PV,
You disagree with my wording and I see a variety of theological positions taken by the people just on this one thread who consider themselves to be Anglo-Catholics. I'm now thinking, therefore, that it would be interesting and also beneficial if everyone here who considers himself or herself an "Anglo-Catholic" were to define what beliefs and/or practices define the term, as they see it.
Albion, what I'm not sure you understand is that not only are we
fully capable in understand but
fully do understand those terms:
Transubstantiationism is the a particularist Real Presence doctrine that not only defines exactly
how Jesus is Present but also
when as well; you cannot separate the
how and
when in the theology. For them, it occurs at the Words of Institution and they follow a Aristotelian-philosophical argument.
My position is that the bread and wine with water becomes quite literally the Body and Blood, but I don't care about the
how; for all I know, the bread and wine with water truly do remain. All the matters is, is that Jesus is both physically and spiritually present, which is a truly spiritual food and drink, and I receive him by faith, meaning that I trust that His words are true in the Words of Institution and in the St. John 6 discourse, and I do also receive Him with thanksgiving. As for the
when, I absolutely disagree that is occurs at any one sudden time. I do believe that by the Great Amen, which is the affirmation of it, He surely must truly be Present, and that is fine by me.
Thus, I cannot be called a believer in transubstantiationism and no amount of disagreement is logically or validly possible due to my disagreement on how and my utter rejection on when.
Purgatory purgatory is a particularist immediate afterlife belief that holds that those who will be found worthy of heaven, but retain venial sin upon biological life's passing, must wait in a "waiting room" where the soul will be purged of the venial sin
and that the soul's purging can be aided by the prayers and intercessions of those in heaven or on Earth and also that these souls can benefit from the "Treasury of Merits" that have accumulated throughout the years of worthy good deeds performed by the Saints and Christ. You cannot have their understanding of puragory without both of those second ideas in mind.
My position is that there is indeed an immediate afterlife, but it is also remarked about in the Bible: sheol/hades, and Jesus' Parable of Dives and Lazarus gives a window to what it is rather like, which means that both those who will be worthy of heaven AND NOT will be there, and for those who WILL be worthy WILL be purged BUT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ANY TREASURY OF MERITS and prayers MIGHT aid but no one truly knows. Therefore, I cannot logically believe in Purgatory.
The Assumption is the particularist belief that St. Mary, upon the completion of her biological life, was taken body and soul directly to heaven, according to the
ex cathedra statement of Pope Pius XII on Nov. 1st, 1950 and is therefore a required dogma for all Christians to believe.
My position is that such a belief as dogma is ridiculous because there is no such concept of papacy and therefore it can only be at best a pious belief of possibility without any dogmatic attachments. FURTHERMORE, I believe that upon her biological death only her soul was taken directly to heaven and her body was taken 3 days later. As such, I cannot logically believe in the Assumption as they believe in it. Instead, I am a firm believer in the Dormition, not the Assumption.
The Immaculate Conception is the position that St. Mary the Theotokos was never born in original sin.
My position is that such a belief is heterodox.
As for my liturgical leanings, quite honestly, I prefer an Anglo-Catholic, high-church liturgy. However, no one ever said I had to go to Rome. The various English Usages are fully Catholic and fully English. While there are a number of similarities; indeed, I will admit it is very, very close, it is still a separate liturgical tradition that has its own history and therefore adding Introits, Secrets, Alleluias/Tracts, and other "medievalisms" is completely Anglican.
