Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” It was Peter—bold, impetuous Peter—who stepped forward with the answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In response, Jesus made a staggering promise: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” (Matthew 16:18). It was…
The Anglican Way: Both Catholic and Reformed
“What is Anglicanism?” I’ve heard all kinds of answers. Some define it as catholic. Others speak of it as reformed. Then most offer the “middle way” (via media) for a definition. Via Media? It’s true that via media has often become the primary identifier for Anglicanism. But it is not a positive definition. It was…
Anglicans and Roman Catholics
Anglicans are sometimes said to be “a little bit protestant and a little bit catholic.” That’s probably true to some extent, as a description of what people see in a worship service. However, even though the Roman church owns the domain extension .catholic, we Anglicans see ourselves as both fully catholic and as a church…
Is Anglicanism Catholic or Protestant?
Roman Catholic? Reformed? Protestant? Most American evangelicals experience a church world that is either protestant and Reformed or Roman Catholic. You have to be one or the other. For many, ‘catholic’ means “Roman Catholic”; ‘Reformed’ means “Calvinist.” “Protestant” means “Non-Roman Catholic.” The Eastern Orthodox churches in these discussions are largely unconcerned. Anglicanism, however, had a unique, rich history…
