The Place of Mysticism in Anglicanism

Arcangl86

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There are still traditional orders in the US like the Crowley Fathers, but for the most part Episcopal Church orders require chasity but not celibacy. IIRC, the last Bishop of Massechutes was a member of the Society of St. John the Evangelist. But that was considered unusual.
 
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HardHead

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There are still traditional orders ...

Cool. I have no doubt that there are plenty of exceptional people in these Anglican seminaries and monasteries.

The thread took a bit of turn perhaps due to my discussion of monastics, but for me they are certainly a point for the experience of the mystical.

If anyone is spiritually mature enough to handle that properly, its them. For me, they are a clear place for the mystical in Anglicanism (and in other faiths that support monasteries).
 
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Paidiske

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Could you expand a bit on this? It sounds interesting.

So, in broad brush strokes, what Cranmer seems to have had as the ideal is a parish (village) community which gathered together morning and evening in prayer; a sort of quasi-monastic discipline adapted for the working folk (who were mostly farming folk).

It never really was exactly like that; in reality keeping the discipline of the daily office was not something most laity have ever felt obliged to do. But it's kind of there in the background as the norm and the ideal, and it gives us the shape of a discipline and some resources to fall back on when we do decide we want to do something.

I have, for example, never been in a parish where morning and evening prayer were said publicly every day; but I have ministered in a parish where morning prayer happened on four weekdays, with shared coffee to follow. It might not have been exactly Cranmer's ideal, but Cranmer's ideal gave us a starting point which could be successfully adapted for that context.

If that makes sense?
 
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Paidiske

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It does. Thanks.

This was in relation to the church losing land/property to the Crown at some point as well or was this an independent idea?

I don't think it was directly to do with the dissolution of the monasteries etc. More to do with an attempt to make the Reformation in England as genuinely fruitful as possible.
 
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everbecoming2007

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While the dissolution of the monasteries had an obvious effect on the later church, there wasn't the sort of church state rivalry you seem to think. You have to also remember that the early Reformers were against the idea of monasteries to begin with.

I am curious as to evangelical and reformed Anglican perspectives on the reintroduction of monasteries. I have never seen this discussed from that viewpoint.

Do Continuing Anglicans have monastics?
 
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Shane R

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I am curious as to evangelical and reformed Anglican perspectives on the reintroduction of monasteries. I have never seen this discussed from that viewpoint.

Do Continuing Anglicans have monastics?
There are several Monastic orders among Continuing Anglicans. Probably the most well known is the ACC's Benedictine Order.

There is an abbot of a Franciscan order that lives in the next town from me. I help him at his food pantry from time to time. He is under the jurisdiction of ACNA.

I do not consider myself a reformed Anglican so I shall not speak for them. However, I have noticed many are uncomfortable with monastics. Some on the Puritan fringe even go so far as to say there are no monastics in true Anglicanism.
 
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HardHead

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many are uncomfortable with monastics.

This is interesting. It seems to hold for many Protestants in general from what I have heard. Do you have any insight as to why this is the case?

For me the idea of a monastic practise seems like a natural thing to have grow out of a church that is seeking spiritual and mystical understanding.
 
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Shane R

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This is interesting. It seems to hold for many Protestants in general from what I have heard. Do you have any insight as to why this is the case?

For me the idea of a monastic practise seems like a natural thing to have grow out of a church that is seeking spiritual and mystical understanding.
I attribute it to the general distrust and disdain of anything Romish. These people are usually weak on their church history and have no knowledge that monasticism was originally an Oriental and Eastern development. It wouldn't matter if they did know the history because they can't find it in the Bible (even though it seems to me the 'sons of the prophets' lived a life that corresponds to monasticism).
 
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Paidiske

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And I think also because monasticism isn't seen as having a missional/evangelistic edge. It's seen as a diversion from what we should really be on about as the church, which is seeking to bring the gospel to those in darkness etc.
 
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