A Church History Series: Anglicanism – An Overview

What Is Anglicanism? Exploring a Tradition Rooted in Ancient Faith

Many people first encounter Anglicanism through its worship—beautiful, reverent, and filled with a sense of the sacred. But Anglicanism is far more than a style of liturgy. It is a way of being Christian that treasures Scripture, honors ancient tradition, and embraces sacramental life. Anglicanism offers a living expression of the historic, catholic (universal) faith within the Anglican family worldwide.

1. Anglicanism: Ancient Roots, Living Faith

Anglicanism sees the Church today as deeply connected to the Church of the apostles. This continuity is preserved through:

• apostolic teaching

• sacramental life

• historic liturgy

• commitment to the universal Church

Anglicans believe the faith we practice is the same faith entrusted to the early Church.

2. Worship That Reflects the Mystery of God

Anglican worship is known for being:

• sacramental (centered on the Eucharist)

• reverent (honoring God’s holiness)

• ritual-rich (candles, incense, vestments, bells)

• anchored in prayer (shaped by the Book of Common Prayer)

These elements are not ornamental. They help us encounter God with our whole selves—body, mind, and spirit.

3. The Eucharist at the Center

The Eucharist is the beating heart of Anglican worship. Anglicans believe that Christ is truly present in Holy Communion, offering His life to us in a sacramental meeting of heaven and earth.

4. The Sacraments as Channels of Grace

Anglicans hold the sacraments in high honor—Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Confession, Marriage, Ordination, and Holy Unction. These are not empty rituals but tangible means of God’s grace.

Two Sacraments of the Gospel are generally necessary for salvation. The five sacramentals are not counted as sacraments of the gospel. This does not mean they lack sacramental identity, but rather that they are of another distinction from the two Sacraments of the Gospel, which have ceremonies directly instituted and commanded by Christ.

• Two Major Sacraments of the Gospel:

  • Baptism

  • Holy Communion

• Five Sacramentals

  • Confirmation

  • Confession

  • Marriage

  • Ordination

  • Holy Unction

5. Scripture, Tradition, and Reason

Anglican theology rests upon a balanced “threefold cord”:

• Scripture – God’s revealed Word

• Tradition – the inherited wisdom of the Church

• Reason – the God-given capacity to think and discern

This approach allows Anglicanism to remain ancient in faith and thoughtful in practice.

6. A Spirituality of Prayer, Beauty, and Holiness

Anglican spirituality includes:

• daily prayer

• devotion to the saints

• contemplation and silence

• confession and spiritual direction

• a pursuit of holiness in everyday life

7. Faith Expressed Through Service

Anglicanism insists that the Christ we adore in the Sacrament is the Christ we serve in our neighbor. Worship flows outward into acts of mercy, justice, compassion, and community engagement.

In Summary

Anglicanism is:

• rooted in ancient Christian tradition

• centered on the Eucharist

• reverent and beautiful in worship

• committed to the sacraments

• shaped by Scripture, tradition, and reason

• active in service and mission

It offers a way of following Christ that is ancient, vibrant, and deeply grounded.

How This Series Unfolds: A Journey Through Anglican History

With that foundation in mind, this series traces how Anglicanism developed—from the earliest British Christians to modern Anglican realignment. Each installment builds the story toward a fuller understanding of how Anglican faith was formed and how it continues to grow today.

1. Christianity Before Augustine (Pre-597 A.D.)

The story begins long before Augustine of Canterbury. Christianity arrived in Britain by the second century, resulting in a vibrant and missionary Celtic Church. This opening post explores:

• early British Christians, martyrs, and bishops

• missionaries such as Ninian, Patrick, Columba, and Aidan

• the independence and distinctive spirituality of Celtic Christianity

• the meeting of Celtic and Roman missions in Anglo-Saxon England

This ancient foundation shaped the English Reformers’ understanding of Anglican identity.

2. From Augustine to Henry VIII (597–1530s)

The arrival of Augustine brought new organization, Roman influence, and centuries of development. This installment covers:

• the establishment of Roman ecclesiastical structure

• the pivotal Synod of Whitby (664)

• the flowering of monastic learning (Bede and others)

• Viking invasions and Alfred the Great’s revival

• the Norman Conquest and ongoing tension between crown and papacy

• medieval calls for reform, including John Wycliffe

By Henry VIII’s time, England had already spent centuries negotiating its relationship with Rome.

3. From Reformation to Realignment (1500s–2009)

This section follows Anglicanism from its Reformation beginnings to its global expression today:

• Henry VIII’s break with Rome

• Cranmer and the early Book of Common Prayer

• Elizabeth I and the Anglican via media

• Anglicanism in the American colonies

• the formation of the Episcopal Church after the Revolution

• missionary expansion and internal theological currents

• modern doctrinal controversies and the Anglican realignment

• the formation of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in 2009

This chapter shows Anglicanism as both rooted in tradition and responsive to new challenges.

4. The Diocese of Quincy: Anglicanism in the Heartland

The final installment brings the story into the American Midwest:

• colonial Anglican beginnings

• westward expansion and frontier missions

• Bishop Philander Chase and Jubilee College

• the formation of the Diocese of Quincy (1877)

• parishes, schools, and mission growth across western Illinois

• demographic changes and 20th-century transitions

• Quincy’s role in the Anglican realignment and its place today in the ACNA

This case study shows how global Anglican history takes root in local communities.

Conclusion: An Ancient Faith for a Living Church

Together, these four installments reveal a church that is:

• ancient in its roots

• reverent in its worship

• sacramental in its life

• scriptural in its theology

• missionary in its calling

• adaptable across cultures and centuries

This series invites readers to see Anglicanism not simply as a denomination, but as a living tradition that has carried the Gospel across time and geography—from Celtic monks to English reformers, from colonial missionaries to Midwestern pioneers, and into the global Church today.