The Essence of Anglicanism
During the first centuries, the Church was not only catholic, sacramental and liturgical, but also lived in the power of the Holy Spirit under the guidance of the Holy Scriptures. Identified by via media (i.e. the middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism), Anglicanism sees itself as a revival movement within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church calling the Church back to her roots. We believe terms like catholic, reformed, evangelical and charismatic or spirit-filled should not be labels for specific churches or denominations, but rather descriptors of the Church God intended us to embody. That said, we are founded in the Holy Tradition that was passed down by the Apostles and the early Church.
To be an Anglican is not to embrace a distinct version of Christianity, but a distinct way of being a “Mere Christian,” at the same time evangelical, apostolic, catholic, reformed, and Spirit-filled.
Also, while our faith can be summarized in the words of the historical Creeds of the Church, one could rightly say that our beliefs are expressed through our worship, which is derived from the Book of Common Prayer. One cannot be curious about Anglicanism without running into the BCP. The BCP provides us our rich, participatory liturgy, daily and occasional prayers, theological documents, and much more.
Lastly, Anglicanism includes people from a wide variety of backgrounds, spreading across 165 countries, with around 85 million members. As such, we do not agree on every theological issue, but we serve one Lord, share one faith, and are united through one baptism into the body of Christ. While diverse and many, we remain united as saints together through our common prayer and worship, in accordance with the Holy Scriptures through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.