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AugustTherese
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Protestantism has been around for 500 years. Has any Protestant community ‘canonized’ a soul to the status of Saint?
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RyanBlack
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Various churches of the Anglican Communion have canonized saints.
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AugustTherese
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Interesting. Is there any unanimity among these ‘various churches’ for these ‘canonized saints’? How do these various churches substantiate if a soul is in Heaven?
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RyanBlack
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I don’t know the answers to those questions. I do remember from my time in the Episcopal Church a number of years ago that there are canonized saints.
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midori
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I visit an Episcopal cathedral a few times a year to take a class. I’m always tickled to pass by one particular office-- it has a big picture of St. Thomas More in it. 
I’ve always been terribly confused… because he was killed for refusing to accept Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. But I’ve never figured out a polite way of asking about it… 
Around here, you see a bunch of Baptist/Lutheran/Methodist churches named after Biblical saints. Like, St. Luke’s Baptist Church, St. John’s Baptist Church (haha, cute), St. Paul Lutheran Church, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, St. Timothy Lutheran Church, St. James United Methodist Church, and so on. Or early saints-- like St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, St. Elmo Presbyterian Church, and so on.
When I was dating a Baptist guy, I asked the same question, and he was pretty much, “Uh, we just kept the Biblical saints, but didn’t make any of our own.” Later on, talking to other people, they were mostly like, “All believers are saints! And after you die, if God lets you into Heaven, that’s his business, but you can’t call anyone a saint after you’re dead, because you’re doing God’s job for him!” Which perspective I can understand, even if I think it’s a bit limited in its perspective.
I’ve always been terribly confused… because he was killed for refusing to accept Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. But I’ve never figured out a polite way of asking about it… Around here, you see a bunch of Baptist/Lutheran/Methodist churches named after Biblical saints. Like, St. Luke’s Baptist Church, St. John’s Baptist Church (haha, cute), St. Paul Lutheran Church, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church, St. Timothy Lutheran Church, St. James United Methodist Church, and so on. Or early saints-- like St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, St. Elmo Presbyterian Church, and so on.
When I was dating a Baptist guy, I asked the same question, and he was pretty much, “Uh, we just kept the Biblical saints, but didn’t make any of our own.” Later on, talking to other people, they were mostly like, “All believers are saints! And after you die, if God lets you into Heaven, that’s his business, but you can’t call anyone a saint after you’re dead, because you’re doing God’s job for him!” Which perspective I can understand, even if I think it’s a bit limited in its perspective.
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GKMotley
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There is no single method of canonization, nor is there a single calendar of saints across all of Anglicanism (as with many things, one needs to specify which Anglicans one is referring to; the Calendar may vary with each independent province).
Addition to an Anglican Calendar says nothing necessarily about the assumed sanctity or status of the individuals, and the term “Saint” is not necessarily officially used. Individuals added to the Calendar were most often names who played a prominent role in Church history and whose devotion is well attested. For the Church of England, which added Thomas More, those criteria were met. His feast day (as also John Fisher’s) is 6 July. Though More was caught in a political struggle with Henry VIII, he is recognized as a man of learning, devotion and principle. IOW, some Anglicans understand that ecumenical thing, that gets such a great deal of back and forth, on Luther/Lutherans and the RCC.
Addition to an Anglican Calendar says nothing necessarily about the assumed sanctity or status of the individuals, and the term “Saint” is not necessarily officially used. Individuals added to the Calendar were most often names who played a prominent role in Church history and whose devotion is well attested. For the Church of England, which added Thomas More, those criteria were met. His feast day (as also John Fisher’s) is 6 July. Though More was caught in a political struggle with Henry VIII, he is recognized as a man of learning, devotion and principle. IOW, some Anglicans understand that ecumenical thing, that gets such a great deal of back and forth, on Luther/Lutherans and the RCC.
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twf
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This question would only make sense to certain Anglican and Lutheran traditions… possibly certain Methodists and Presbyterians. Millage will vary. The question would be nonsensical to Evangelicals and Pentecostals of a more low church variety.
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Symphorian
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Yes, King Charles the Martyr (Charles I) is one example in the Church of England. There is a Society devoted to his cultus who hold several of his relics.
Here is a cut and paste I gave in answer to a similar question a few years back on this site:
'Canonisation in the history of the Church has not been limited to one particular method, notably the juridical model currently utilised by Rome. As you’ve pointed out, Orthodoxy has a different system.
In the late 1950’s an Anglican report ‘Saints and Heroes’ acknowledged that Anglican values as reflected in its practices about the Saints were closer to the autocephalous churches of Orthodoxy than to Rome.
The report said that “the cult of a true saint should be spontaneous, springing from the devotion of the people among whom he/she lived and worked; second, that a bishop or a synod — provincial, national or general — is the proper authority to control the cult.”
King Charles the Martyr was canonised by Convocation of the Church of England according to the three fold pre-10th century custom. He died for the Church of England because he refused to abandon episcopacy. Several churches in England are dedicated to Charles and there have been a few alleged miracles ascribed to him. There is still a small but active cultus.
The 1958 Lambeth Conference issued the following guidlines regarding the commemoration of Saints and heroes of the Christian Church in the Anglican Communion:
"The Conference is of the opinion that the following principles should guide the selection of saints and heroes for commemoration:
(a) In the case of scriptural saints, care should be taken to commemorate men or women in terms which are in strict accord with the facts made known in Holy Scripture.
(b) In the case of other names, the Kalendar should be limited to those whose historical character and devotion are beyond doubt.
(c) In the choice of new names economy should be observed and controversial names should not be inserted until they can be seen in the perspective of history.
(d) The addition of a new name should normally result from a wide-spread desire expressed in the region concerned over a reasonable period of time."
The current CofE Calendar contains several post Reformation Roman Canonised Saints as well as figures such as Florence Nightingale. To take Nightingale as an example, she is honoured for her humanitarian work with the poor and her nursing role in the Crimea. She is seen as a renewer of society and worked tirelessly towards this by lobbying Parliament. A formidable task for a mere woman of her time.
(It should be noted that the addition of Reformation or post Reformation era ‘Roman’ Saints such as Fisher, More etc are controversial amongst Evangelical/Low Church Anglicans).
I live in a Celtic region of Britain where many of our churches are dedicated to 5/6th century Celtic Saints. Probably the majority of these have not been canonized in the Roman sense but there is no doubt that we consider them Saints with a capital S and honour them as such.’
Here is a cut and paste I gave in answer to a similar question a few years back on this site:
'Canonisation in the history of the Church has not been limited to one particular method, notably the juridical model currently utilised by Rome. As you’ve pointed out, Orthodoxy has a different system.
In the late 1950’s an Anglican report ‘Saints and Heroes’ acknowledged that Anglican values as reflected in its practices about the Saints were closer to the autocephalous churches of Orthodoxy than to Rome.
The report said that “the cult of a true saint should be spontaneous, springing from the devotion of the people among whom he/she lived and worked; second, that a bishop or a synod — provincial, national or general — is the proper authority to control the cult.”
King Charles the Martyr was canonised by Convocation of the Church of England according to the three fold pre-10th century custom. He died for the Church of England because he refused to abandon episcopacy. Several churches in England are dedicated to Charles and there have been a few alleged miracles ascribed to him. There is still a small but active cultus.
The 1958 Lambeth Conference issued the following guidlines regarding the commemoration of Saints and heroes of the Christian Church in the Anglican Communion:
"The Conference is of the opinion that the following principles should guide the selection of saints and heroes for commemoration:
(a) In the case of scriptural saints, care should be taken to commemorate men or women in terms which are in strict accord with the facts made known in Holy Scripture.
(b) In the case of other names, the Kalendar should be limited to those whose historical character and devotion are beyond doubt.
(c) In the choice of new names economy should be observed and controversial names should not be inserted until they can be seen in the perspective of history.
(d) The addition of a new name should normally result from a wide-spread desire expressed in the region concerned over a reasonable period of time."
The current CofE Calendar contains several post Reformation Roman Canonised Saints as well as figures such as Florence Nightingale. To take Nightingale as an example, she is honoured for her humanitarian work with the poor and her nursing role in the Crimea. She is seen as a renewer of society and worked tirelessly towards this by lobbying Parliament. A formidable task for a mere woman of her time.
(It should be noted that the addition of Reformation or post Reformation era ‘Roman’ Saints such as Fisher, More etc are controversial amongst Evangelical/Low Church Anglicans).
I live in a Celtic region of Britain where many of our churches are dedicated to 5/6th century Celtic Saints. Probably the majority of these have not been canonized in the Roman sense but there is no doubt that we consider them Saints with a capital S and honour them as such.’
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Spyridon
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I’m a Roman Catholic but I venerate some Anglican Saints.
St. Janana Luwum, the Archbishop who was killed as a martyr by Idi Amin is my favorite.
St. Janana Luwum, pray for us!
St. Janana Luwum, the Archbishop who was killed as a martyr by Idi Amin is my favorite.
St. Janana Luwum, pray for us!
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BCB89
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I’ve been wondering who has the authority to declare someone a saint in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. Do some of the individual ones have their own equivalent of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints? Or is it sufficient for a bishop to do it? What about the Orthodox, same thing?
I also have to chuckle that some Anglicans have canonized Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher
I also have to chuckle that some Anglicans have canonized Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher
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lanman87
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it depends on what you mean by Protestant. American Evangelicalism believes that all who die with a saving faith in Christ are “Saints in Heaven”. Those who are alive on earth that have been born again by the Holy Spirit are saints on earth. To an American Evangelical a saint is another term for a believer or follower of Christ.
We do, however, have heroes of the faith. The are those who have demonstrated a strong belief and faith by their strong testimony of a life filled with Love and Devotion to Christ.
We do, however, have heroes of the faith. The are those who have demonstrated a strong belief and faith by their strong testimony of a life filled with Love and Devotion to Christ.
How does a Catholic substantiate said?
I would say substantiate requires more than the say so of members of the Church Militant, though one might feel confident that people such as Rev Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are.
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Aulef
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As far as I know, it is a protestant principle to not have saints.
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Dlee
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As a former Baptist, my understanding was that if you were saved, when you died you went to Heaven and were then a saint. Not canonized as in the Catholic Church, rather as someone in Heaven.
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TheOldColonel
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No. But I firmly believe Jack Daniels, a :cocktail:devout Southern Baptist, is in heaven.
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AugustTherese
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Saint Jack Daniels, pray for us.
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TheOldColonel
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Amen. Verily, I say, Amen.
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guanophore
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Anyone who is killed for their faith in Christ, even if they are misguided, has laid down their life for what they believe.I visit an Episcopal cathedral a few times a year to take a class. I’m always tickled to pass by one particular office-- it has a big picture of St. Thomas More in it.
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ltwin
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Well, depends on what Protestants you are talking about.
Yet, even those Protestants from “low church” backgrounds still believe that there are saints. We just apply the term to any Christian living or dead. A saint is literally a holy, sanctified person, and all truly born again people are by definition holy and set apart to God.
So, we use the term saint in the way that Paul uses it in his epistles. For example, Paul greets the Christians of Ephesus in the following way in Ephesians 1:1, " Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus." Literally, he’s addressing his letter to the “holy people who are in Ephesus.”
We also have heroes of the faith who we commemorate and remember for their lives and acts of faithfulness, but we have no need of any official process for recognizing them. Their lives and actions will speak for themselves.
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No. Have you never driven by a Lutheran or Anglican or some other church called St. Peter’s or St Johns?
I even saw a St John’s Baptist Church once.
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