Church of England - Revision history

PeterWilson at 18:59, 1 December 2021

2021-12-01T18:59:51Z

DavidWalker at 18:39, 18 May 2020

2020-05-18T18:39:07Z

PeterWilson at 20:38, 24 February 2017

2017-02-24T20:38:32Z

PeterWilson: /* The Conflicts of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries */

2015-09-02T09:29:55Z

‎The Conflicts of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

DavidWalker at 10:15, 12 February 2015

2015-02-12T10:15:42Z

DavidWalker at 10:19, 18 May 2010

2010-05-18T10:19:30Z

DavidWalker at 10:12, 18 May 2010

2010-05-18T10:12:35Z

DavidWalker: New page: The '''Church of England''' is one of the denominations or branches of the Christian Church, and is the Established Church in England. The '''Church of England''' is someti...

2010-05-18T10:07:53Z

New page: The '''Church of England''' is one of the denominations or branches of the Christian Church, and is the Established Church in England. The '''Church of England''' is someti...

New page

The '''Church of England''' is one of the [[denomination]]s or branches of the [[Christian]] [[Church]], and is the [[Established Church]] in England. The '''Church of England''' is sometimes referred to as the '''Anglican Church''', and the word '''Anglican''', either as an [[adjective]] or as a [[noun]], may be used of a member of the [[Church]].

=====Early History=====

Although there were probably [[Christian]] converts in Britain as early as the first century CE, the '''Church of England''' traces its institutional origins to the final years of the sixth century, when [[St Augustine of Canterbury]] (died c605) was sent to Britain as a missionary by Pope Gregory I. In 597 Augustine had a church built at Canterbury, at that time the capital of the Kingdom of Kent, and in the following year became the first [[Archbishop]] of Canterbury. The [[Church]] followed the practices of Western [[Christendom]] and after the [[Great Schism]] of 1054 became part of the [[Roman Catholic]] Church and accepted the supreme authority of the [[Pope]].

=====The Conflicts of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries=====

The '''Church of England''' as it is today has been shaped by the religious and political conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1534 when [[Pope]] Clement VII refused to grant King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547, reigned 1509-1547) an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Henry, determined not to be thwarted in his plans for a male heir, declared that he, and not the [[Pope]], was the Supreme Head of the '''Church of England'''. Henry was [[excommunicated]] in 1538 by Clement's successor, [[Pope]] Paul III, and in this way the '''Church of England''' separated from the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] - a separation which did not at this stage involve any changes in doctrine or forms of worship. It was only later, during the reign of Henry's successor, Edward VI (1537-1553, reigned 1547-1553), that the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), introduced into '''Anglican''' doctrines and forms of worship a number of changes which reflected the teachings of the [[Protestant]] Reformers - changes that were reversed by Edward's successor, Mary I (1516-1558, reigned 1553-1558), a fervent [[Catholic]], who brought the '''Church of England''' back under the authority of the [[Pope]]. This conflict within the '''Church of England''' between the [[Protestant]]s, who favoured reform, and the conservative [[Catholic]]s was mitigated, if not resolved, by Mary's successor, Elizabeth I (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603), who enacted a compromise between the two parties. This compromise, usually known as the Elizabethan settlement, reaffirmed the independence of the '''Church of England''' from the authority of the [[Pope]] and incorporated some of the teachings of the [[Protestant]] reformers into the [[Church]]'s doctrine - see the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]] - but at the same time acknowledged the continuity of the '''Church of England''' with the [[Roman Catholic]] Church with respect to its forms of worship, its organisational structure, and the weight it placed on the teachings of the [[Church Fathers]].

However, the conflict between the [[Protestant]] 'reformers' and [[Catholic]] 'traditionalists' did not disappear and, in the following century, it was one of the causes of the English Civil War (1642-1649) between the [[Roundhead]]s (or [[Protestant]] supporters of the Parliamentary cause) and the [[Cavalier]]s (or 'traditionalist' supporters of the monarchy). The Civil War was won by the Roundheads. In 1649 King Charles I (1600-1649, reigned 1625-1649) was executed, the monarchy was abolished, and England briefly became a Commonwealth, i.e., a republic, in which the government enforced [[Puritanism]], i.e., an extreme form of [[Protestantism]], as the national religion. The unpopularity of the [[Puritan]] Commonwealth led to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the new king, Charles II (1630-1685, reigned 1660-1685), in effect re-enacted the Elizabethan settlement - except that it was now accepted that the '''Church of England''' could not hope to embrace the entire population of England within its membership and that the existence of [[Nonconformist]]s or [[Dissenter]]s would have to be acknowledged, however grudgingly.

=====The '''Church of England''' Today=====

Since the seventeenth century there have been few, if any, fundamental changes in the '''Church of England'''. Its doctrines remain those set out in the [[Thirty-NIne Articles]], which formed part of the Elizabethan settlement, and many of its services still follow the forms laid down in the ''Book of Common Prayer'' (1549,1552), though in recent decades the ''Alternative Service Book'' (1980) and ''Common Worship'' (2000) have provided for the use of more contemporary language in services. Flanked, on the one side, by the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] and, on the other, by the various [[Nonconformist]] [[Church]]es, the '''Church.of England''' continues to occupy the 'middle ground' in English religious life; and although its active membership declined dramatically throughout the twentieth century, it remains the [[Established Church]] in England, i.e., it is officially acknowledged by the government as the national [[Church]]. It has also sought to maintain its traditions of inclusivity and tolerance, counting among its members [[Christian]]s with very different religious attitudes and allegiances. In fact it is possible to distinguish a number of groups, 'factions', or 'wings' within the [[Church]], namely:
*a 'High Church' or Anglo-Catholic wing, which emphasises the [[Roman Catholic]] tradition within the '''Church of England''' and favours elaborate rituals and forms of worship;
*a 'Low Church' or [[Evangelical]] wing, which emphasises some of the [[Protestant]] elements in '''Anglican''' doctrine and, in particular, the teaching of the [[Protestant]] reformers that salvation for the individual [[Christian]] rests on belief in Jesus, not on 'good works' or acceptance of the [[sacrament]]s - [[Evangelical]]s are hostile to the more elaborate forms of worship and ritual favoured by Anglo-Catholics; and
*a 'Broad Church' or Latitudinarian wing, distinguished by its liberal attitude in matters of doctrine and its willingness to accommodate within the [[Church]] those whose views others might condemn as unorthdox.

=====Organisation=====

The '''Church of England''' resembles the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] in having a strongly [[hierarchical]] structure. At the most basic level are the [[parish]]es, each [[parish]] consisting of the members of the [[Church]] in a particular locality and the priest who has care of them. The different [[parish]]es in an area are under [[episcopal]] authority, i.e., under the authority of a [[bishop]], the area over which the [[bishop]] has authority being known as a [[diocese]] (pronounced DY-er-sis, {{IPA|ËˆdaÉªÉ™sÉªs}}). In England today there are 43 dioceses, which in turn are grouped into two [[province]]s, the Province of York and the Province of Canterbury, each under an [[Archbishop]], the Archbishop of Canterbury being the senior archbishop, with authority over both provinces, and having the title Primate of All England.

=====The '''Anglican''' [[Communion]]=====

The '''Church of England''' is not only the [[Established Church]] in England but is the 'Mother Church' of the '''Anglican [[Communion]]''', a group of 38 national or regional [[Church]]es whose beliefs, forms of worship, and organisational structures resemble those of the '''Church of England'''. The Archbishop of Canterbury is not only the Primate of All England but is recognised as ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals) of the Archbishops who preside over the other [[Church]]es in the '''Anglican [[Communion]]'''.

[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]][[Category:European culture]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:59, 1 December 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	The '''Church of England''' is one of the [[denomination]]s or branches of the [[Christian]] [[Church]], and is the [[Established Church]] in England. The '''Church of England''' is sometimes referred to as the '''Anglican Church''', and the word '''Anglican''', either as an [[adjective]] or as a [[noun]], may be used of a member of the [[Church]]. (You may also want to see [[Anglian - Anglican\|AWE's article on the two words '''anglian''' and '''Anglican''']].)	+	The '''Church of England''' is one of the [[denomination]]s or branches of the [[Christian]] [[Church]], and is the [[Established Church]] in England. The '''Church of England''' (abbreviated '''C. of E.''') is sometimes referred to as the '''Anglican Church''', and the word '''Anglican''', either as an [[adjective]] or as a [[noun]], may be used of a member of the [[Church]]. (You may also want to see [[Anglian - Anglican\|AWE's article on the two words '''anglian''' and '''Anglican''']].)

	=====Early History=====		=====Early History=====

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:39, 18 May 2020
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	[[Category:Culture]]		[[Category:Culture]]
	[[Category:European culture]]		[[Category:European culture]]
		+	[[Category:Christianity]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''Church of England''' is one of the [[denomination]]s or branches of the [[Christian]] [[Church]], and is the [[Established Church]] in England. The '''Church of England''' is sometimes referred to as the '''Anglican Church''', and the word '''Anglican''', either as an [[adjective]] or as a [[noun]], may be used of a member of the [[Church]].
+The '''Church of England''' is one of the [[denomination]]s or branches of the [[Christian]] [[Church]], and is the [[Established Church]] in England. The '''Church of England''' is sometimes referred to as the '''Anglican Church''', and the word '''Anglican''', either as an [[adjective]] or as a [[noun]], may be used of a member of the [[Church]]. (You may also want to see [[Anglian - Anglican|AWE's article on the two words '''anglian''' and '''Anglican''']].)
 =====Early History=====
-Although there were probably [[Christian]] converts in Britain as early as the first century CE, the '''Church of England''' traces its institutional origins to the final years of the sixth century, when [[St Augustine]] of Canterbury (died c605) was sent to Britain as a missionary by Pope Gregory I. In 597 Augustine had a church built at Canterbury, at that time the capital of the Kingdom of Kent, and in the following year became the first [[Archbishop]] of Canterbury. The [[Church]] followed the practices of Western [[Christendom]] and after the [[Great Schism]] of 1054 became part of the [[Roman Catholic]] Church and accepted the supreme authority of the [[Pope]].
+Although there were probably [[Christian]] converts in Britain as early as the first century CE, the '''Church of England''' traces its institutional origins to the final years of the sixth century, when [[St Augustine]] of Canterbury (died c.605) was sent to Britain as a missionary by Pope Gregory I. In 597 Augustine had a church built at Canterbury, at that time the capital of the Kingdom of Kent, and in the following year became the first [[Archbishop]] of Canterbury. The [[Church]] followed the practices of Western [[Christendom]] and after the [[Great Schism]] of 1054 became part of the [[Roman Catholic]] Church and accepted the supreme authority of the [[Pope]].
 =====The Conflicts of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries=====
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Since the seventeenth century there have been few, if any, fundamental changes in the '''Church of England'''. Its doctrines remain those set out in the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]], which formed part of the Elizabethan settlement, and many of its services still follow the forms laid down in the ''Book of Common Prayer'' (1549,1552), though in recent decades the ''Alternative Service Book'' (1980) and ''Common Worship'' (2000) have provided for the use of more contemporary language in services. Flanked on the one side by the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] and on the other by the various [[Nonconformist]] [[Church]]es, the '''Church of England''' continues to occupy the 'middle ground' in English religious life; and although its active membership declined dramatically throughout the twentieth century, it remains the [[Established Church]] in England, i.e., it is officially acknowledged by the government as the national [[Church]]. It has also sought to maintain its traditions of inclusivity and tolerance, counting among its members [[Christian]]s with very different religious attitudes and allegiances. In fact it is possible to distinguish a number of groups, 'factions', or 'wings' within the [[Church]], namely:
-*a 'High Church' or Anglo-Catholic wing, which emphasises the [[Roman Catholic]] tradition within the '''Church of England''' and favours elaborate rituals and forms of worship;
+*a 'High Church' or Anglo-Catholic wing, which emphasises the [[Roman Catholic]] tradition within the '''Church of England''' and favours elaborate rituals and forms of worship (sometimes referred to as 'bells and smells', the bell being that rung in the [[Roman Catholic]] tradition at the height of the Mass, and the smell being that of incense);
 *a 'Low Church' or [[Evangelical]] wing, which emphasises some of the [[Protestant]] elements in '''Anglican''' doctrine and, in particular, the teaching of the [[Protestant]] reformers that salvation for the individual [[Christian]] rests on belief in Jesus, not on 'good works' or acceptance of the [[sacrament]]s - [[Evangelical]]s are hostile to the more elaborate forms of worship and ritual favoured by Anglo-Catholics; and
-*a 'Broad Church' or Latitudinarian wing, distinguished by its liberal attitude in matters of doctrine and its willingness to accommodate within the [[Church]] those whose views others might condemn as unorthdox.
+*a 'Broad Church' or Latitudinarian wing, distinguished by its liberal attitude in matters of doctrine and its willingness to accommodate within the [[Church]] those whose views others might condemn as unorthodox.
 =====Organisation=====
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
-[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]][[Category:European culture]]
+[[Category:Religion]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 =====The Conflicts of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries=====
-The '''Church of England''' as it is today has been shaped by the religious and political conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1534 when [[Pope]] Clement VII refused to grant King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547, reigned 1509-1547) an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Henry, determined not to be thwarted in his plans for a male heir, declared that he, and not the [[Pope]], was the Supreme Head of the '''Church of England'''. Henry was [[excommunicated]] in 1538 by Clement's successor, [[Pope]] Paul III, and in this way the '''Church of England''' separated from the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] - a separation which did not at this stage involve any changes in doctrine or forms of worship. It was only later, during the reign of Henry's successor, Edward VI (1537-1553, reigned 1547-1553), that the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), introduced into '''Anglican''' doctrines and forms of worship a number of changes which reflected the teachings of the [[Protestant]] Reformers - changes that were reversed by Edward's successor, Mary I (1516-1558, reigned 1553-1558), a fervent [[Catholic]], who brought the '''Church of England''' back under the authority of the [[Pope]]. This conflict within the '''Church of England''' between the [[Protestant]]s, who favoured reform, and the conservative [[Catholic]]s was mitigated, if not resolved, by Mary's successor, Elizabeth I (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603), who enacted a compromise between the two parties. This compromise, usually known as the Elizabethan settlement, reaffirmed the independence of the '''Church of England''' from the authority of the [[Pope]] and incorporated some of the teachings of the [[Protestant]] reformers into the [[Church]]'s doctrine - see the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]] - but at the same time acknowledged the continuity of the '''Church of England''' with the [[Roman Catholic]] Church with respect to its forms of worship, its organisational structure, and the weight it placed on the teachings of the [[Church Fathers]].
+The '''Church of England''' as it is today has been shaped by the religious and political conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In 1534 when [[Pope]] Clement VII refused to grant King [[King Henry#Henry VIII|Henry VIII]] of England (1491-1547, reigned 1509-1547) an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Henry, determined not to be thwarted in his plans for a male heir, declared that he, and not the [[Pope]], was the Supreme Head of the '''Church of England'''. Henry was [[excommunicated]] in 1538 by Clement's successor, [[Pope]] Paul III, and in this way the '''Church of England''' separated from the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] - a separation which did not at this stage involve any changes in doctrine or forms of worship. It was only later, during the reign of Henry's successor, [[King Edward#Edward VI|Edward VI]] (1537-1553, reigned 1547-1553), that the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), introduced into '''Anglican''' doctrines and forms of worship a number of changes which reflected the teachings of the [[Protestant]] Reformers - changes that were reversed by Edward's successor, [[Queen Mary#Mary I (of England)|Mary I]] (1516-1558, reigned 1553-1558), a fervent [[Catholic]], who brought the '''Church of England''' back under the authority of the [[Pope]]. This conflict within the '''Church of England''' between the [[Protestant]]s, who favoured reform, and the conservative [[Catholic]]s was mitigated, if not resolved, by Mary's successor, [[Queen Elizabeth#Elizabeth I|Elizabeth I]] (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603), who enacted a compromise between the two parties. This compromise, usually known as the Elizabethan settlement, reaffirmed the independence of the '''Church of England''' from the authority of the [[Pope]] and incorporated some of the teachings of the [[Protestant]] reformers into the [[Church]]'s doctrine - see the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]] - but at the same time acknowledged the continuity of the '''Church of England''' with the [[Roman Catholic]] Church with respect to its forms of worship, its organisational structure, and the weight it placed on the teachings of the [[Church Fathers]].
-However, the conflict between the [[Protestant]] 'reformers' and [[Catholic]] 'traditionalists' did not disappear and, in the following century, it was one of the causes of the English Civil War (1642-1649) between the [[Roundhead]]s (or [[Protestant]] supporters of the Parliamentary cause) and the [[Cavalier]]s (or 'traditionalist' supporters of the monarchy). The Civil War was won by the Roundheads. In 1649 King Charles I (1600-1649, reigned 1625-1649) was executed, the monarchy was abolished, and England briefly  became a Commonwealth, i.e., a republic, in which the government enforced [[Puritanism]], i.e., an extreme form of [[Protestantism]], as the national religion. The unpopularity of the [[Puritan]] Commonwealth led to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the new king, Charles II (1630-1685, reigned 1660-1685), in effect re-enacted the Elizabethan settlement - except that it was now accepted that the '''Church of England''' could not hope to embrace the entire population of England within its membership and that the existence of [[Nonconformist]]s or [[Dissenter]]s would have to be acknowledged, however grudgingly.
+However, the conflict between the [[Protestant]] 'reformers' and [[Catholic]] 'traditionalists' did not disappear and, in the following century, it was one of the causes of the English Civil War (1642-1649) between the [[Roundhead]]s (or [[Protestant]] supporters of the Parliamentary cause) and the [[Cavalier]]s (or 'traditionalist' supporters of the monarchy). The Civil War was won by the Roundheads. In 1649 [[King Charles#Charles I|Charles I]] (1600-1649, reigned 1625-1649) was executed, the monarchy was abolished, and England briefly  became a Commonwealth, i.e., a republic, in which the government enforced [[Puritanism]], i.e., an extreme form of [[Protestantism]], as the national religion. The unpopularity of the [[Puritan]] Commonwealth led to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the new king, [[King Charles#Charles II|Charles II]](1630-1685, reigned 1660-1685), in effect re-enacted the Elizabethan settlement - except that it was now accepted that the '''Church of England''' could not hope to embrace the entire population of England within its membership and that the existence of [[Nonconformist]]s or [[Dissenter]]s would have to be acknowledged, however grudgingly.
 =====The '''Church of England''' Today=====

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 =====Organisation=====
-The '''Church of England''' resembles the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] in having a strongly [[hierarchical]] structure. At the most basic level are the [[parish]]es, each [[parish]] consisting of the members of the [[Church]] in a particular locality and the priest who has care of them. The different [[parish]]es in an area are under [[episcopal]] authority, i.e., under the authority of a [[bishop]], the area over which the [[bishop]] has authority being known as a [[diocese]] (pronounced DY-er-sis, {{IPA|ËˆdaÉªÉ™sÉªs}}). In England today there are 43 dioceses, which in turn are grouped into two [[province]]s, the Province of York and the Province of Canterbury, each under an [[Archbishop]], the Archbishop of Canterbury being the senior archbishop, with authority over both provinces, and having the title Primate of All England.
+The '''Church of England''' resembles the [[Roman Catholic]] [[Church]] in having a strongly [[hierarchical]] structure. At the most basic level are the [[parish]]es, each [[parish]] consisting of the members of the [[Church]] in a particular locality and the priest who has care of them. The different [[parish]]es in an area are under [[episcopal]] authority, i.e., under the authority of a [[bishop]], the area over which the [[bishop]] has authority being known as a [[diocese]] (pronounced DY-er-sis, {{IPA|'daɪ ə sɪs}}). In England today there are 43 dioceses, which in turn are grouped into two [[province]]s, the Province of York and the Province of Canterbury, each under an [[Archbishop]], the Archbishop of Canterbury being the senior archbishop, with authority over both provinces, and having the title Primate of All England.
 =====The '''Anglican''' [[Communion]]=====