FREE ESSAY ON ANGLICAN CHURCH

ANGLICAN CHURCH

Between 1000-1500 AD, people began to question the integrity of the traditional Catholic
church. Indulgences were widely sold, was basically the practice of priests selling
repentance for their sins. In addition to this, many priests were very uneducated and
violated their vows a lot. Idols were also commonly worshipped. (About the Anglican
Church 1)
The Anglican Church was actually begun in the early Current Era. The oldest records of
the religion are those of St. Alban, who was a pagan who was martyred for his Anglican
beliefs. Many people of this time did not like the route that the Catholic Church was
taking, and looked for reforms. These were lead by Luther, Zwingili, and Calvin.
(About…Church 2)
It was in 1549 that a man named Thomas Crammer put together the English Prayer Book. This
took the classical Catholic ideas and put them into English, the Language of the People.
This Prayer Book did not catch on with the newly formulated Protestant churches, but it
did become the main worship book for the Anglican Church. (About…Church 2)
When brought into the United States, it was still basically known as the "English
Church." Because of the lack of respect at the time between the Americans and the
English, the churches name in America was changed to the Episcopal Church.
(About…Church 2)
A major part of the modern Anglican Church took place in St. Louis, Missouri in 1977.
Reforms attempted here included a return to emphasis on Scripture, allowing morals to be
included in the faith, and adopting some ancient Catholic tradition. In addition to
these, it was here that the Anglican Catholic Church pronounced itself to be a separate
church body from the Episcopal Church. This meeting became later known as the
"Affirmation of St. Louis." (About…Church 2)
The basic premise surrounding the Anglican faith is related to the Holy Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments. These are believed to be authentic documents of God's revelation
to his people. The Anglican Faith also centers itself around the trinity, that is, God
being three in one as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that because
of Jesus' death and resurrection they are granted access to live with God. As for morals,
Anglicans are expected to live by the laws of God and to "keep God in their hearts" at
all times. (The Anglicans 2)
The Anglican Church does celebrate the Eucharist. However, not all members of the church
are granted communion. The clergy of the parish must believe that you have a good
conscience and believe in all of the Anglican ideas before you are able to have
communion. You also must be Confirmed in order to receive communion. The general rule for
accepting communion in the Anglican Church is that for a morning service, you will not
eat anything during the morning until you receive communion. For evening services, it is
expected that you fast for three hours prior to receiving communion. (The Anglicans 3)
Each day, the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer take place. These are prayer
services containing Psalm readings, Bible readings, songs, and prayers. These are all
provided in the Book of Common Prayer. (The Anglicans 3)
Various sacraments are celebrated in the Anglican church. Penance is a sacrament that
promises one forgiveness for their sins. The sacrament of Holy Unction is that in which
one is anointed with oil in order to heal the body, mind, and spirit. (The Anglicans 4)
Baptism requires a bit more attention in the Anglican church than in other Christian
churches. In the Anglican church, the selection of Godparents means very much. First off,
all Anglican children being baptized have three Godparents selected-two of the same
gender as the child, and one of the opposite gender of the child. These Godparents are
not just honorary figures, but have a serious spiritual responsibility to keep the faith
in their Godchildren. When an adult undergoes the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, a period of
instruction must be taken by the adult. This adult is not required to select Godparents,
but may select sponsors to assist them. (The Anglicans 4)
The Sacrament of Holy Confirmation is administered by a Bishop. The Bishop places his
hand on ones head in order to "seal the Baptism" in this sacrament. Before Confirmation,
extensive instruction is needed. If an adult is receiving Baptism, they will usually also
receive confirmation at the same time and at the same service. (The Anglicans 4)
Holy Matrimony, or marriage, is also an important part of the Anglican church. To be wed,
at both the bride and the groom must be baptized and at least one of them must be a
currently practicing Anglican. A great deal of instruction is required before a man and
woman can be wed in an Anglican church. Also, it is absolutely forbidden to suggest
changing the structure of the service under any circumstances, or to make substitutions
in the service. It is seen as the church's right to hold the ceremonies in their form and
in none other than this (The Anglicans 5)
This is not the case for funerals. Clergy of the Anglican Church will provide burial for
any baptized Christian. If they are practicing Anglicans, the Book of the Common Prayer
will supply the service. However, unlike Holy Matrimony, adaptations may be made to the
service for the deceased who are not members of the Anglican faith. In order to symbolize
that we are all equal in the afterlife, any casket, no matter what, will be covered with
a cloth pall. Also, flowers are not allowed in the church during a funeral. (The
Anglicans 5)
As much as certain ideas in the Anglican church may differ from those of the Catholic
church, their ideas are one in the same. God in the Trinity is at the center of their
worship and is what they are praying for at all times. The Anglican church was simply a
reform of the Catholic church, as are all of the Protestant religions. I feel, however,
that it is important that these reforms took place, as people are now able to search
among a greater range of religions to find the faith that has what they want in it.
Bibliography
"History of the Anglican Catholic Church." About the Anglican Catholic Church. 3 March
2000 http://www.seflin.org/anglican/anglican.1.html
"The Place of Worship." Anglicans Online. 11 March 2000
http://www.anglicansonline.org
"Who are they? What is their faith?" The Anglicans. 
12 March 2000 http://www.acahome.org/whatisac.html