The Reformed Tradition Within Anglicanism

[John Shrewsbury]

How much of a role, if any, does Reformed Theology play in Anglicanism today?

I have been reading a little about it, and know that it has a part in Anglican history, but most of the Reformed Christians I know of tend to worship in churches outside Anglicanism.

 

[everbecoming2007]

I would imagine it is significant even if it has changed or been diluted. Most Episcopalians I know are somewhere in the middle and don't really analyze it. Of the ones I know most do not pray to saints or have highly structured devotions (although a few regularly meditate), most have never been to private confession and at least one older woman in my parish is scandalized by even the thought of it and has no idea Anglicans do such things. On the other hand of all these people no one objects to images, they tend to have a high view of Jesus' presence in the Eucharist, reservation is the norm at my parish, and we are fairly high liturgically though not Anglo-Catholic.

As far as holding straight across classical Anglican reformed positions and strict adherence to the 39 Articles, I've never met a single Anglican who did, not even clergy. Almost everyone I have broached the subject with didn't have a clue what the Articles were.

 

[everbecoming2007]

It occurs to me you may have meant Calvanistic in which case I also don't know any Calvanistic Anglicans, but I don't think Calvanism was ever fully in line with the Articles or Anglican position, though I believe it was at least tolerated in the Church of England. The Articles take a position between Luther and Calvin, a middle ground between the two.

 

[PaladinValer]

How much of a role, if any, does Reformed Theology play in Anglicanism today?

I have been reading a little about it, and know that it has a part in Anglican history, but most of the Reformed Christians I know of tend to worship in churches outside Anglicanism.

Not as much as some make it out to be.

One must remember that the Puritans were NOT a popular group within historic Anglicanism, and the fact that the Church of England outright, in Roman Catholic fashion, canonized St. Charles Stuart I as a Saint...and that most Puritans departed from the Church when they didn't get their way...should speak volumes.

The Articles of Religion aren't as Reformed as people like them to be either.

 

[John Shrewsbury]

Thank you.

 

[Albion]

How much of a role, if any, does Reformed Theology play in Anglicanism today?

I have been reading a little about it, and know that it has a part in Anglican history, but most of the Reformed Christians I know of tend to worship in churches outside Anglicanism.

I suppose that most Reformed Christians DO indeed belong to specifically Reformed, Presbyterian, or Baptist churches. After all Calvinist theology only INFLUENCED the Church of England, whereas the Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian churches are the direct descendants of Calvin.

Still, I know many Anglicans who are clearly, and admittedly, Reformed in various ways. Not liturgically or socially, but with regard to salvation issues (which is where the debate is most often centered).

 

[Liberasit]

How much of a role, if any, does Reformed Theology play in Anglicanism today?

I have been reading a little about it, and know that it has a part in Anglican history, but most of the Reformed Christians I know of tend to worship in churches outside Anglicanism.

They are dotted around. There isn't one in my deanery, but there is one not too far away in the next diocese. We seem to have a fair bit of traffic between the two churches.

I think the most famous reformed church (in my little universe) is Jesmond Parish Church in Newcastle.

It can be hard to discern churchmanship. One way is to see if they have adopted Resolution A or B in their parish profile. An evangelical church doing this is almost certainly reformed.

 

[All Souls]

The Fellowship of Word and Spirit

 

[ContraMundum]

Someone in history once described the Church of England as a church with Calvinist Articles but Arminian clergy. Can't remember who.

 

[ebia]

Someone in history once described the Church of England as a church with Calvinist Articles but Arminian clergy. Can't remember who.

The full quote seems to be a Popish liturgy, Calvinist articles and Arminian clergy.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

If I am not mistaken John Stott was an Anglican who held to basically Reformed doctrine

 

[ebia]

If I am not mistaken John Stott was an Anglican who held to basically Reformed doctrine

Depends what you mean by reformed

 

[Liberasit]

Depends what you mean by reformed

What to you mean by reformed?

 

[ebia]

What to you mean by reformed?

I'm not asking the question. What I mean by it is irrelevant.

 

[Liberasit]

I'm not asking the question. What I mean by it is irrelevant.

Curiosity killed the cat.

 

[ebia]

Curiosity killed the cat.

If you really are curious about what I mean by it, I don't really use the term at all. When someone else does I try to catch what they mean by it. Which seems to vary widely in Anglican circles, varying from extremes like Sydney or Reform (TM), to open evangelicals like Ridley College, Tom Wright, Peter Adam,

 

[Liberasit]

If you really are curious about what I mean by it, I don't really use the term at all. When someone else does I try to catch what they mean by it. Which seems to vary widely in Anglican circles, varying from extremes like Sydney or Reform (TM), to open evangelicals like Ridley College, Tom Wright, Peter Adam,

I am in an open evangelical church (per the ACNY entry - clergy from Trinity Bristol, Ridley and the place in North London whose name escapes me, and St Mellitus). My vicar recently referred to a partner church as reformed (inferring that we weren't). I don't see a lot of difference between my church and Presbyterian, apart from active liturgy (and general vibrancy, presence of young people, and full-on expression of faith).

If knowledgeable people here can define reformed vs open evangelical (in non-disparaging terms), I would be extremely grateful.

 

[ebia]

I am in an open evangelical church (per the ACNY entry - clergy from Trinity Bristol, Ridley and the place in North London whose name escapes me, and St Mellitus). My vicar recently referred to a partner church as reformed (inferring that we weren't). I don't see a lot of difference between my church and Presbyterian, apart from active liturgy (and general vibrancy, presence of young people, and full-on expression of faith). If knowledgeable people here can define reformed vs open evangelical (in non-disparaging terms), I would be extremely grateful.

I don't think there is anything like a consistent use of "reformed", at least within English and Australian Anglican usage.

 

[MKJ]

I am in an open evangelical church (per the ACNY entry - clergy from Trinity Bristol, Ridley and the place in North London whose name escapes me, and St Mellitus). My vicar recently referred to a partner church as reformed (inferring that we weren't). I don't see a lot of difference between my church and Presbyterian, apart from active liturgy (and general vibrancy, presence of young people, and full-on expression of faith).

If knowledgeable people here can define reformed vs open evangelical (in non-disparaging terms), I would be extremely grateful.

They aren't necessarily opposites, and the word reformed can be used in different ways.

Essentially open evangelicals tend to be middle of the road evangelical. That is, they see the development of a personal faith relationship with christ as the key for salvation, and they therefore tend to emphasize outreach carrying that message. (Of course, lots of other congregations believe much the same an don't call themselves evangelical, but there you go.) Open evangelicals don't tend to be the really nutty conservative types you see at times though - they would contrast with the sort of people you see insisting on creationism as opposed to evolution, and they are generally more socially liberal. Many might consider their congregations inclusive.

Being Reformed, or sometimes reformed, can just refer to an emphasis on the lordship of the person of Jesus Christ. So that can be similar to open evangelical in that there will be that kind of emphasis in outreach. It doesn't necessarily mean low church, or happy-clappy, and it could even be very conservative theologically or socially or remain very liturgical. When used that way, it is a very very broad term. An open evangelical parish would probably be comfortable calling itself reformed in this sense.

However, very often it also implies being influenced, perhaps quite strongly, by Calvinism. If it uses a capital "R" outside of a proper name, that is most likely the case. That can be strong or weak, but I think it would be unusual to see an open evangelical parish that was very Calvinist.

Neither has anything to do with vibrancy, or whether there are many young people, or the full expression of faith.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I have quite a bit of Reformation influence in my own theology, but it comes mainly from Luther, not so much from Calvin. I guess that's why I'm happy my church (unusually) has both TEC and ELCA affiliations.