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Not to speak for an Anglican, but the 39 Articles state: XXVIII. Of the Lord's Supper. The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians o

Not to speak for an Anglican, but the 39 Articles state: XXVIII. Of the Lord's Supper. The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ's death: insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the Bread which we break is a lpartaking of the Body of Christ; and likewise the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ. Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

cbfrench 4y ago
Of course, the real question is what status the 39 Articles have in Anglican theology. They’re not a confessional document in the same way as the confessions you find in Lutheran or Calvinist traditions. (That tends not to be the Anglican style of doing theology, which tends to be much less systematic.) That isn’t to say they’re not instructive, just that their status as an authoritative statement is vexed and somewhat dependent on jurisdiction. They’re a part of the tradition, but they need to be contextualized alongside the rest of the tradition to be understood and valued properly, I believe. A better guide to our Eucharistic theology is the Book of Common Prayer. (Really, Books of Common Prayer, since each national church has its own.) Our Eucharistic liturgies tend to emphasize a “high” view of what transpires in the Mass.

cbfrench 4y ago

Of course, the real question is what status the 39 Articles have in Anglican theology. They’re not a confessional document in the same way as the confessions you find in Lutheran or Calvinist traditions. (That tends not to be the Anglican style of doing theology, which tends to be much less systematic.) That isn’t to say they’re not instructive, just that their status as an authoritative statement is vexed and somewhat dependent on jurisdiction. They’re a part of the tradition, but they need to be contextualized alongside the rest of the tradition to be understood and valued properly, I believe. A better guide to our Eucharistic theology is the Book of Common Prayer. (Really, Books of Common Prayer, since each national church has its own.) Our Eucharistic liturgies tend to emphasize a “high” view of what transpires in the Mass.