Ask me anything: Episcopalian Edition

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commenter said:
Could Parliament take it back?
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I suppose they could, but why would they? How many people in Parliament or the general populace want the British government actively controlling the Church of England’s day to day affairs?

If anything, Parliament would be more likely to disestablish the Church of England, separating it from the state altogether just as they did to the Church in Wales in 1920.

You also have to remember that today Parliament is religiously diverse just like the UK is, so if Parliament would take back control you’d have non-CofE Christians and non-Christians seeking to make rules for the CofE. I can’t imagine that would go well.
commenter said:
Does “the Nation”, Parliament or local authorities hold title to C of E real estate or indirect controls?
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The Church of England owns its own real estate. However, if the church were ever disestablished, there might also be a question as to whether it should also be disendowed, meaning deprived of certain property like land and other historic endowments.

Disendowment happened in Wales when the Anglican church there was disestablished. While the Welsh Church kept its church buildings, a lot of its glebe lands and tithe property were transferred to local governments and the University of Wales. The clergy had relied on this property for their support, so it was sort of a big loss.
 
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Speaking as someone who converted to Christianity via the Episcopal church…I love my parish-village church so much that I can pretend that the diocese and the national church don’t exist at all, except that every now and again we hear something about conventions, and there’s an annual visit by the bishop. My own views on abortion, marriage, sex, and the family are very Catholic, and if countering views were actively promoted within my parish I would have to – regretfully — put some distance between it and me, and perhaps even take the leap into the Tiber. However, ours is a quiet place with a country parson who rightfully keeps the focus on God, our brokenness, and our need to serve the least of these in our community. It really doesn’t help that we have a beautiful traditional liturgy and I’ve heard horrible things about Catholic church music since the seventies.

(Forgive me if this is presumptuous, I don’t know if other people are allowed to hitchhike onto someone else’s AMA.)
 
I will say with the utmost respect, that while Anglicanism is in a sense “a sample of the first church” it does reconcile difficulties many have with Rome. These include:
  • married clergy
  • increased governance by laity
  • women priests
  • emphasis on reason
These are just a few. I suspect many here will dis my list as they do not reflect “truth.” Though I will say that even the RCC evolves, as the use of vernacular liturgy and increased role for deacons indicate.

BTW, St. Thomas had no choice but to be RCC - what alternative was there?

Peace
 
Keeping in mind that point 3 is not true of Anglicanism, in total.

Thankfully.
 
I like the maximum of orthodoxy in my praxis. And validly confected sacraments are a plus.
 
JohnStrachan said:
  • emphasis on reason
These are just a few. I suspect many here will dis my list as they do not reflect “truth.” Though I will say that even the RCC evolves, as the use of vernacular liturgy and increased role for deacons indicate.

BTW, St. Thomas had no choice but to be RCC - what alternative was there?
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Thomas defended necessity of both Faith and Reason against those who wanted only one. Today the RCC defends both, against those who have “evolved”. Of the two, Reason is the most under attack today.
 
That would not exhaust the possibilities on the point, though. There is the Continuum , in general.
 
Yep. I am not among them, nor would my rector allow one at my church.
 
I reject the validity of churches that don’t have Apostolic Succession, so that rules out most of Protestantism. I actually care about Christian orthodoxy, so that rules out the Episcopal Church. My wife grew up Presbyterian and is not comfortable with Catholic trappings, so that rules out the Catholic Church and the Anglo-Catholic branches of the Continuum. So ACNA it is. For now.
 
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