Anglicanism

Anglicanism is a denomination within Christianity. It is made up of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion (a group of Anglican churches from many other countries). The term Anglicanism includes those who have accepted the English Reformation as embodied in the Church of England or in the offshoot Churches in other countries that have followed closely to its doctrines and its organisation.[1][2]

In the English Reformation, the English Church kept the early Catholic ministry of bishops, priests, deacons, and most of the doctrine and liturgy. The event that led to the Anglican Church was the outright rejection of the Pope. This meant they also rejected the Catholic Church as an organisation.

It is sometimes seen as being the middle way between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. That is why it is not always thought of as Protestantism.

The term Anglican comes from the phrase ecclesia anglicana. This is a Medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246. It means 'the English Church'.[2] The noun Anglican is used to describe the people, institutions, churches, traditions and ideas developed by the state established Church of England and the Anglican Communion, a theologically broad and often divergent affiliation of thirty-eight provinces that are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

  1. Amercian Heritage Dictionary under Anglicanism
  2. 2.0 2.1 Catholic Encyclopedia under Anglicanism

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