settlement which calmed much of the heated debate (and burnings at the stake!), the struggle of different movements within the Church of England to assert dominance continued and continues today.

The Growth of Latitudinarianism

Through the end of the 17th century and into the 18th the monarchy became more and more indifferent toward the specific religious outlook of their subjects.  Without the monarchy's will to enforce uniformity an increasing amount of church doctrine, liturgical practice, and church organization came to be seen as matters of adiaphora - of little importance.  The church became just another government branch and, like much of the English government of the 18th century, was rife with corruption and amorality.  To look at it from Richard Hooker's perspective, the Church became increasingly defined by the 'leg' of Reason.  This left Scriptures as simply another book to be interpreted and Tradition as just the history of the church.  This movement was referred to as 'Latitudinarian' because of the 'latitude' of beliefs they allowed, as long as they were 'reasonable.'

The Rise of Evangelicalism

By the early 18th century, increasing dissatisfaction with the corruption of the government and Parliament's influence in the affairs of the Church of England led to a desire for a revival of a more vital and living faith.  The result was the rise of a movement which called for a recognition of the inherent sinfulness of humanity and its need for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  This movement highlighted the need for charismatic teachers, small group bible studies, an uncritical acceptance of the truth as revealed through Scripture and focussed much attention on the moment of conversion - the 'felt' knowledge of God's salvation in one's life.  Because of their focus on spreading the 'good news' of salvation to each and every person, they became known as 'Evangelicals.'  Some prominent Anglican Evangelicals such as John Wesley ultimately felt they were at odds with the established Church of England and so separated to start their own denomination - 'Methodism.'  Most maintained committed to the unity of the Church of England and so continued to work towards emphasizing the Scriptural 'leg' of Anglicanism through groups such as the Church Missionary Society and British and Foreign Bible Society (a pre-curser to the modern Bible Society).  To this day the Evangelical movement remains a strong and vital part of the Anglican Communion, especially in the fastest growing parts of our Church, the Global South.

The Birth of the Oxford Movement

Despite the growth of Latitudinarianism and rise of Evangelicals, the Catholic party remained alive and well in the background of the Church.  It found its voice and source of unity in the early 18th century writings of a number of preachers, teachers and laity involved with Oxford university, thus garnering the name "The Oxford Movement."  Like the Evangelical movement, the Oxford Movement rose in opposition to the government's corruption and control of the Church.  Its leaders called the Church to hold to the basic Catholic traditions of episcopacy, apostolic succession and the ritual elements of worship...in short, they emphasized the Traditional 'leg' of Anglicanism.  The main tenants of the Oxford Movement's beliefs were laid out in 90 Tracts for our Times written by John Henry Newman and so they were also known as 'Tractarians.'  The main thrust of these Tracts was to prove that the Church of England was simply one branch of the true Church, along with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.  Newman sought to prove that Anglican beliefs, especially as they were laid out in the Book of Common Prayer and Thirty-Nine Articles, were actually no different from those of the Roman Catholic Church.  In the end, however, like Wesley in the case of the Evangelical Movement, Newman felt that his beliefs would no longer allow him to remain a member of the Church of England and he along with nearly a thousand ministers, theological leaders and laity defected to the Roman Catholic Church.  This was not the end of the movement, however.  Many remained committed to the unity of the Church of England and continued to work toward spreading their beliefs through groups such as Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG).  Remaining faithful to the Anglican Church while highlighting Catholic traditions, these 'Anglo-Catholics' remain an active and integral part of our Church today.

It is worth noting that the Anglican Church in Newfoundland and Labrador owes a great deal to the work of the Anglo-Catholic movement.  Bishop Edward Feild, who is largely responsible for the building of a viable church in Newfoundland and Labrador, was a staunch and out-spoken Anglo-Catholic.  Many of the parishes and institutions he started were funded through the SPG.  His theological school (Queen's College) was built upon Anglo-Catholic beliefs and promoted worship of an Anglo-Catholic slant, influencing to this day the clergy and laity of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The first clergy in the Bay of Islands, U.Z. Rule, along with his successor, J.J. Curling and others, were also devout Anglo-Catholics.

Sticks and Stones...

These aren't the only names that Anglicans have used to describe themselves.  'High church' refers to those who place greater emphasis on the church's structure and traditions.  'Low church' refers to those who place less emphasis on these issues; originally applied to Latitudinarians, it later came to be used to describe Evangelicals.  'Broad church' refers specifically to the 'broad' acceptance of variety of belief within the Church of England.  Though this term too was originally used of the Latitudinarians, it now also describes those Anglicans who are neither Evangelical nor Anglo-Catholic.  'Charismatic' refers to those who highlight the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a sign of salvation - a movement which can be found in practically every Christian denomination.  Let us be clear, this is not an exhaustive list.  From the international communion down to individual congregations one can find many more names, defining groups and movements within the Anglican Church.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

Most of the movements within the Anglican Church grew in opposition to some other group or issues within the Church.  How have disagreements with others played a role in your faith journey? To simplify matters, the three main movements in the Anglican Church each highlight one of Hooker's three 'legs' of truth: Latitudinarians (Reason), Evangelicals (Scripture), and Anglo-Catholics (Tradition).  Within which of these three groups would you feel more comfortable?  Why? When either of these movements are taken to their extreme, the church is fractured: some evangelicals founded other denominations; some Anglo-Catholics defected to Roman Catholicism; and some Latitudinarians moved outside of religion altogether.  How can we hope to maintain unity in such a divisive church? The wonderful and often frustrating part of being Anglican is that each individual's beliefs falls into a number of categories.  Of the names defined in this reading, how would you describe yourself?  (Personally, I am a Low church, Anglo-catholic, Liberal...I think!) In the current arguments in our church over the place of homosexuality and the blessing of same-sex unions, if we listen carefully we can hear how different arguments appeal to either Scripture, Church Traditions/Committees and/or Reason.  Can you identify and describe some of the arguments you have overheard, or used yourself? Would you say that we are a stronger or weaker church because of our diversity?  Why?