What do Anglicans Believe?

The beliefs of Anglicans can be considered quite diverse. The official standard is the Book of Common Prayer but some parts of that book are more clearly doctrinal than others.

The ecumenical creeds, both Nicene and Apostles, are used by the Anglican Communion in its worship day by day and week by week. They are ancient and universal statements of Christian faith. In addition, many Anglican churches follow ancient tradition and include the Athanasian Creed among their statements of faith.

The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral describes the general ecumenical principles of Anglicans.

The Thirty-Nine Articles were important at the Reformation, and to many, remain so today.

What is the difference between Anglicans and Episcopalians?

The Episcopal Church in the United States is, and has always been, a component of the worldwide "Anglican Communion." The "Anglican Communion" is the international community of the Anglican Faith, informally bound together by common traditions and beliefs. Unlike many large Christian organizations including the Roman Catholic Church and others, the Anglican Communion is not bound by a central authority and administrative structure -- only by our traditions and our shared beliefs. Some Anglicans, such as members of the Episcopal Church in the United States have formal administrative ties to the See of Canturbury. Others do not.

Until the mid-1970's, many present-day Anglicans in the United States were Episcopalians. During that decade, over the protests of many of its members, the Episcopal Church revised and liberalized its doctrine, political orientation and many of the long-held traditions of worship that were important to many of us. Among the more disappointing of those many changes was replacement of the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer -- the documented summary of our Faith and the guide to all of our services and rituals -- with a new, very different version. The revisions are sweeping. They include significant theological changes/reinterpretations, and "modernization" of the beautiful language and poetic verse of the 1928 version.

Eventually, changes exceeded what many could accept, and they sought traditional Anglicanism outside of the Episcopal Church. Now, in the 21st century, as the Episcopal Church continues to "reinvent" itself along various emerging social philosophies, we hold to the old traditions, customs and theologies that have defined Christianity for centuries.

Not all Anglicans are former Episcopalians. Some of us are. Others are immigrants from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean and many other places around the world where Anglicanism has long been established. Today, even Anglicanism has many manifestations and forms. If you are driven by a need to rediscover traditional worship where reverence, respect and custom prevail, most likely you will find a comfortable fit somewhere within the broad spectrum of Anglicanism.