93-798: The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Formally founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The traditional origins of Anglican doctrine are summarised in the Thirty-nine Articles (1571) and The Books of Homilies . The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as
186-492: A via media between two branches of Protestantism— Lutheranism and Calvinism —and for others, a denomination that is both Catholic and Reformed . Most of its members live in the Anglosphere of former British territories. Full participation in the sacramental life of each church is available to all communicant members. Because of their historical link to England ( ecclesia anglicana means "English church"), some of
279-554: 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
372-570: A metropolitan bishop was 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
465-803: A common "Protestant" designation, and would rather prefer to be called, simply, "Christian". According to Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California, "popular Protestantism" (that is to say all forms of Protestantism with the notable exception of the historical denominations deriving from the Protestant Reformation) is the most dynamic religious movement in the contemporary world, alongside resurgent Islam . The number of individuals who are members of historical Protestant Churches totals to 300–600 million. There are about 110 million Christians in Anglican tradition, mostly part of
558-612: A conservative view on the issue. The 1930 conference, the first to be held since the initial legalisation of abortion in Europe (in Russia in 1920), stated: The Conference further records its abhorrence of the sinful practice of abortion. The 1958 conference's Family in Contemporary Society report affirmed the following position on abortion and was commended by the 1968 conference: In the strongest terms Christians reject
651-627: A fellowship of conservative Anglican churches, has appointed "missionary bishops" in response to the disagreements with the perceived liberalisation in the Anglican churches in North America and Europe. In 2023, ten archbishops within the Anglican Communion and two breakaway churches in North America and Brazil from the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) declared a state of impaired communion with
744-488: A focus of unity, recognised as primus inter pares ("first among equals"), but does not exercise authority in Anglican provinces outside of the Church of England. Most, but not all, member churches of the communion are the historic national or regional Anglican churches. The Anglican Communion was officially and formally organised and recognised as such at the Lambeth Conference in 1867 in London under
837-569: A membership of 0.3 million people. Eastern Protestant Christianity (or Eastern Reformed Christianity) encompasses a range of heterogeneous Protestant Christian denominations that developed outside of the Occident , from the latter half of the nineteenth century and yet keeps elements of Eastern Christianity , to varying degrees. Most of these denominations came into being when existing Protestant Churches adopted reformational variants of Eastern Orthodox liturgy and worship; while others are
930-649: A reassertion of that church's rights. As such it was a distinctly national phenomenon. The Church of Scotland was formed as a separate church from the Roman Catholic Church as a result of the Scottish Reformation in 1560 and the later formation of the Scottish Episcopal Church began in 1582 in the reign of James VI over disagreements about the role of bishops. The oldest-surviving Anglican church building outside
1023-581: A same-sex civil partnership. The Church of Ireland recognised that it will "treat civil partners the same as spouses". The Anglican Church of Australia does not have an official position on homosexuality. The conservative Anglican churches encouraging the realignment movement are more concentrated in the Global South. For example, the Anglican Church of Kenya , the Church of Nigeria and the Church of Uganda have opposed homosexuality. GAFCON ,
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#17327729184211116-464: Is a list of Christian denominations by number of members . It is inevitably partial and generally based on claims by the denominations themselves. The numbers should therefore be considered approximate and the article is an ongoing work-in-progress. The list includes the Catholic Church (including Eastern Catholic Churches ), Protestant denominations with at least 0.2 million members,
1209-589: Is composed by Nontrinitarian Restorationists . These groups are quite distinct from orthodox Trinitarian restorationist groups such as the Disciples of Christ, despite some shared history. Various denominations that self-identify as Catholic , despite not being affiliated with the Catholic Church. A seventh group is composed of Nestorians . Divisions occurred within the Church of the East , especially
1302-693: Is the fourth-largest communion. The Methodist movement is represented by 60–80 million people (a figure including adherents but non-members), found in denominations including the following; the World Methodist Council (WMC) is the fifth largest communion. Not all of the following churches are member churches of the WMC. The largest Methodist denomination, the United Methodist Church , had about 25 percent of their churches disaffiliate between 2019 and 2023, some of whom joined
1395-547: The Anglican Communion , the third-largest Christian communion in the world, with 42 members (provinces). The worldwide Baptist community numbers about 100 million. However, the Baptist World Alliance , the world communion of Baptist churches, self-reports only 51 million baptized believers, as Baptists do not count children as members, since they believe in believer's baptism . Therefore,
1488-658: The Annuario Pontificio of 2021–2024 that provided 2019–2022 statistics. [REDACTED] Protestantism is the second largest major group of Christians by number of followers. Estimates vary from 0.6 to 1.1 billion, or between 24% and 40% of all Christians. The main reason for this wide range is the lack of a common agreement among scholars as to which denominations constitute Protestantism. For instance, most sources include Anabaptism , Anglicanism , Baptists and non-denominational Christianity as part of Protestantism. However, widely used references like
1581-618: The Eastern Orthodox Church (and its offshoots), Oriental Orthodox Churches (and their offshoots), Nontrinitarian Restorationism , independent Catholic denominations , Nestorianism and all the other Christian branches and denominations with distinct theologies or polities. Christianity is the largest religious group in the world , with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents in 2020. The various denominations of Christianity fall into several large families, shaped both by culture and history. Christianity arose in
1674-474: The Episcopal Church (US) consecrated an openly gay bishop in a same-sex relationship, Gene Robinson , in 2003, which led some Episcopalians to defect and found the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA); then, the debate reignited when the Church of England agreed to allow clergy to enter into same-sex civil partnerships , as long as they remained celibate, in 2005. The Church of Nigeria opposed
1767-582: The Global Methodist Church , thus figures for the two denominations are an ongoing process. The Plymouth Brethren number around 1 million members. The denominations listed below did not emerge from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century or its commonly acknowledged offshoots. Instead, they are broadly linked to Pentecostalism or similar other independent evangelical and revivalistic movements that originated in
1860-739: The Great Schism , dividing Greek speaking Christians who became the Eastern Orthodox , from Latin speaking Christians who kept the name Catholic , but increasingly prefaced it with the adjective "Roman". Beginning in 1517, the remaining western, Latin speaking church was itself rent asunder by the Reformation with many Christians rejecting papal authority and gathering together in new ways. Broadly speaking Protestantism has four streams: Lutheranism , Calvinism , Anabaptism , and Anglicanism . While all of these Christian groups from
1953-593: The Gunpowder Plot in 1605 – whereupon they were oppressed for nearly 200 years. Section 8 still remains in force in Great Britain, and reads as follows: A ND That suche Jurisdictions Privileges Superiorities and Preheminences Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall, as by any Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall Power or Aucthorite hathe heretofore bene or may lawfully be exercised or used for the Visitacion of
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#17327729184212046-534: The Presbyterian churches). Instead, Anglicans have typically appealed to the Book of Common Prayer (1662) and its offshoots as a guide to Anglican theology and practise. This has had the effect of inculcating in Anglican identity and confession the principle of lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of praying [is] the law of believing"). Protracted conflict through the 17th century, with radical Protestants on
2139-687: The World Evangelical Alliance , the Anglican Communion , the World Communion of Reformed Churches , the Baptist World Alliance , the World Methodist Council and the Lutheran World Federation . Regardless, 900 million is the most accepted figure among various authors and scholars, and thus is used in this article. Note that this 900 million figure also includes Anglicans, Anabaptists, Baptists, as well as multiple other groups that might sometimes disavow
2232-723: The schism of 1552 , but by 1830 two unified patriarchates and distinct churches remained: the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church (now an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See). Act of Supremacy 1559 The Act of Supremacy 1558 ( 1 Eliz. 1 . c. 1), sometimes referred to as the Act of Supremacy 1559 , is an act of the Parliament of England , which replaced
2325-490: The 19th century, when some sections began to be repealed. By 1969, all provisions, bar section 8 (which still remains in force), had been repealed by various acts, with the whole act repealed in Northern Ireland between 1950 and 1953. The act revived ten Acts which Mary I had revoked, significantly clarified and narrowed the definition of what constituted heresy , and confirmed Elizabeth as Supreme Governor of
2418-465: The Anglican Communion, but the GSFA reiterated that they intend to remain in the Anglican Communion. Debates about social theology and ethics have occurred at the same time as debates on prayer book revision and the acceptable grounds for achieving full communion with non-Anglican churches. The Anglican Communion has no official legal existence nor any governing structure that might exercise authority over
2511-510: The Anglican Communion. In a watershed moment, on 20 February 2023, following the decision of the Church of England to allow priests to bless same-sex partnerships, ten communion provinces and Anglican realignment churches within the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches released a statement stating that they had declared " impaired communion " with the Church of England and no longer recognised Justin Welby as "first among equals" among
2604-535: The BWA is the 9th largest Christian communion. The number of adherents in the Lutheran denominations totals to 70–90 million persons (the Lutheran World Federation reports 77 million and is the sixth largest communion) being represented in the following churches: The Reformed tradition is represented by 70–80 million people who hold membership in the following churches; the World Communion of Reformed Churches
2697-580: The British Isles (Britain and Ireland) is St Peter's Church in St George's , Bermuda , established in 1612 (though the actual building had to be rebuilt several times over the following century). This is also the oldest surviving non-Roman Catholic church in the New World . It remained part of the Church of England until 1978 when the Anglican Church of Bermuda was formed. The Church of England
2790-672: The Church of Ceylon to begin planning for the formation of an autonomous province of Ceylon, so as to end his current position as metropolitan of the two dioceses in that country. In addition to other member churches, the churches of the Anglican Communion are in full communion with the Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Scandinavian Lutheran churches of the Porvoo Communion in Europe,
2883-481: The Church of England and announced that they would no longer recognise the archbishop of Canterbury as the "first among equals" among the bishops in the Anglican Communion. However, in the same statement, the ten archbishops said that they would not leave the Anglican Communion. In 2024, the GSFA met again establishing "a new structure," no longer recognising the Archbishop of Canterbury "as the de facto leader" of
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2976-474: The Church of England's General Synod voted to support allowing clergy to enter in civil same-sex marriages. In 2023, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa's bishops approved the drafting of prayers that could be said with same-sex couples and the draft prayers were published for consideration in 2024. The Church of Ireland has no official position on civil unions, and one senior cleric has entered into
3069-595: The Church of England. Compared to Henry VIII's title of "Supreme Head", Supreme Governor avoided the blasphemous implication that Elizabeth was superior in rank to Jesus, whom the Epistle to the Ephesians identifies as head of the church. The act also made it a crime to assert the authority of any foreign prince, prelate , or other authority, and was aimed at abolishing the authority of the Pope in England. A third offence
3162-556: The Church of Rome was directly a foreign jurisdiction, power, superiority and authority. However, during the early years of her reign Elizabeth practised religious clemency and tolerance, which was an attempt to harmonise the state of affairs between the Roman Catholics and the Church of England . This was necessary for Elizabeth to establish her power fully, hold off threats of invasion from France and Spain, and to counter accusations of illegitimacy that plagued her early years. In
3255-596: The Church of the East on, have their own subsequent splits, the fragmentation in Protestantism has been extreme, with tens of thousands of denominations. Some of these fragmented groups, particularly among the Eastern churches, have sought to return to Rome, and have reunited themselves under papal authority. Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity and the Catholic Church is the largest among churches. About 50% of all Christians are Catholics. According to
3348-628: The Ecclesiasticall State and Persons, and for Reformacion Order and Correccion of the same and of all maner of Errours Heresies Scismes Abuses Offences Contemptes and Enormities, shall for ever by aucthorite of this present Parliament be united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme: ... The words at the end were repealed in 1641 by the Abolition of High Commission Court Act 1640 ( 16 Cha. 1 . c. 11). An act to
3441-694: The Episcopal Church's decision as well as the Church of England's approval for celibate civil partnerships. "The more liberal provinces that are open to changing Church doctrine on marriage in order to allow for same-sex unions include Brazil , Canada , New Zealand , Scotland , South India , South Africa , the US and Wales ". In 2023, the Church of England announced that it will authorise "prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God's blessing for same-sex couples". The Church of England also permits clergy to enter into same-sex civil partnerships. In 2024,
3534-653: The First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople gave birth to the Nicene Creed which has become the touchstone for Christian beliefs. Both of the next two Councils, the Council of Ephesus, and the Council of Chalcedon led to significant ruptures in the Church. Many Christians espousing the minority position at these two councils, even after extensive discussion and attempts at reconciliation, chose to strike out on their own, rather than to accept
3627-737: The India-based Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian and Malabar Independent Syrian churches and the Philippine Independent Church , also known as the Aglipayan Church. The churches of the Anglican Communion have traditionally held that ordination in the historic episcopate is a core element in the validity of clerical ordinations. The Roman Catholic Church, however, does not recognise Anglican orders (see Apostolicae curae ). Some Eastern Orthodox churches have issued statements to
3720-704: The Old and New Testaments, as "containing all things necessary to salvation," and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith. (b) The Apostles' Creed , as the Baptismal Symbol; and the Nicene Creed , as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith. (c) The two Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself – Baptism and the Supper of the Lord – ministered with unfailing use of Christ's Words of Institution , and of
3813-542: The Queen's Highness, her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges and authorities granted or belonging to the Queen's Highness, her heirs or successors, or united or annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this Book. This had a specific impact on English Roman Catholics since it expressly indicates that they must forswear allegiance to Roman Catholicism, inasmuch as
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3906-437: The Roman Catholic Church in 1534 in the reign of Henry VIII , reunited briefly in 1555 under Mary I and then separated again in 1570 under Elizabeth I (the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Elizabeth I in 1570 in response to the Act of Supremacy 1559 ). 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" ( Ecclesia Anglicana ) and
3999-606: The World Christian Encyclopedia, which has been documenting the changing status of World Christianity over the past 120 years classifies Independent Christians as a separate category from Protestantism. Moreover, Protestant denominations altogether do not form a single structure comparable to the Catholic Church, or to a lesser extent the Eastern Orthodox communion. However, several different comparable communions exist within Protestantism, such as
4092-719: The absence of centralized control or leadership, if considered as a single cohort, this will easily be the second largest Christian tradition after Roman Catholicism. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC), there are an estimated 450 million Independents world-wide, as of mid-2019. Those who are members of the Pentecostal denomination number around 280 million people. 60 million people are members of African initiated churches. The New Apostolic Church has around 10 million members. Messianic Judaism has
4185-497: The agreement of the communion prior to these steps being taken. In response, the 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 canons and constitutions and after extensive consultation with the provinces of the communion. The Primates' Meeting voted to request
4278-509: The annual directory of the Catholic Church or Annuario Pontificio of 2024, there were 1.390 billion baptized Catholics in 2022. In 2024, the World Christian Database reported 1.278 billion Catholics. That figure does not include independent denominations that self-identify as Catholic, numbering some 18 million adherents subscribing to Old Catholicism and other forms of Independent Catholicism . Figures below include
4371-555: The archbishop of Canterbury's refusal to be in communion with the affected jurisdictions. In line with the suggestion of the Windsor Report , Rowan Williams (the then archbishop of Canterbury) established a working group to examine the feasibility of an Anglican covenant which would articulate the conditions for communion in some fashion. The Anglican Communion consists of forty-two autonomous provinces each with its own primate and governing structure. These provinces may take
4464-517: The autonomous 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: Since there is no binding authority in the Anglican Communion, these international bodies are a vehicle for consultation and persuasion. In recent times, persuasion has tipped over into debates over conformity in certain areas of doctrine, discipline, worship and ethics. The most notable example has been
4557-521: The beginning of the 20th century. For this reason, several sources tend to differentiate them from Protestants and classify them together as Independents, Non-core Protestants etc. Also included in this category are the numerous, yet very similar non-denominational churches. Nonetheless, most sources combine their numbers to the Protestant tally, while others do not since these churches do not self-identify with mainline Protestant traditions. Despite
4650-564: The bishops of the communion. Some effects of the Anglican Communion's dispersed authority have been differences of opinion (and conflicts) arising over divergent practices and doctrines in parts of the communion. 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 countries and territories, and disparate cultures, controversies often multiplied and intensified. These controversies have generally been of two types: liturgical and social. Rapid social change and
4743-450: The cessation of persecution, the Church had the luxury of reflecting on the meaning of its own teachings for the first time. Significant disputes arose, particularly over the nature of Christ and the relationship between Christ, the Father, and the Spirit. The Church chose to address those disputes with Ecumenical councils , the first four of which were at Nicaea , Constantinople , Ephesus and Chalcedon . The first two of these councils,
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#17327729184214836-405: The church; but it agreed to pass only advisory resolutions. These Lambeth Conferences have been held roughly every ten years since 1878 (the second such conference) and remain the most visible coming-together of the whole communion. The Lambeth Conference of 1998 included what has been seen by Philip Jenkins and others as a "watershed in global Christianity". The 1998 Lambeth Conference considered
4929-430: The communion together: first, the shared ecclesial structure of the component churches, manifested in an episcopal polity maintained through the apostolic succession of bishops and synodical government; second, the principle of belief expressed in worship, investing importance in approved prayer books and their rubrics; and third, the historical documents and the writings of early Anglican divines that have influenced
5022-418: The communion's bishops, first convened in 1867 by Charles Longley , the archbishop of Canterbury. From the beginning, 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". One of the enduringly influential early resolutions of
5115-438: The communion. The Anglican Communion traces much of its growth to the older mission organisations of the Church of England such as the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (founded 1698), the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (founded 1701) and the Church Missionary Society (founded 1799). The Church of England (which until the 20th century included the Church in Wales ) initially separated from
5208-493: 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. It establishes four principles with these words: That, in the opinion of this Conference, the following Articles supply a basis on which approach may be by God's blessing made towards Home Reunion: (a) The Holy Scriptures of
5301-402: The denominations which fall under this category. The best estimate of the number of Eastern Orthodox Christians is 220 million or 80% of all Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide. Its main body consists of the various autocephalous churches along with the autonomous and other churches canonically linked to them, for the most part form a single communion, making the Eastern Orthodox Church
5394-419: The development of the modern communion was the idea of the Lambeth Conferences (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
5487-417: The dissipation of British cultural hegemony over its former colonies contributed to disputes over the role of women, and the parameters of marriage and divorce. In the late 1970s, the Continuing Anglican movement produced a number of new church bodies in opposition to women's ordination , prayer book changes, and the new understandings concerning marriage. The first such controversy of note concerned that of
5580-413: The effect that Anglican orders could be accepted, yet have still reordained former Anglican clergy; other Eastern Orthodox churches have rejected Anglican orders altogether. Orthodox bishop Kallistos Ware explains this apparent discrepancy as follows: Anglican clergy who join the Orthodox Church are reordained; but [some Orthodox churches hold that] if Anglicanism and Orthodoxy were to reach full unity in
5673-494: The elements ordained by Him. (d) The Historic 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. 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
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#17327729184215766-427: The episcopate's role in manifesting visible catholicity and ecumenism. Early in its development following the English Reformation , Anglicanism 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 one founding theologian, nor by an extra-credal summary of doctrine (such as the Westminster Confession of
5859-422: The ethos of the communion, an ethos reinforced by its interpretation and expansion by such influential early theologians such as Richard Hooker , Lancelot Andrewes and John Cosin . With the expansion of the British Empire and the growth of Anglicanism outside Great Britain and Ireland, the communion sought to establish new vehicles of unity. The first major expressions of this were the Lambeth Conferences of
5952-424: 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 that has been vital in maintaining the unity of the communion by conveying
6045-462: The faith, perhaps such reordination might not be found necessary. It should be added, however, that a number of individual Orthodox theologians hold that under no circumstances would it be possible to recognise the validity of Anglican Orders. List of Christian denominations by number of members World Christianity by tradition in 2024 as per World Christian Database World Christianity by tradition in 2011 as per Pew Research Center This
6138-415: The first century AD after Rome had conquered much of the western parts of the fragmented Hellenistic empire created by Alexander the Great . The linguistic and cultural divisions of the first century AD Roman Empire with, broadly speaking, a Latin West and a Greek East, but also with significant areas in North Africa where Coptic was the dominant language, and areas in the Near East where Syriac or Aramaic
6231-403: 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). In addition to the forty-two provinces, there are five extraprovincial churches under the metropolitical authority of the archbishop of Canterbury. In September 2020, the Archbishop of Canterbury announced that he had asked the bishops of
6324-513: The growing influence of the Catholic Revival manifested in the Tractarian and so-called Ritualist controversies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This controversy produced the Free Church of England and, in the United States and Canada, the Reformed Episcopal Church . While individual Anglicans and member churches within the communion differ in good faith over the circumstances in which abortion should or should not be permitted, Lambeth Conference resolutions have consistently held to
6417-410: The issue of the theology of same-sex attraction in relation to human sexuality. At this 1998 conference for the first time in centuries the Christians of developing regions, especially, Africa, Asia and Latin America, prevailed over the bishops of more prosperous countries (many from the US, Canada and the UK) who supported a redefinition of Anglican doctrine. Seen in this light, 1998 is a date that marked
6510-445: The larger Reformed Anglican and the smaller Arminian Anglican theological perspectives have been represented. Each national or regional church is fully independent, retaining its own legislative process and episcopal polity under the leadership of local primates . For many adherents, Anglicanism represents a distinct form of Reformed Protestantism that emerged under the influence of the Reformer Thomas Cranmer , or for yet others,
6603-444: The last twenty years of her reign, as the Pope issued official encouragement to topple, and even kill, Elizabeth, as Jesuits infiltrated England, and as the threat of Spanish invasion loomed, Catholics became targets for oppression. Later, Roman Catholic power within England waned (because Roman Catholics were forbidden to take public office and were slowly deprived of their lands and fortunes) but their influence grew until they attempted
6696-566: The leadership of Charles Longley , Archbishop of Canterbury. The churches of the Anglican Communion consider themselves to be part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church , with worship being based on the Book of Common Prayer . As in the Church of England itself, the Anglican Communion includes the broad spectrum of beliefs and liturgical practises found in the Evangelical , Central and Anglo-Catholic traditions of Anglicanism; both
6789-454: The member churches are known as "Anglican", such as the Anglican Church of Canada . Others, for example the Church of Ireland and the Scottish and American Episcopal churches, have official names that do not include "Anglican". Conversely, some churches that do use the name "Anglican" are not part of the communion. These have generally disaffiliated over disagreement with the direction of
6882-399: The member churches. There is an Anglican Communion Office in London, under the aegis of the archbishop of Canterbury , but it serves only in a supporting and organisational role. The communion is held together by a shared history, expressed in its ecclesiology , polity and ethos , and also by participation in international consultative bodies. Three elements have been important in holding
6975-506: The need for "programmes at diocesan level, involving both men and women ... to emphasise the sacredness of all human life, the moral issues inherent in clinical abortion, and the possible implications of genetic engineering." In the context of debates around and proposals for the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide , the 1998 conference affirmed that "life is God-given and has intrinsic sanctity, significance and worth". More recently, disagreements over homosexuality have strained
7068-419: The oath a treasonable offence. The oath was later extended to include Members of Parliament and those studying at universities : all but one of the bishops lost their posts and a hundred fellows of Oxford colleges were deprived, as many dignitaries resigned rather than take the oath. The bishops who were removed from the ecclesiastical bench were replaced by appointees who would agree to the reforms. Text of
7161-680: The oath as published in 1559: I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Queen's Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other her Highness's dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to
7254-539: The objection of many provinces of the communion (particularly in Africa and Asia) to the changing acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in the North American churches (e.g., by blessing same-sex unions and ordaining and consecrating same-sex relationships) and to the process by which changes were undertaken. (See Anglican realignment ) Those who objected condemned these actions as unscriptural, unilateral, and without
7347-518: The one hand and Roman Catholics who recognised the primacy of the Pope on the other, resulted in an association of churches 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 rubrics of the successive prayer books, as well as the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (1563). These articles have historically shaped and continue to direct
7440-499: The original Act of Supremacy 1534 , and passed under the auspices of Elizabeth I . The 1534 act was issued by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII , which arrogated ecclesiastical authority to the monarchy, but which had been repealed by Mary I . Along with the Act of Uniformity 1558 , the act made up what is generally referred to as the Elizabethan Religious Settlement . The act remained in place until
7533-767: The positions held by the majority of the church fathers at the councils. Refusing to accept the Council of Ephesus, the Church of the East , encompassing many Syriac speaking Christians in what was then the far East of the Empire, split off in 431 AD. A few decades later, in 451 AD, after the Council of Chalcedon, the group that later became known as the Oriental Orthodox Churches , encompassing many Coptic speaking Christians in North Africa, also split off. In 1054 AD, an accumulation of misunderstanding, disrespect and genuine theological differences led to
7626-408: The practice of induced abortion or infanticide, which involves the killing of a life already conceived (as well as a violation of the personality of the mother), save at the dictate of strict and undeniable medical necessity ... the sacredness of life is, in Christian eyes, an absolute which should not be violated. The subsequent Lambeth Conference, in 1978, made no change to this position and commended
7719-408: The result of reformations of Eastern Orthodox beliefs and practices, inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries. Some Protestant Eastern Churches are in communion with similar Western Protestant Churches. However, Protestant Eastern Christianity within itself, does not constitute a single communion . This is due to the diverse polities, practices, liturgies and orientations of
7812-754: The same effect was passed in Ireland in the following year, the Act of Supremacy (Ireland) 1560 (2 Eliz. 1. c. 1 (I)). The Papal Jurisdiction Act 1560 (c. 2 (S)) remains in force in Scotland. Another act, the Treason Act 1558 ( 1 Eliz. 1 . c. 5), made it treason to "compass" or "imagine" to deprive the Queen (or her heirs) of the Crown, or destroy her or her heirs, or levy war against them in their dominions, or depose them, or say that they are not or ought not to be
7905-555: The second largest single denomination behind the Catholic Church. In addition, there are several Eastern Orthodox splinter groups and non-universally recognized churches. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are those descended from those that rejected the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Despite the similar name, they are therefore a different branch of Christianity from the Eastern Orthodox (see above). There are an estimated 62 million Oriental Orthodox Christians, worldwide. A sixth group
7998-524: The shift from a West-dominated Christianity to one wherein the growing churches of the two-thirds world are predominant. Many of the provinces in developed countries have continued to adopt more liberal stances on sexuality and other issues, resulting in a number of de facto schisms, such the series of splits which led to the creation of the Anglican Church in North America . Many churches are now in full communion with only some other churches but not others, although all churches continue to claim to be part of
8091-609: The two churches to withdraw their delegates from the 2005 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. 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
8184-563: The unity of the communion as well as its relationships with other Christian denominations, leading to another round of withdrawals from the Anglican Communion. Some churches were founded outside the Anglican Communion in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, largely in opposition to the ordination of openly homosexual bishops and other clergy and are usually referred to as belonging to the Anglican realignment movement, or else as "orthodox" Anglicans. These disagreements were especially noted when
8277-573: Was high treason , punishable by death. The Oath of Supremacy , imposed by the act, provided for any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England . Failure to so swear was a crime, although it did not become treason until 1562, when the Supremacy of the Crown Act 1562 ( 5 Eliz. 1 . c. 1) made refusal to take
8370-591: Was (and remains) the 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, Charles Inglis ( 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,
8463-564: Was partially underground (it was suspected of Jacobite sympathies). The enormous expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries of the British Empire brought Anglicanism 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
8556-547: Was the dominant language, were reflected in the early Christian church. The church was called " Catholic " meaning "universal" from very early in the second century, a tacit acknowledgement of the many different cultures it encompassed. Early Christianity suffered great, although intermittent, persecution from the state until Emperor Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, legalizing Christianity. Shortly after
8649-487: Was the established church not only in England, but in its trans-Oceanic colonies. Thus the only member churches 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 also separated from Roman Catholicism under Henry VIII) and the Scottish Episcopal Church which for parts of the 17th and 18th centuries
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