A Brief History of Anglicanism, Part 2
Continued from part 1. The following is an adapted excerpt from Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World by Winfield Bevins, published by Anglican Compass.
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The Reformation Comes to England
While the fires of the Protestant Reformation were sweeping across Europe, a different kind of Reformation was underway in England. At first, the English Reformation was political as much as it was theological. Henry VIII wanted an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, who could not produce him a male heir. The Pope refused to grant an annulment, and Henry sought to break ties with Rome.
In 1533, Henry selected a young priest and theologian who was broadly sympathetic to his cause, Thomas Cranmer, as Archbishop of Canterbury. This began an unusual relationship between Cranmer and King Henry. The two men used one another to accomplish their own personal goals and ambitions. The King wanted to remarry, and Cranmer wanted to see Reformation come to England. The break with Rome came about through a series of acts of Parliament passed between 1532 and 1534, among them the 1534 Act of Supremacy, which declared that Henry was the “Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England.” This event marked the official beginning of the Church of England.
It’s Not All About Henry
It is important to note that the Reformation in England was not just about King Henry’s many marriages (six in all). Rather, the English Reformation was, in part, associated with the wider religious and political reformation movement that affected all of Europe during this period. Thomas Cranmer vigorously worked to see the Reformation come to England. Under the leadership of Cranmer, the Church of England began to embrace elements of the Reformation throughout England but still retained many of the historic practices of the Catholic Church. Cranmer carefully danced around the politics of his position but still enacted a number of reforms in England. After Henry’s death, Cranmer more fully pursued the Reformation in England under Henry’s son Edward VI.
The Reformation in England has been called “Reformed Catholicism” because it embraced the theology of the Reformation while, at the same time, it retained many of the time-honored practices of the historic Catholic tradition. This complex juxtaposition between the Reformed and Catholic streams is one of the unique dynamics of Anglicanism. These two streams will provide lenses that will help the reader understand the development of Anglicanism in contrast to other Reformation traditions such as Lutheranism, Calvinism, and the Radical Reformers, which completely separated in both theology and practice from the Catholic Church.
The Prayer Book and the Articles of Religion
Cranmer realized two of his greatest achievements in 1549 and 1553. First, he produced one of the most widely read English religious books, second only to the King James Bible: the Book of Common Prayer (often referred to as the “BCP” or “Prayer Book”). In 1549, he helped organize the Book of Common Prayer in the English language.
Cranmer and a committee of twelve others compiled the Prayer Book from various sources, including ancient prayers of the early church, Catholic and Orthodox liturgies, and private devotions of the Middle Ages. They translated many of these sources into the English language. Later, in June of 1553, Edward VI agreed to Cranmer’s initial Forty-Two Articles of Religion, which would eventually become a foundational document for Anglican doctrine and beliefs.
A Brief Return to Rome
After Edward VI’s death, Cranmer supported Lady Jane Grey as Edward’s successor. Unfortunately for Cranmer, she only reigned nine days before being deposed (July 10–19, 1553). Following Lady Jane Grey’s reign, Queen “Bloody” Mary ascended to the throne and tried Cranmer for treason, imprisoning him in September 1553.
These were dangerous times to be a Protestant in England. Cranmer’s fellow English reformers, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, were burned at the stake in Oxford on October 16, 1555. While his executioners tied him to the stake, Ridley prayed,
O heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death; I beseech thee, Lord God, have mercy on this realm of England, and deliver it from all her enemies.
As the flames quickly rose around them, Latimer encouraged Ridley,
“Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out.”[1]
In March 1554, Cranmer defended his religious views against a delegation appointed by the queen. Subsequently, the Roman Catholic Church condemned his views as heretical and commanded him to recant his beliefs and declare his support for Catholicism. In an interesting turn of events, Cranmer recanted in private. On March 21, 1556, he was to do the same publicly. However, he refused and was burned at the stake as a heretic. At his execution, he withdrew his forced confession and proclaimed the truth of the Protestant faith. He placed his hand in the fire, the hand with which he had falsely signed his renouncement of his beliefs, and declared, “This hand hath offended!”[2]
The Reformation in England ultimately cost Cranmer his life, but his legacy remains. Despite his recantations, he stands out as one of the most influential leaders of the English Reformation. To this day, millions worldwide are still reaping the harvest from his endeavors, which were foundational to the Church of England and the creation of the Book of Common Prayer.
Post-Reformation Developments
Another important development in Anglicanism happened during the reign of Elizabeth I (1533–1603). Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She became Queen of England in 1558 during the tumultuous time when religious differences between Protestant and Catholic factions threatened the stability of England. Her reign played a crucial role in the future of Anglicanism and became known as the “Elizabethan Settlement.” During her time as queen, Elizabeth sought to find an inclusive middle way between Protestant and Catholic views in order to bring the English people together.
Supremacy, Uniformity, Articles, and a Prayer Book
Several events foundational to the development of the Church of England occurred during the reign of Elizabeth I. The first of these came in 1559 when the Act of Supremacy took effect and proclaimed Elizabeth to be the supreme governor of the realm in all spiritual, ecclesiastical, and temporal matters. With this statement, the Church of England officially broke ties with the Roman Catholic Church.
Along with this proclamation, a modified version of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer was issued under the Act of Uniformity of 1559. It included a number of significant changes that reflected the middle way between the Protestant and Catholic extremes. In 1563, a convocation of the church established the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion as a foundational statement of Anglican beliefs. The Elizabethan Settlement proved to be an important step in bringing the different religious groups together in England through a “middle way” (via media), which has become an important hallmark of the Anglican tradition.
Elizabethan Theologians
Two important Anglican theologians from this time who are also worth noting are Bishop John Jewel and Richard Hooker. John Jewel (1522–1571), bishop of Salisbury, helped to defend the English Reformation from Roman Catholics. In his Apology for the Church of England, he argued against the supremacy of the pope and stated that the Roman Catholic Church, not the Church of England, had departed from the faith. Richard Hooker (1554–1600), still considered one of the most important theologians in the Anglican tradition, defended Anglicanism from the Puritans. He sought to defend the Episcopal form of government over and against the Presbyterian model of the Puritans.
Rise of the Puritans
The Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries believed that the Reformation in England did not go far enough, and they sought to “purify” the Church of England from all Roman Catholic practices. The clash between the Puritans and the established Church of England eventually led to a civil war in which the Puritans attempted to establish a theocratic form of government. The war’s outcome led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, and the replacement of the English monarchy with a commonwealth led by Oliver Cromwell. During this time, the bishop-led Church of England was disbanded, and the Book of Common Prayer became generally disused. However, the Puritan reign was short-lived, and, after Cromwell died in 1658, it began to fall apart.
In 1660, Charles II returned to power, and the Church of England was reestablished. Several significant things happened in 1662.
First, the Parliament passed the Act of Uniformity that required all clergy to adhere to the rites and ceremonies of the Book of Common Prayer. This led to the “Great Ejection,” where two thousand Puritan clergy were forced out of their positions.
Second came a revision of the Book of Common Prayer. Anglicans worldwide still use the 1662 edition of the Prayer Book and consider it authoritative. Of special importance, this version included an ordinal (ordination rite) for ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons. This final edition completed the development of the classic Anglican Formularies (foundational documents): the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal, the Book of Homilies, and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion.
Anglicanism in the Modern Era
Many Christians in the 19th century began to ask the question, “Should the church embrace the advances of contemporary society, or should it seek to remain faithful to its historical foundation?” During this time, an influential group known as the “Oxford Movement” sought to recover the Catholic thought and practice of the Church of England. Centered at the University of Oxford, the proponents of the Oxford Movement believed that the Anglican Church was by history a truly “catholic” church. They believed Anglicanism was one of three historical branches of Christianity, including Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.
The Tractarians
Key leaders of the movement were John Keble (1792–1866), a clergyman and poet; Edward Pusey (1800–82), a clergyman and professor at Oxford; and John Henry Newman (1801–90), a clergyman who eventually became a convert to Roman Catholicism and a cardinal. The movement’s ideas appeared in 90 Tracts for the Times, 24 of which were written by Newman, who edited the entire series. The Tracts promoted a recovery of the Catholic tradition within Anglicanism. Supporters of the Tracts became known as Tractarians. Although Newman joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1845, Keble and Pusey remained active Anglican leaders of the Oxford Movement throughout their lifetime.
The Legacy of the Oxford Movement
In time, the ideas of the Oxford Movement spread throughout England and into other provinces. Michael Ramsey states, “The Oxford Movement initiated a deep spiritual and intellectual revival in the Anglican Church.”[3]The Oxford Movement helped Anglicanism recover many of the lost practices of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We can still see the contributions of the Oxford Movement in various ways in Anglican churches around the world today. These include the use of vestments and ritual, the importance of ordained ministry, the central place of the Eucharist in worship, the establishment of Anglican monastic communities, and a strong emphasis on education for clergy.
It is important to remember that many have criticized the “Victorian” church (named after Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837–1901) for issues related to colonization and British imperialism. While there is certainly truth in this, this season also gave rise to great advances in world missions. Anglican mission organizations like the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), and the Church Missionary Society (CMS) helped spread the gospel throughout the world and sowed the seeds for what is now the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Global Anglicanism
Today, a new chapter in the Anglican story is being written. There was a time when people associated Anglicanism with the West. However, that is no longer the case. Although it started in England, Anglicanism has become one of the world’s most multicultural and multiethnic churches, having grown into a worldwide family of churches. Anglicanism has more than eighty million adherents spreading across 165 countries, making it the third largest body of Christians in the world.[4] Located across the globe, Anglicans speak many languages and hail from different races and cultures. However, they are united by their love of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the use of the Book of Common Prayer. According to Phillip Jenkins, “By 2050, the global total of Anglicans will be approaching 150 million, of whom only a tiny minority will be White Europeans.”[5]
In keeping with the wider Christian trend, the Global South movement represents the greatest growth in the Anglican Communion in recent years. Anglican growth on the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America has exploded. Today, it is the churches of the Global South who are helping to lead the future direction of the Anglican Communion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, over the ages, the Anglican tradition has produced some of the world’s greatest Christian thinkers, writers, and leaders, such as Bishop Jeremy Taylor, John Donne, John and Charles Wesley, Charles Simeon, J. C. Ryle, Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, William Temple, and Festo Kivengere, to name a few.[6] With more than fifteen hundred years of rich history, this ancient tradition still has the power to speak to our contemporary world with a faith that is relevant for a new generation. Those of us who are part of the Anglican tradition are writing the next chapter in the story.
Winfield Bevins’ Simply Anglican: An Ancient Faith for Today’s World is available in print and for Kindle, exclusively at Amazon.
[1] Cited in John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1981), 309–10.
[2] John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, 309.
[3] Michael Ramsey, The Anglican Spirit, 53.
[4] It is worth noting that not everyone agrees with the reliability of the numerical growth of the Anglican Communion because the number of active Anglicans could be far lower. For instance, the figure of 80 million includes 26 million Anglicans in England, when there are in fact just under one million regular churchgoers. See David Goodhew, Growth and Decline in the Anglican Communion 1980 to the Present (London: Routledge, 2017). See also Daniel Muñoz “North to South: A Reappraisal of Anglican Communion Membership Figures,” Journal of Anglican Studies 14, no. 1 (2016): 71–95.
[5] Phillip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2002), 59.
[6] If you are interested in reading the biographies of great Anglicans, see Richard H. Schmidt’s Glorious Companions: Five Centuries of Anglican Spirituality (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002).
Photo of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, UK, by Will Dale from Getty Images, courtesy of Canva.
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A Brief History of Anglicanism, Part 1
The Anglican tradition traces its roots back to the time of the Roman Empire when a Christian church first came to exist in the British Isles.
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