The Anglican Vision, by James E. Griffiss
What is the Anglican vision anyway? What makes Anglicanism different from other Christian traditions? What does the Anglican tradition offer that can't be found elsewhere? Griffiss wrestles with these difficult questions across 130 densely written pages, looking through the lenses of Anglican history, sacramentalism, and the incarnation of God in Christ to see a vision of Anglicanism that is grounded in continuity and conversation with tradition, while being open to ongoing direction from the Holy Spirit as mediated through the entire creation.
The first half of the book is devoted to a capsule history of the Anglican churches as a study in conflict management. From the 16th century beginnings of the Church of England there was internal dissent between the Protestant reformers and Roman Catholics. Yet with the Elizabethan Settlement both parties stayed within one church. Later as England's colonies declared independence in the United States and elsewhere, there was more tension as each national church struggled to find its own unique identity. There have always been parties within Anglicanism that were more evangelical, more catholic, or more modern in their theological outlook. In the end, this produced a church centered more on common worship than codified doctrines, containing more theological diversity and ambiguity than more confessionally based churches, and finding authority not in an inerrant Bible or an inerrant Pope, but in an understanding of tradition, scripture, and reason that was shaped and negotiated by disagreeing Christians joined together in one common body.
Griffiss sees the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist (Holy Communion) as illustrative of the Anglican vision. According to the Book of Common Prayer, a sacrament is "a visible and outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace." Sacraments are bi-modal in that they contain both a physical and spiritual component. They are fragile (water can get stagnant, wine sour, and bread stale). Sacraments depend on God for their power, but also require human co-operation for their delivery. They are inherently mysterious and hard to understand. Griffiss sees sacramental understandings as having played a critical role in allowing Anglicans to live with greater levels of ambiguity and tension than is the case with most other Christian denominations.
Most importantly for Griffiss, the doctrine of Christ's incarnation is what saves humankind, and saves the Anglican church. Unlike substitutionary atonement, where Christ is the blood sacrifice that blots out sin (analogous to animal sacrifice in temple Judaism) incarnation theology states that the chasm between God and humanity is bridged through Christ as the Word made flesh. Fully God and fully human, Jesus occupies both spaces simultaneously, redeeming humanity and breathing the Spirit into the entire creation. Griffiss believes this helps explain Anglicanism's predisposition to view scientific progress, historical research, contributions from the humanities, and even the views of secular philosophical systems as new lenses through which to view both the Bible and the Christian tradition.
Combining a sacramental view of reality with a redeemed creation and high tolerance for conflict, the Anglican vision is one of openness to the on-going revelation of the Holy Spirit, an acknowledgment of the ambiguity and mysteriousness associated with trying to discern God and God's will for humanity, and a willingness to live in tension with others while working out one's faith with fear and trembling.
PUBLISHER: Cowley Publications, Copyright 1997. ISBN: 1-56101-143-6.
Showing posts with label anglican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anglican. Show all posts
Welcome to the Episcopal Church
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13.4.03
Welcome to the Episcopal Church: An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship, by Christopher L. Webber
Welcome to the Episcopal Church is just what it claims to be --a short, readable book suitable for anyone interested in an introduction to the contours of Episcopalian worship and practices. While I've heard many Episcopalians say that the Book of Common Prayer is the suitable place to begin, Welcome to the Episcopal Church puts the prayerbook and the denomination into its historical and cultural context. Dealing with the church's history, worship, treatment of the Bible, teachings, spirituality, organization, and mission, Welcome to the Episcopal Church carefully, painstakingly, yet also relatively briefly, fleshes out a denomination that is steeped in tradition, governed by Scripture, and tempered by reason.
Writing about the history of the denomination, Webber uses the context of the American revolution, Celtic Christianity, and the Reformation to portray the church's diversity. From the revolution and in contrast with the Church of England comes a disestablished Anglicanism in the New World. Influences of Celtic Christianity are used to show that Anglicanism has always been different from Roman Catholicism --even when the catholic church was largely undivided in the Middle Ages.
In discussing the role of worship in the Episcopal church, Webber highlights what might be the most distinctive thing about the Episcopal version of Christianity. More so than beliefs or theology (although these are also important) the source of unity in Anglicanism is "unity through worshiping together." The prayerbook is seen as a symbol of unity in liturgy, and unity in prayer.
In the chapter on the Bible, Webber stresses how biblical the Book of Common Prayer actually is in order to underscore the larger point --that the Bible under-girds everything in the prayerbook and the liturgy. Much of the Book of Common Prayer is quoted directly from the Bible. However, the Bible is not necessarily interpreted literally. Instead the church's teaching about the Bible is more "right-brained", with a more evocative teaching meant to preserve a sense of God's ineffability, and great mystery.
Perhaps the most nuts-and-bolts chapter in Welcome to the Episcopal Church is "Church Organization." Webber teaches us about the role of bishops, General Convention, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Yet throughout he also stresses the democratic structure of the church, and the critical role of the laity at all levels of governance. In yet another paradox, the Episcopal Church's governance can perhaps be best described as congregational on the parish level, yet still thoroughly overseen by bishops (who are themselves elected by the laity) and organized into dioceses.
Perhaps the fuzziest chapter concerns the church's mission. In a world that seems increasingly smaller, and in an age of religious pluralism, the mission of the Episcopal church is portrayed, at best, more complex, and at worst quite confused. Webber seems to see this as the biggest challenge the church has going forward into the 21st century. While having a rich history and tradition to draw upon, the church will have to creatively reinvent itself in order to remain relevant to the ever-changing culture with which it must converse.
In conclusion, Webber depicts a denomination that is spiritually and theologically balanced --almost to a fault. Speaking from practical experience I can affirm this vision as an ideal, but not always the Episcopal church that I've encountered in real life. The parishes I've attended have either seemed more left-wing or more right-wing. Maybe on average they are more balanced. Welcome to the Episcopal Church portrays the denomination as it should be, but not necessarily as it always is. Still, it's an excellent outline that puts the emphasis where it should be --on worship and practices rather than on an overly detailed or propositionally based theology. As such, I'll heartily recommend this book and offer it to anyone I know who is interested in a short, well-written outline of who Episcopalians are.
PUBLISHER: Morehouse Publishing, 1999. Harrisburg, PA. ISBN: 0819218200
Welcome to the Episcopal Church is just what it claims to be --a short, readable book suitable for anyone interested in an introduction to the contours of Episcopalian worship and practices. While I've heard many Episcopalians say that the Book of Common Prayer is the suitable place to begin, Welcome to the Episcopal Church puts the prayerbook and the denomination into its historical and cultural context. Dealing with the church's history, worship, treatment of the Bible, teachings, spirituality, organization, and mission, Welcome to the Episcopal Church carefully, painstakingly, yet also relatively briefly, fleshes out a denomination that is steeped in tradition, governed by Scripture, and tempered by reason.
Writing about the history of the denomination, Webber uses the context of the American revolution, Celtic Christianity, and the Reformation to portray the church's diversity. From the revolution and in contrast with the Church of England comes a disestablished Anglicanism in the New World. Influences of Celtic Christianity are used to show that Anglicanism has always been different from Roman Catholicism --even when the catholic church was largely undivided in the Middle Ages.
In discussing the role of worship in the Episcopal church, Webber highlights what might be the most distinctive thing about the Episcopal version of Christianity. More so than beliefs or theology (although these are also important) the source of unity in Anglicanism is "unity through worshiping together." The prayerbook is seen as a symbol of unity in liturgy, and unity in prayer.
In the chapter on the Bible, Webber stresses how biblical the Book of Common Prayer actually is in order to underscore the larger point --that the Bible under-girds everything in the prayerbook and the liturgy. Much of the Book of Common Prayer is quoted directly from the Bible. However, the Bible is not necessarily interpreted literally. Instead the church's teaching about the Bible is more "right-brained", with a more evocative teaching meant to preserve a sense of God's ineffability, and great mystery.
Perhaps the most nuts-and-bolts chapter in Welcome to the Episcopal Church is "Church Organization." Webber teaches us about the role of bishops, General Convention, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Yet throughout he also stresses the democratic structure of the church, and the critical role of the laity at all levels of governance. In yet another paradox, the Episcopal Church's governance can perhaps be best described as congregational on the parish level, yet still thoroughly overseen by bishops (who are themselves elected by the laity) and organized into dioceses.
Perhaps the fuzziest chapter concerns the church's mission. In a world that seems increasingly smaller, and in an age of religious pluralism, the mission of the Episcopal church is portrayed, at best, more complex, and at worst quite confused. Webber seems to see this as the biggest challenge the church has going forward into the 21st century. While having a rich history and tradition to draw upon, the church will have to creatively reinvent itself in order to remain relevant to the ever-changing culture with which it must converse.
In conclusion, Webber depicts a denomination that is spiritually and theologically balanced --almost to a fault. Speaking from practical experience I can affirm this vision as an ideal, but not always the Episcopal church that I've encountered in real life. The parishes I've attended have either seemed more left-wing or more right-wing. Maybe on average they are more balanced. Welcome to the Episcopal Church portrays the denomination as it should be, but not necessarily as it always is. Still, it's an excellent outline that puts the emphasis where it should be --on worship and practices rather than on an overly detailed or propositionally based theology. As such, I'll heartily recommend this book and offer it to anyone I know who is interested in a short, well-written outline of who Episcopalians are.
PUBLISHER: Morehouse Publishing, 1999. Harrisburg, PA. ISBN: 0819218200
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