- May 23, 2020
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I have been doing some research into the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) and have some questions about the following excerpt from their Wikipedia page:
I am not terribly familiar with Anglicanism in general. I have a pretty good idea of what "Anglo-Catholicism" would look like, but what are the significant differences between it and "reformed Anglicanism"? I initially started looking into the REC because I was interested in the Protestant/reformed orientation. My cursory searches haven't revealed any interesting primitive/reformed baptist or presbyterian congregations in my area. However, there is a local REC near to me. I spoke with the pastor and I didn't come away suspecting Catholic sympathies. Though I suppose that doesn't mean the REC as an organization isn't going in that direction.
Any clarification on this would be greatly appreciated, particularly regarding the bolded portion of the excerpt.
Although the REC was founded as an evangelical and Reformed Anglican body, it now has Anglo-Catholics among its members and has entered into an intercommunion agreement with an Anglo-Catholic body, the APA. A 2006 document of the REC bishops, "True Unity by the Cross of Christ", grants wider flexibility to re-interpret the Thirty-nine Articles in an Anglo-Catholic manner while maintaining the perspective of the English Reformers. It uses the terms "priest", "altar", and "Real Presence", and speaks of the authority of tradition as well as that of Holy Scripture.
Reformed critics characterize these developments as rejecting the 35 Articles, revising the force of the Declaration of Principles, as well as departing from the Church's evangelical and Reformed heritage in order to accommodate Anglo-Catholicism.
Reformed critics characterize these developments as rejecting the 35 Articles, revising the force of the Declaration of Principles, as well as departing from the Church's evangelical and Reformed heritage in order to accommodate Anglo-Catholicism.
I am not terribly familiar with Anglicanism in general. I have a pretty good idea of what "Anglo-Catholicism" would look like, but what are the significant differences between it and "reformed Anglicanism"? I initially started looking into the REC because I was interested in the Protestant/reformed orientation. My cursory searches haven't revealed any interesting primitive/reformed baptist or presbyterian congregations in my area. However, there is a local REC near to me. I spoke with the pastor and I didn't come away suspecting Catholic sympathies. Though I suppose that doesn't mean the REC as an organization isn't going in that direction.
Any clarification on this would be greatly appreciated, particularly regarding the bolded portion of the excerpt.