Thoughts about crucifixes

Discussion in 'Theology and Doctrine' started by DeusExMachina, Jul 22, 2016.

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Should crcifixes be used in Anglican churches

  1. Yes, they are a powerful reminder of Christ's sacrifice and an important part of historic worship

    16 vote(s)
    94.1%
  2. No, they are a remnant of popery and have no place in a protestant church

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Other (please explain)

    1 vote(s)
    5.9%
  1. DeusExMachina

    DeusExMachina Member

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    The history of crucifixes in Anglicanism is a murky one to be sure, with Cranmer calling for banning them on the one hand, but with several pivotal Anglican theologians, such as Lancelot Andrewes and John Cosin using them in their own parishes. Even Queen Elizabeth kept a crucifix in her chapel all her life. That being said, I wish to gauge everyone's thoughts here on whether or not they believe a faithful Anglican should use crucifixes.
     
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  2. Botolph

    Botolph Well-Known Member

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    My feeling is that a balanced responsible Anglican approach is that there should be a crucifix in the vicinity of the pulpit for we preach Christ Crucified, and either a plain cross of a christus rex in the vicinity of the altar as we worship Christ Risen. That is pretty much the Anglican approach that I have most encountered, however I am open to other approaches.
     
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  3. Christina

    Christina Active Member

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    My Church is an Anglican Church in the catholic tradition - Anglo Catholic - and there are a lot of Cricifixes in the Church, along with a statue of the Virgin Mary with Jesus and an Icon of the Virgin Mary, stained glass windows etc. I do think that all these serve as powerful reminders of Christ's sacrifice and Scriptural events.
     
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  4. Madeline

    Madeline Well-Known Member

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    I love the empty cross. It's a promise and an anchor for me, and an object for meditation. Often when praying I gaze at the empty cross instead of bowing my head and closing my eyes. It's become my north star, so to speak, and I've started wearing a small crucifix.
     
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  5. DeusExMachina

    DeusExMachina Member

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    Interesting.I often do the same but it works better for ME with a crucifix (YMMV)
     
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  6. DeusExMachina

    DeusExMachina Member

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    I havent seen this before (but maybe thats because Ive only ever been to about 3 churches in my lifetime). What Ive seen usually is ornate crosses in the nave and behind the altar, and a crucifix in the side chapel
     
  7. Aidan

    Aidan Well-Known Member

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    What about Marian shrines and statues. Are they appropriate to AngloCatholicism or only Roman Catholicism?
     
  8. Christina

    Christina Active Member

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    I love the empty cross too. Both the crucifix and the empty cross are powerful for me.
     
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  9. Christina

    Christina Active Member

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    I hadn't heard this before, butI like the sound of this. My Church does have crucifixes behind the alter in the side chapel.
     
  10. Christina

    Christina Active Member

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    My Anglo Catholic Chuch has a statue of Mary with Jesus, in front of which is a stand where people can light candles. When I was much younger I attended an evangelical Anglican Church and you certainly wouldn't have found any crucifixes or statues of Mary in that Church.
     
  11. David Zelizney

    David Zelizney New Member

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    I agree. There is room for both the plain cross (not empty) and the crucifix. Placing the crucifix behind the pulpit teaches us of Christ's supreme sacrifice. However only the plain cross should be placed on the Lord's Table or on the outside of the church symbolizing for one thing, Christ's resurrection.
     
  12. David Zelizney

    David Zelizney New Member

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    I prefer Byzantine icons (not prints, painted by monks, nuns, or laity in a spiritual place) to statues especially those mass produced, plaster or wooden. Crucifixes teach us of Christ's supreme sacrifice on the cross; plain crosses his resurrection- both powerful elements of our faith.
     
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  13. peter

    peter Active Member

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    What I would say about all statutes and icons is that the key point is what the purpose of the statute is. Is it just decorative, perhaps designed to tell a Biblical story such as a stained glass window - in which case that's fine. Or it is designed as a focal point of prayer? If so, this needs to be approached with caution. Praying before a crucifix is not wrong per se, but one needs to be very clear about who they are praying to, to Christ not to an image or statute. Praying before a statute of Mary or other saints is more troubling, since even if you are praying to the subject of the image and not the image itself, Mary is not God. This is a Catholic fallacy, to pray to that which is not God. This is a practice clearly condemned by the Second Commandment.
     
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  14. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    The empty tomb is the symbol of Our Lord's resurrection not an empty cross.
     
  15. JoeLaughon

    JoeLaughon Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I think we need to be careful with our terms here. When we say "Catholic fallacy" we need to mean Roman fallacy. By nature we are Catholic and there can be no "Catholic fallacy" anymore there can be a "universal fallacy."

    More to the point I think there ought to be pastoral concern where a shrine, pilgrimage site or statue/icon is being abused it ought to be removed but St John of Damascus has a good answer to iconoclasm write large.
     
  16. peter

    peter Active Member

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    I was following the (I think fairly well known) convention that Catholic with a capital "C" means "Roman Catholic".
     
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  17. realdocphil

    realdocphil New Member Anglican

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    It is also a reminder that I’ve been
    crucified with Christ(Galatians)