ORIGINS OF THE NAME
We often get, "What's an Angelican?" Close, but not exactly the right name. The name “Anglican” is traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Europe. Anglicanism is the expression of the historic Christian faith that developed in England. As the Anglican Church developed and expanded, it began to include “all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9). Today, the Anglican tradition is shared by people of many languages and cultures all over the world.
We often get, "What's an Angelican?" Close, but not exactly the right name. The name “Anglican” is traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Europe. Anglicanism is the expression of the historic Christian faith that developed in England. As the Anglican Church developed and expanded, it began to include “all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9). Today, the Anglican tradition is shared by people of many languages and cultures all over the world.
HISTORICALLY ROOTED
One way we describe our church is this: If the Baptist church and the Catholic church had a baby, it would be an Anglican church. As an Anglican church, we see ourselves as being in continuity with the ancient Church. The gospel has not changed: we are inheritors of a faith preached by the apostles, handed down through the early centuries of the church. This is our catholic expression. Even our forms of worship would be recognizable to 2nd-century Christians as belonging to the same lineage of faith. By the time of the English Reformation, our tradition experienced a spiritual and theological renewal. This is a bit of our baptist heritage (for lack of a better term). The Book of Common Prayer shapes our worship and life together around this tradition, and we celebrate its beauty, stability, and power to put us in the way of Jesus. Nonetheless, the best way to learn more about Anglicanism is by experiencing our worship through Word and Sacrament.
One way we describe our church is this: If the Baptist church and the Catholic church had a baby, it would be an Anglican church. As an Anglican church, we see ourselves as being in continuity with the ancient Church. The gospel has not changed: we are inheritors of a faith preached by the apostles, handed down through the early centuries of the church. This is our catholic expression. Even our forms of worship would be recognizable to 2nd-century Christians as belonging to the same lineage of faith. By the time of the English Reformation, our tradition experienced a spiritual and theological renewal. This is a bit of our baptist heritage (for lack of a better term). The Book of Common Prayer shapes our worship and life together around this tradition, and we celebrate its beauty, stability, and power to put us in the way of Jesus. Nonetheless, the best way to learn more about Anglicanism is by experiencing our worship through Word and Sacrament.
CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE?
Check out this teaching by Fr. Kyle on the history of Anglicanism. Also, look through our selection of resources!
Check out this teaching by Fr. Kyle on the history of Anglicanism. Also, look through our selection of resources!