The title of this post is from a lecture by Archbishop Michael Ramsey that is included in his book The Anglican Spirit. In his chapter "Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism," Ramsey explores the dynamics of the relationships of Anglicanism to Rome and to Protestants. Near the end of this lecture he speaks of Anglicanism on the Indian subcontinent. In India are the united churches of South India and North India and in Pakistan is the united Church of Pakistan. In all three instances Anglicans have united with Christians from other traditions under the principles of the Lambeth Quadrilateral.
As Ramsey says, the Lambeth Quadrilateral spells out the "basic Catholic facts and principles" regarding what constitutes the fullness of the Church: the Scriptures, the sacraments of salvation (Baptism and Eucharist), the creeds, and the historic episcopate. With these four principles in place Anglicans in India and Pakistan were willing to unite with other Christians. Could this be a model for Anglicanism worldwide?
The crisis in Anglicanism that was precipitated by and continued by the divisive actions of pecusa in 2003 and this year will reverberate through the Communion for the forseeable future. I expect that pecusa will continue to walk apart from the Anglican Communion, will continue to diminish in size and influence, and her leadership will be excluded from more and more areas of Communion life. The Anglican Communion in North America will continue to grow as an orthodox alternative to pecusa and the Anglican Church in Canada and will one day be recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a province of the Anglican Communion.
The Church of England is presently feeling her own pressures through the move of General Synod to pave the way for women bishops. We can expect what might be a massive defection of CoE priests to Rome. It does appear that Anglicanism is disintegrating because of liberalizing trends in the churches of the developed world. Perhaps God is saying to orthodox Anglicans worldwide that it is time to seek unity with all Christians who can accept the Catholic basics as has happened in India and Pakistan. This positive movement could create strengthened gospel impetus and demonstrate the unifying power of the gospel. It would show the world a new direction for worldwide Christianity that would turn back from nearly a thousand years of division.
The Reformed Episcopal Church began in the 19th century with such a vision for the United States; it didn't happen. Could it be that the united churches of India and Pakistan have shown us a way forward for the world?
Addendum: AnglicanCommunion.org reports that there is a fourth united church with Anglican participation - the Church of Bangladesh.
3 comments:
Yes, we should join the ONE true fold. A hand has been extended to bring us home. Another hand has just written on the wall, which hand will you look to?
Timotheus
The United Churches of India (South and North) and Pakistan (and Bangladesh) are an interesting point. However, those united churches, although part of the Anglican Communion, are united on the basis of, more or less, the Lambeth Quadrilateral.
Where does this leave the Prayer Book and 39 Articles, neither of which are formularies (or used) in these churches. The liturgies of those churches, as far as I've been able to determine, are not particularly Anglican.
Fr. Charles, that's the point of the Lambeth Quad - it states what Anglicans believe are the catholic essentials and this has been the basis of unity for the churches of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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