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Origins



Beginnings

The beginnings of Anglicanism saw the seeds sown for the emergence of a self-consciousness as a Church that is a via media between Protestantism and Catholicism.

Influences

Early Anglicanism was influenced by doctrines associated with the Protestant Reformation, especially the Reformed branch, and also by the polity and liturgy of pre-Reformation western Christianity.

Founders

Although Anglicanism lacks a single founder, it had many early contributors. Among them, three stand out whose contributions were crucial: King Henry VIII, Thomas Cranmer, and Queen Elizabeth I.

Sacred Texts

Anglicanism holds that the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, are the primary authority for the Church. The books of the Apocrypha are to be read for examples of right living.

Historical Perspectives

Anglican writings commonly seek to locate Anglican identity in the tradition's history. Also, the outgrowths of extreme theological diversity in Anglicanism have brought new questions about historical Anglican authority structures.

Editors' Picks