Anglican_Communion

{{Anglicanism}}

{{Main|Anglicanism}}
The '''Anglican Communion''' is a world-wide affiliation of [[Anglican]] Churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority, since each national or regional church has full autonomy. As the name suggests, the Anglican ''Communion'' is an association of these churches in [[full communion]] with the [[Church of England]] (which may be regarded as the "mother church" of the worldwide communion), and specifically with its [[primate (religion)|primate]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. With over seventy-seven million members, the Anglican Communion is the third largest communion in the world, after the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Churches]]. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-09-23-episcopal-bishops_N.htm</ref>

The status of full communion means that all [[rite]]s conducted in one church are recognised by the other. Some of these churches are known as Anglican, explicitly recognising the link to England (''Ecclesia Anglicana'' means "Church of England"); others, such as the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|American]] and [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Scottish]] Episcopal churches, or the [[Church of Ireland]], prefer a separate name. Each church has its own [[Anglican doctrine|doctrine]] and [[liturgy]], based in most cases on that of the Church of England; and each church has its own legislative process and overall [[episcopal polity]], under the leadership of a local primate.

The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], religious head of the Church of England, has no formal authority outside that jurisdiction, but is recognised as symbolic head of the worldwide communion. Among the other primates, he is ''[[primus inter pares]]'', or "first among equals." He has no jurisdiction outside his own province. Nonetheless, churches are not considered to be in the Anglican Communion unless they are in full communion with him <ref>[http://www.aco.org/archbishops/index.html The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Focus for Unity] </ref>.

The [[Anglican Communion]] considers itself to be part of the [[One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church]] and as being both Catholic and Reformed. For some adherents it represents a non-papal Catholicism, for others a form of [[Protestantism]] though without a dominant guiding figure such as [[Martin Luther|Luther]], [[John Knox|Knox]], [[John Calvin|Calvin]], [[Ulrich Zwingli|Zwingli]] or [[John Wesley|Wesley]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Avis|first=Paul|chapter=What is 'Anglicanism'?|title=The Study of Anglicanism|editor=S. Sykes and J. Booty (eds)|location=London|publisher=SPCK|year=1988|pages=417–19}}</ref> For others, their self-identity represents some combination of the two. The communion encompasses a wide spectrum of belief and practice including [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]], [[Liberal Christianity|liberal]], and [[Anglo-Catholicism|catholic]].

The Anglican Communion is one of the largest [[Christian denominations]] in the world with approximately 77 million members.<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity Major Branches of Religions]</ref>

==What holds the Communion together?==
[[Image:Anglican Communion Compass Rose.jpg|thumb|The Anglican Communion uses the [[compass rose]] as its symbol, signifying its worldwide reach and decentralized nature. It is surmounted, like ecclesiastical coats of arms, by a bishop's [[mitre]]; in the centre is a [[St. George's cross|cross of St. George]] recalling the communion's origins in the [[Church of England]]. The [[Greek language|Greek]] motto, {{polytonic|Ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς}} ("The truth will set you free") is a quotation from [[Gospel of John|John]] 8:32. It was designed by [[Edward Nason West]], [[Canon (priest)|Canon]] of the [[Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York|Cathedral of St. John the Divine]] in [[New York City]].]]
The Anglican Communion has no official legal existence nor any governing structure which might exercise authority over the member churches. There is an [[Anglican Communion Office]] in London, under the aegis of the Archbishop of Canterbury; but it serves merely a supporting and organisational role. Instead, the communion is held together by a shared history, expressed in its [[ecclesiology]], [[polity]], and [[ethos]]; and by participation in international consultative bodies.

===Ecclesiology, polity, and ethos===
{{main|Anglican doctrine}}
Three elements have been important in holding the Communion together: First, the shared ecclesial structure of the churches, manifested in an [[episcopal polity]] maintained through the [[apostolic succession]] of bishops and [[synod]]ical government; second, the principle of belief expressed in worship, investing importance in approved prayer books and their rubrics; and third, the historical documents and standard [[divinity (academic discipline)|divine]]s that have influenced the ethos of the Communion.

Originally, the Church of England was self-contained, and relied for its unity and identity on its own history, its traditional legal and episcopal structure, and its status as an [[established church]] of the state. As such, Anglicanism was from the outset a movement with an explicitly [[episcopal polity]], a characteristic which has been vital in maintaining the unity of the Communion by conveying the episcopate's role in manifesting visible catholicity and ecumenism.

Early in its development, the Church developed a vernacular prayer book, called the [[Book of Common Prayer]]. Unlike other traditions, Anglicanism has never been governed by a [[magisterium]] nor by appeal to a founding [[theology|theologian]], nor by an extra-credal summary of doctrine (such as the [[Westminster Confession]] of the [[Presbyterian]] Church). Instead, Anglicans have typically appealed to the Book of Common Prayer and its offshoots as a guide to Anglican theology and practice. This had the effect of inculcating the principle of ''[[lex orandi, lex credendi]]'' ("the law of prayer is the law of belief") as the foundation of Anglican identity and confession.

Protracted conflict through the seventeenth century with more radical [[Protestant]]s on the one hand and [[Roman Catholic]]s who still recognised the primacy of the [[Pope]] on the other, resulted in a Church that was both deliberately vague about doctrinal principles, yet bold in developing parameters of acceptable deviation. These parameters were most clearly articulated in the various [[rubric]]s of the successive prayer books, as well as the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]] of Religion. These Articles, while never binding, have had an influence on the ethos of the Communion, an ethos reinforced by their interpretation and expansion by such influential early theologians as [[Richard Hooker (theologian)|Richard Hooker]], [[Lancelot Andrewes]], [[John Cosin]], and others.

With the expansion of the [[British Empire]], and hence the growth of Anglicanism outside [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]], the Communion sought to establish new vehicles of unity. The first major expression of this were the [[Lambeth Conference]]s of the Communion's bishops, first convened by Archbishop of Canterbury [[Charles Longley]] in 1867. From the outset, these were not intended to displace the autonomy of the emerging provinces of the Communion, but to "discuss matters of practical interest, and pronounce what we deem expedient in resolutions which may serve as safe guides to future action."

===The Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral===
One of the enduringly influential early resolutions of the Conference was the so-called [[Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral]] of 1888. Its intent was to provide the basis for discussions of reunion with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, but it had the ancillary effect of establishing parameters of Anglican identity. Its four principles are:

# "The [[Bible|Holy Scriptures]] of the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s, as 'containing all things necessary to salvation', and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith."
# "The [[Apostles' Creed]], as the Baptismal Symbol; and the [[Nicene Creed]], as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith."
# "The two [[Sacrament]]s ordained by [[Christ]] Himself - [[Baptism]] and the [[Eucharist|Supper of the Lord]] - ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of Institution, and of the elements ordained by Him."
# "The Historic [[bishop|Episcopate]], locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the Unity of His Church."

===Instruments of Communion===
As mentioned above, the Anglican Communion has no international juridical organisation. The Archbishop of Canterbury's role is strictly symbolic and unifying; and the Communion's three international bodies are consultative and collaborative, their resolutions having no legal effect on the independent provinces of the Communion. Taken together, however, the four do function as "instruments of Communion", since all churches of the Communion participate in them. In order of antiquity, they are:

# The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] (''ab origine'') functions as the spiritual head of the Communion. He is the focus of unity, since no church claims membership in the Communion without being in communion with him. The present incumbent is Dr [[Rowan Williams]].
# The [[Lambeth Conference]] (first held in 1867) is the oldest international consultation. It is a forum for bishops of the Communion to reinforce unity and collegiality through manifesting the [[episcopate]], to discuss matters of mutual concern, and to pass resolutions intended to act as guideposts. It is held roughly every ten years and invitation is by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
# The [[Anglican Consultative Council]] (first met in 1971) was created by a 1968 Lambeth Conference resolution, and meets usually at three year intervals. The council consists of representative bishops, clergy, and laity chosen by the thirty-eight provinces. The body has a permanent secretariat, the Anglican Communion Office, of which the Archbishop of Canterbury is president.
# The [[Anglican Communion Primates' Meeting|Primates' Meeting]] (first met in 1979) is the most recent manifestation of international consultation and deliberation, having been first convened by Archbishop [[Donald Coggan]] as a forum for "leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation."

Since there is no binding authority in the Communion, these international bodies are a vehicle for consultation and persuasion. In recent years, persuasion has tipped over into debates over conformity in certain areas of doctrine, discipline, worship, and ethics. The most notable example has been the objection of many provinces of the Communion (particularly in Africa; Asia; and Sydney, Australia) to the changing role of homosexuals in the North American churches (e.g., by [[same-sex unions|blessing same-sex unions]] and ordaining and consecrating gays and lesbians in same-sex relationships), and to the process by which changes were undertaken. Those who objected condemned these actions as unscriptural, unilateral, and without the agreement of the Communion prior to these steps being taken. In response, the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|American Episcopal Church]] and the [[Anglican Church of Canada]] answered that the actions had been undertaken after lengthy scriptural and theological reflection, legally in accordance with their own [[canon law|canons and constitutions]] and after extensive consultation with the provinces of the Communion.

The Primates' Meeting voted to request the two churches to withdraw their delegates from the 2005 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, and Canada and the United States decided to attend the meeting but without exercising their right to vote. They have not been expelled or suspended, since there is no mechanism in this voluntary association to suspend or expel an independent province of the Communion. Since membership is based on a province's communion with Canterbury, expulsion would require the Archbishop of Canterbury's refusal to be in communion with the affected jurisdiction(s). In line with the suggestion of the [[Windsor Report]], Dr Williams has recently established a working group to examine the feasibility of an Anglican [[covenant]] which would articulate the conditions for communion in some fashion.<ref>[http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/41/50/acns4164.cfm Archbishop of Canterbury: address to General Synod on the Anglican Communion, ACNS 4164, July 7, 2006]</ref>

==Provinces of the Anglican Communion==
[[Image:Anglican Communion.JPG|right|thumb|250px|A world map showing the Provinces of the '''Anglican Communion''' (Blue). Also shown are the Churches in full communion with the Anglican Church: The Nordic Lutheran churches of the [[Porvoo Communion]] (Green), and the [[Old Catholic Church]]es in the [[Utrecht Union]] (Red).]]

All thirty-eight provinces of the Anglican Communion are independent, each with its own [[primate (religion)|primate]] and governing structure. These provinces may take the form of national churches (such as in [[Canada]], [[Uganda]], or [[Japan]]) or a collection of nations (such as the [[West Indies]], [[Central Africa]], or [[Southeast Asia]]). They are, in alphabetical order:

*The [[Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Australia]]
*The [[Church of Bangladesh]]
*The [[Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil]] (Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil)
*The [[Anglican Church of Burundi]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Canada]]
*The [[Church of the Province of Central Africa]]
*The [[Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central America]] (Anglican Church in the Central Region of America)
*The [[Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo]] (Province of the Anglican Church of Congo)
*The [[Church of England]]
*[[Sheng Kung Hui]] (Hong Kong Anglican Church (Episcopal))
*The [[Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean]]
*The [[Church of Ireland]]
*The [[Nippon Sei Ko Kai]] (The Anglican Communion in Japan)
*The [[Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Kenya]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Korea]]
*The [[Church of the Province of Melanesia]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Mexico]]
*The [[Church of the Province of Myanmar]] (Burma)
*The [[Church of Nigeria]]
*The [[Church of North India]]
*The [[Church of Pakistan]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea]]
*The [[Episcopal Church in the Philippines]]
*The [[Church of the Province of Rwanda]]
*The [[Scottish Episcopal Church]]
*The [[Church of the Province of South East Asia]]
*The [[Church of South India]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Southern Africa]]
*[[Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de las Americas]] (Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of the Americas)
*The [[Episcopal Church of the Sudan]]
*The [[Anglican Church of Tanzania]]
*The [[Church of Uganda]]
*The [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America]]
*The [[Church in Wales]]
*The [[Church of the Province of West Africa]]
*The [[Church in the Province of the West Indies]]

In addition, there are six extra-provincial churches, five of which are under the [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitical]] authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

*The [[Anglican Church of Bermuda]] (extra-provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)
*[[Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba]] (Episcopal Church of Cuba) (under a metropolitan council)
*The [[Parish of the Falkland Islands]] (extra-provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)
*The [[Lusitanian Catholic Apostolic Evangelical Church]] of [[Portugal]] (extra-provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)
*The [[Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church]] (extra-provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)
*The [[Church of Ceylon]] ([[Sri Lanka]]) (extra-provincial to the Archbishop of Canterbury)

==History==

''Main article: see [[History of the Anglican Communion]]''

The Anglican Communion is a relatively recent concept. The [[Church of England]] (which until the 20th century included the [[Church in Wales]]) initially split with the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Churches]] in 1538, rejoined in 1555 and split again during the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] (the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Elizabeth I in response to the 1558 Act of Settlement). The [[Church of England]] has always thought of itself not as a new foundation but rather as a reformed continuation of the ancient "English church" and a reassertion of that church's rights. As such it was a distinctly local phenomenon.

Thus the only members of the present Anglican Communion existing by the mid-18th century were the Church of England, its closely-linked sister church, the [[Church of Ireland]] (which was also established under Henry VIII), and the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], which for parts of the 17th and 18th centuries was partially underground (it was suspected of [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] sympathies).

However, the enormous expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries of the [[British Empire]] brought the church along with it. At first all these colonial churches were under the jurisdiction of the [[Bishop of London]]. After the [[American Revolution]], the parishes in the newly independent country found it necessary to break formally from a church whose [[Supreme Governor]] was (and remains) the [[British monarchy|British monarch]]. Thus they formed their own dioceses and national church, the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America]], in a mostly amicable separation.

At about the same time, in the colonies which remained linked to the crown, the Church of England began to appoint colonial bishops. In 1787 a bishop of [[Nova Scotia]] was appointed with a jurisdiction over all of British North America; in time several more colleagues were appointed to other cities in present-day [[Canada]]. In 1814 a bishop of [[Calcutta]] was made; in 1824 the first bishop was sent to the [[West Indies]] and in 1836 to [[Australia]]. By 1840 there were still only ten colonial bishops for the Church of England; but even this small beginning greatly facilitated the growth of Anglicanism around the world. In 1841 a "Colonial Bishoprics Council" was set up and soon many more dioceses were created.

In time, it became natural to group these into provinces, and a [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]] appointed for each province. Although it had at first been somewhat established in many colonies, in 1861 it was ruled that, except where specifically established, the Church of England had just the same legal position as any other church. Thus a colonial bishop and colonial diocese was by nature quite a different thing from their counterparts back home. In time bishops came to be appointed locally rather than from England, and eventually national synods began to pass ecclesiastical legislation independent of England.

A crucial step in the development of the modern communion was the idea of the [[Lambeth Conference]]s, as discussed above. These conferences demonstrated that the bishops of disparate churches could manifest the unity of the church in their episcopal collegiality, despite the absence of universal legal ties. Some bishops were initially reluctant to attend, fearing that the meeting would declare itself a council with power to legislate for the church; but it agreed to pass only advisory resolutions. These Lambeth Conferences have been held roughly decennially since 1878 (the second such conference), and remain the most visible coming-together of the whole Communion.

==Ecumenical relations==
{{details|Anglican communion and ecumenism|the on-going dialogue between Anglicanism and the wider Church}}

==Apostolic Succession==
The Anglican Communion hold that [[Apostolic Succession]] is a core element of the validity of clerical ordinations. The Roman Catholic Church does not recognize Anglican orders (see [[Apostolicae Curae]]). The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es and [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches have traditionally accepted the validity of Anglican orders.<ref> http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/history_timothy_ware_2.htm</ref>

==Controversies==
One effect of the Communion's dispersed authority has been that conflict and controversy regularly arise over the effect divergent practices and doctrines in one part of the Communion have on others. Disputes that had been confined to the Church of England could be dealt with legislatively in that realm, but as the Communion spread out into new nations and disparate cultures, such controversies multiplied and intensified. These controversies have generally been of two types: liturgical and social.

The first such controversy of note concerned that of the growing influence of the [[Catholic Revival]] manifested in the so-called [[ritualism]] controversies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Later, rapid social change and the dissipation of British cultural hegemony over its former colonies contributed to disputes over the role of women, the parameters of marriage and divorce, and the practice of [[contraception]] and [[abortion]]. More recently, disagreements over homosexuality have strained the unity of the Communion as well as its relationships with other Christian denominations (''see [[Anglican views of homosexuality]] and [[Anglican realignment]]''). Simultaneous with debates about social theology and ethics, the Communion has debated prayer book revision and the acceptable grounds for achieving full communion with non-Anglican churches.

==References==
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==Further Reading==

==See also==
*[[Affirming Catholicism]]
*[[Anglican Communion Network]]
*[[Anglican sacraments]]
*[[Anglicans online]]
*[[Anglo-Catholicism]]
*[[Anglican ministry]]
*[[Historical development of Church of England dioceses]]

==External links==
*[http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ Official website]
*[http://anglican.org/church/NoCentral.html Decentralised nature of worldwide Anglicanism]
*[http://www.anglicansonline.org/ Anglicans Online]

{{Anglican Churches}}

[[Category:Anglicanism]]
[[Category:Christian group structuring]]
[[Category:International bodies of Protestant denominations]]

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