Ask me anything: Episcopalian Edition

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I have a question about motley-ness. Does it extend down to the parish level or do Episcopalians (and other Anglican communion members for that matter) self-segregate into parishes geared toward one kind of liturgical praxis, theological orientation, spirituality, etc? In other words, would you find Anglo-Catholics attending church with the Evangelicals? The High Churchers with the Low Churchers, etc?
 
Is the queen of England the Supreme Governor of the church of England and is the Episcopal Church in communion with the Church of England? Is it written somewhere in the Bible that the Queen of England or the King of England should be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England?
 
therese1998 said:
I found the Episcopal Church to be VERY uncomfortable with the idea of sin. …God loves us all and forgives us all, period.
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Thank you to anyone who can enlighten me on the following:
According to the Episcopal belief:
Does God forgive you even if you do not repent ?
Is there a Purgatory?
What are the requirements for receiving Holy Communion? Who is allowed to receive? Is holy Communion the actual Body and Blood of Jesus or is it just a symbol?
Is it OK to pray to the Mother of God and ask for Her Intercession? What about the other Saints?
Does the Episcopal Church consider Henry VIII to be a saint or at least a worthy Supreme Governor of the Church of England?
Is it appropriate to have a King or a Queen of a particular country as the Supreme Governor of a world wide catholic or universal Christian Church?
 
billsannie said:
The Catholic Church condemns consequentialism to the point an action may still be seen as objectively good even if it causes great harm. … Episcopalians, while not consequentialist, still consider, to a degree, results in judging a given action. This just makes a lot more sense to me.
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I would agree with that in certain cases. For example, the question of a “just” war. People are fighting in a war they consider to be just so Roman Catholics are fighting the Greek Orthodox and the Greek Orthodox are fighting the Roman Catholics in the Fourth Crusade and in WWII in Croatia, where it was the Roman Catholics against the Serbian Orthodox. Bot sides consider their cause to be just, but the just war that they are waging is causing great harm.
 
I don’t try to flatter myself. I don’t save anyone, God does all that. But we as Christians need to have a spine and speak the truth. I don’t think pacifying those who live a reckless lifestyle is doing them any favors. I would hope that if I happen to fall into serious sin, that those around me care enough to tell me the truth…not tell me what I want to hear.

And I dont overgeneralize either. If a Christian, Episcopalian or otherwise, openly live in blatant sin…they need to repent before it’s too late.
 
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We had a upbeat evangelical type service on Sundays nights. And some high-Church Anglican folks would attend.
 
Generally they do not believe in purgatory. I think the BOCP referred to it as a repugnant Romish doctrine. But C.S.Lewis was Anglican and he believed in it. Really depends on who you talk to.

In order to receive Communion one needs to be a baptized Christian. If the pastor sees you in line at Communion and does not recognize you, he may not communicate you until he first talks to you to ensure you are validly baptized and understand Anglican beliefs on real presence. They do not believe in Transubstantiation - more of a consubstantiation type belief like the Lutherans.

From my experience, direct prayer to saints was not OK. You needed to ask the Lord to ask those individuals to pray for you.
 
Yes to all that. IOW, parishes can tend to stratify by praxis, etc, can tend to be a general mix, and/or morph over time. My own continuing parish was formed primarily from the most Anglo-Catholic Episcopal parish in the area, with other parishes contributing members of various stripes. And as the years have passed, our parish has absorbed the range of Episcopal refugees, and actual protestant converts. which has modified our style. We are more inclusive (in that sense). But Anglo-Catholic all the same.
 
The monarch is the Supreme Governor of the CoE, per the 1558 Act of Supremacy. It is doubtful that the inspiration was Biblical; one would look to the preceding Act of 1534 for its antecedent.

The Episcopal Church is in communion with the CoE.
 
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All that would depend on which Episcopalian you asked. Mostly.

But I would be more certain on the singular point that no Episcopalian would aver that Hank the 8 was a saint. And he was never the Governor of the CoE. Hank’s title, per that 1534 Act mentioned above, was Supreme Head.
 
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Cradle Episcopalian here. I absolutely was taught and believe in transubstantiation. It is also what my child is already learning. Yes, he takes communion. When I was growing up, we had to wait until 10 for first communion…and confirmation around 14-15.
I grew up in a small but high church…and still attend high church (but much, much larger).
So, howdy and happy Saturday to all!
 
Lewis certainly accepted the concept of purgation, as a process. Purgatory, as a place, or for a specified “time”; no evidence that he did. His position is one common among Anglicans . Who know that rather messy Article XXII has no normative force, unless some authority imposes it.
Over Anglicans in general no such authority exists.
 
And that’s one thing I never really understood. Anglicans hold to apostolic succession, yet as you say, no such authority there. I guess they adopted all that from the reformers.
 
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No, that’s where the episcopal authority is derived. No such general authority over all Anglicans exists, beyond that of autocephalous Churches or equivalent assemblies. Hence, for Anglicans, generally, there is no normative force in a set of articles passed as part of Elizabeth I’s handling of the situation at hand, in the day. For others, specific authority (say, the Act of 1571, or a set of ACNA bishops, speaking to the ACNA) fills that requirement.
 
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GKMotley said:
For others, specific authority (say, the Act of 1571, or a set of ACNA bishops, speaking to the ACNA) fills that requirement.
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Is there an effort within the Continuum to build a single visible College of Continuum bishops? Or do they regard their apostolic succession as flowing in a broader sense, including orthodox bishops from ACNA, TEC, etc, who may never meet in person?
 
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The major effort I am aware of is the current on-going effort to unite 4 of the major Continuum players, in what is to be (one hopes) a single jurisdiction, with a single College of Bishops for that new entity. Other players may join. Or it all may collapse (it is Anglican, after all). Otherwise, yes. Bishops with valid lines are recognized as valid bishops, priests flowing from them, ditto. I have attended Mass with such celebrants. The longer the situation goes on, say in TEC, the longer that would not be possible, of course, with anyone possessing only current, exotic lines.
 
AlNg said:
Is it written somewhere in the Bible that the Queen of England or the King of England should be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England?
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You won’t meet any Anglican who argues that. In any case, British monarchs today do not actually govern anything–either in state or church. The Church of England is ultimately governed by the General Synod and the British Parliament (some acts of General Synod still have to be approved by Parliament). In essence, the Church governs itself.
 
ltwin said:
British monarchs today do not actually govern anything–either in state or church.
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Have they renounced the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England or do they still have that title?
 
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