Are the 39 Articles definitively Anglican?

Discussion in 'Theology and Doctrine' started by zimkhitha, May 13, 2015.

  1. zimkhitha

    zimkhitha Active Member

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    This post is my final attempt at this matter. I see a lot of Anglicans quote the 39 articles of religion quite a lot, others to prove certain theological stances.

    I have a tiny challenge. As a 3rd generation Anglican in South Africa, I was never told nor thaught about the 39 articles, not at confirmation and not from the pulpit either. I am yet to hear a mention of such a document in these realms (not on our APB either...).

    I just remember a one liner on my confirmation class notes that read: "The 39 articles of religion are not a requirement....), I don't even remember how that line ended.

    Is my Anglican province the only one that cannot be bothered about this document? Is it binding to all Anglicans? To tell the truth, there are points in the document that seem contrary to the instruction I've received from the church.
     
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  2. anglican74

    anglican74 Well-Known Member Anglican

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    To my mind this follows the fragmented state of the Anglican Church in the late 20th century. Each Province started to drift into its own proclivities. An isolated province like South Africa forgot its own doctrines and and even started to teach against it ("contrary to the instruction I've received from the church").
     
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  3. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    Sorry Z, your plight is not a unique one. Here in the US, the TEC has relegated the Articles to nothing more than a historical document. The good news is that the ACNA and other new provinces appear to have restored it to its classic place as one of the Holy Formulas of our common faith to be taught, preached, and believed by all who call themselves Anglican.

    I too was told I could ignore the Articles when I first began learning the faith. But the more I learned about Anglicanism the more I realized if I wanted to ignore the Articles, I'd have ignore the catechism, the homilies, and even the prayerbook because the doctrine presented in the Articles permeates throughout all the other resources. It lists the distinctives that make us unique among the Christian traditions and unite us with the church Catholic.
     
  4. Mark

    Mark Well-Known Member Anglican

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    zimkhitha,

    I do believe only the Church of England requires the 39 Articles to be binding, especially upon clergy. When I was ordained, both Deacon and Priest, the rite used was from the 1928 BCP. The 39 Articles were not mentioned. I was a priest in the Reformed Episcopal Church.

    The ACNA does have one short paragraph about the 39 Articles. The ACNA catechism (To Be a Christian) has a note in Appendix 5 reference and directing you to the short paragraph in the canons. My quick read of the catechism does not reveal anything on the 39 Articles.

    Here is the paragraph from the canons, found on page 2after the title page:

    7. We receive the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of 1571, taken in their literal and
    grammatical sense, as expressing the Anglican response to certain doctrinal issues
    controverted at that time, and as expressing fundamental principles of authentic Anglican
    belief.

    Not very indepth and much like the Elizabethean Settlement, ambigous. Thus allowing both sides of the issue to be able to claim the paragraph.

    I found the book An Exposition of The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion by Edward Harold Browne to be helpful. It is long, excess 600 pages. I admit
    it was a book used for study in seminary. I am sure you can find good books on the Articles that are MUCH shorter. Would try amazon.com.

    If and when you can, and if you wish, I would be interested in hearing how your education in Anglicanism differed from the 39 Articles.

    blessings

    Mark
     
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  5. zimkhitha

    zimkhitha Active Member

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    Mh...contrary may have been a strong word. What stood out mainly was the article on purgatory, saints and images. The instruction I received basically encourages middle ground or moderation. We do venerate the cross during the Good Friday service. Isn't that contrary to Article XXII?
     
  6. highchurchman

    highchurchman Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Z? If you will permit the familiarity?
    The 39 Articles were, I'm told, drawn as a line in the sand, past which the wild men of Anglicanism, both Calvinist and Roman Trent, were not allowed to pass. In theory they were a block against the new thinkers of both right and left were not to pass! For traditional Anglicans the view of the Articles were to be seen,or interpreted through the teaching of the the Seven Ecumenical Councils.These latter were the product of the whole universal church, whilst the latter were derived from two small provinces.
     
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  7. anglican74

    anglican74 Well-Known Member Anglican

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    As far as I remember the notion of the "middle state" is not condemned, only the notion of Purgatory as presented in Roman teaching. Likewise praying the Saints is rejected, whilst the Apostles are referred to as Saints and feast days are enjoined in their honor and reverence.
     
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  8. zimkhitha

    zimkhitha Active Member

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    So far everything is clear as mud. May I break down using my theologically illiterate mind what my thoughts are so far regarding the 39 articles (including my biases):

    1. I get confused about the "new truths" that surfaced with the 39 articles. Things like images had seemed to be acceptable prior "Anglicanism".
    2. The 39 Articles come across as a start of a new church. (contradicts my personal views)
    3. In the quest to "rid" the church of RCC "errors", the articles became very instrumental in ensuring a clean break with Rome (once again, my personal observation).

    I mean to offend no one with my views here and once again, the grooming I've received made no provision for some of the points in the articles.
     
  9. highchurchman

    highchurchman Well-Known Member Anglican

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    DeaZ Z.

    Things are confusing, for all of us!
    1. There were several ,'reformations,' three at least! The main one was that in Northern Europe which brought about new Christian Sects, Lutheranism and Calvinism come to most people's mind. Protestantism in fact!These and their derivatives broke away from the One True Catholic & Apostolic Church.

    2. The Roman ,'Counter Reformation,' where a coup was organised which brought in to being the Holy Roman,' Catholic ,'Church.
    In this a number of Catholic Bishops threw off their responsibilities to the ancient Church , given them by the College of Apostles and placed them on to the shoulders of the Bishop of Rome.Thus placing that particar church in place as no more than a Catholic Sect! This was done because that See, claimed authority and jurisdiction within Christ's Body, that has no place in either scripture or tradition. The Roman Catholic Church is the modern descendant of this body, which John Evelyn, a 17th, Anglican Cent, Diarist called , The New Church of Trent'.

    3. The English Reformation was initially a small affair the main effort being to challenge the effort of the Roman See to maintain usurped authority over particular communions within the Universal Church. Unfortunately the greed and selfishness of much of the English Gentry and Aristocracy eventually played in to the hands of the many people who favoured the,' Reformed,'this cuppled with the fear of a return of Rome,(struggle of two fronts,) was the reason for the 36 Articles.

    There were no new truths, just re_ statements of the old faith without Roman additions and Protestant diminutions. All that was done was for the Church to renew the Faith of the Apostles and fathers.
    As far as I can tell the facts regarding Christianity were settled by the time of the Apostles, all that was left to do was to interpret these according to the will of the Holy Ghost through the fathers and councils.

    S.James The Great, S.James the less and S.James ad infinitum!
    History of Anglicanism, by the latter!
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2015
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  10. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    I think HC has nailed it. The 39 articles do not create new doctrine, rather they summarize what the Anglican reformers believed (rightfully) were the clear teachings of scripture as interpreted by the primitive catholic church. They weeded the garden, as HC has put it in other threads. They were not intended to be a complete statement of all church doctrine. They are short, clear clarifications on what the primitive and Apostolic church, and thus the Church of England, believed and taught in the midst of the great theological controversies of the Reformation period. To do so, the Anglican reformers often contrasted teaching of the C of E with the errors of Rome on one side and those of the Protestants (Calvinists, Unitarians, Anabaptists, etc.) on the other. Not all issues of faith, morals, and ecclesiology are addressed and of those that are, not all are addressed with the kind of specificity that other, more detailed creeds and confessions out there are. But length is no guaranty of truth. The great gift of the Anglican reformers in their writing of the Articles is their restraint. They go only so far as scripture allows them and no further, lest they make the mistake of adding to the Apostolic deposit an article of faith that couldn't be found in or proved by scripture in their zeal to settle all outstanding questions.

    However, the methods for getting more clarity than the Articles expressly give are shown both in the text and by the example of the Articles themselves: go to scripture (Article 6) first, if the question remains consult the creeds (article 8), listen to the church and its traditions (articles 20 and 34), follow the lead of the church fathers (the articles appeal to 2 by name as authorities on certain issues), adhere to the valid general councils, especially the first 4 (article 21), and consult the Homilies, which contain godly doctrine (article 35). While only one of these sources is infallible and sufficient, all them are instructive and, so long as they are not repugnant to God's word written, should be received with humility.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2015
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  11. Stalwart

    Stalwart Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Superb summary, gentlemen. There is really nothing to add to what you've said so eloquently, the short and the long of the place of the Articles in our history.
     
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