XIV Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2022

History and concept

Anglicanism is one of the branches of the Christian faith that appeared in England during the Reformation and then spread first in the British colonies, and later around the world. Today the Anglican faith numbers up to 70 million people in the world. Anglicanism is also often referred to as the state Anglican Church in England, which, like the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, has an official legal and political status under the country's Constitution. Wales and Northern Ireland, which are also part of Great Britain, do not currently have state religions. The history of the Anglican Church dates back to the time of the dictatorship of the popes in the British Isles in the 12th century. A sharp deterioration in relations with Rome occurred during the reign of Henry VIII. The reason was the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, who was a relative of the Roman emperor Charles. The Pope refused to cancel the marriage and as a result of the conflict, Henry VIII actually led England to the Reformation of the country. Religious power, like secular power, began to belong to the king, who was proclaimed the supreme Head of the Church of England. Under Henry VIII, the theology and practice of the church were essentially Catholic. Under his son Edward VI, a movement in the Protestant direction began to be traced. A significant stage in the formation of the Anglican Church belongs to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when the foundations of the Anglican doctrine were formulated, the structure of the church was formed. In essence, Elizabeth I finally legalized authority over the church. From that moment on, the church in England became a state church. Queen Elizabeth I, like the subsequent rulers of the country, followed the "middle path" of the reformation of the church. As part of this path, it became possible to pursue a policy of maneuvering between the numerous branches of Anglicanism that existed at that time. The policy of Elizabeth I on the religious issue, aimed at maintaining a compromise, smoothed out the contradictions existing in society as much as possible.

Features of the Church of England

One of the early features of the Church of England after its withdrawal from subordination to Rome was that the Anglican Church saw dignity in the ambiguity of its doctrine, a way to prevent heated discussions and schisms. Anglicanism has always been fairly open to new ideas. Doctrinal uncertainty and a combination of the positions of Catholicism and Protestantism made the Anglican Church as open and loyal as possible to various versions of religion. Thus, the relative freedom of religion allowed people to unite around the ideas of patriotism and national pride, and contributed to the growth of national identity. Anglicanism is characterized not only by a dogmatic approach to controversial issues, but also by attention to the historical context in understanding the issues of church life. Religious controversies of political and social origin have always played a prominent role in British history. The religious traditions of the Anglican Church were called to become the mainstay of the Christian faith in England. Nevertheless, in the history of the countries of the British Isles of the 17th-18th centuries, there are many examples of manifestations of popular discontent, occurring on the basis of exacerbation of religious contradictions. For England in the second half of the 18th century, it is important to note that the Anglican Church was an active participant in the political processes in the country. She represented a connecting link in the relationship between the state and society, and only then declared its role as a spiritual guide for citizens. The overwhelming majority of the Anglican clergy of Great Britain in the 18th century were not only loyal to the British monarch, but also considered themselves to be his direct subordinates. Clergymen of various levels, being supporters of authoritarian principles of government, on the one hand, preached the idea of ​​obedience, on the other hand, they emphasized the importance of loyalty and reliance on strong royal power. Such principles were considered the key to the successful existence and development of the state. There was a system of control available to the Church of England and guaranteed by the official government. Thus, the Church sought to control the spiritual life of citizens, and at the state level retained a religious monopoly. That is, the church demanded from parishioners not only regular attendance at divine services, but also penetrated into all spheres of their lives, regulating the behavior of residents. E.P. Makarov in his article "The Anglican Church in the internal political development of England in the second half of the 8th century" identifies three aspects of the church's activities, inextricably linked: religious, political and social. The religious aspect touched upon the fundamental doctrines and dogmatic features of the church's activities in the areas of morality and ethics. The political aspect was associated with the relationship between the state and the church and concerned the general political and religious features of the activity of the Anglican Church as a public institution, which was officially sanctioned and supported by the state. The social aspect affected mostly activities at the local level and was associated with church education, educational and educational activities, as well as church charity. It can be concluded that the moral, ethical and doctrinal components of Anglican church practice formed attitudes towards what ideals the life of ordinary British people should meet. The experience of the Anglican Church has shown how it is possible to lead society to obedience, and through the control of educational and upbringing activities to shape the worldview of the younger generation. SP Fedotov in his article "The Anglican Church and State Power in England: History and Modernity" notes that at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, powerful tendencies were manifested towards the unification of all branches of Anglicanism. In 1919, the Church Synod was created - the National Assembly of the Church of England, which was also completely dependent on the state: the legislative decisions of the synod, before coming into force, were approved by parliament and had to be approved by the king. State-church relations in Great Britain are quite specific. For example, parliamentarians do not have to be Anglican, they may be of a different religion, or even non-believers. The Church crowns a monarch who is the "supreme ruler of the Church." As the head of the Church of England, the king is the guarantor of the "middle path" of Anglicanism as a religious organization. Since the time of the Reformation, the monarch has appointed clergy to church positions. At the same time, the dependence of the Anglican Church on the state is smoothed out by the privileges that it enjoys in contrast to other denominations, including participation in the coronation, the number of seats in parliament, the status of a charitable organization, and others. Today the head of the Church of England is Queen Elizabeth II. The spiritual head of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. V.N. Erokhin, in his article "Formation of Anglican Identity: History and Modernity", analyzes the current state of the Church of England: “The Church of England has come a long way in its development over several centuries. To date, the Anglican Church consists of 40 national or regional churches operating in 164 countries around the world. " Over the past few decades, the Church of England has amazed Christendom with various avant-garde innovations. In 1986, the governing body of the Anglican Church, the General Synod, legalized the ordination (ordination) of women to the rank of deacon, and since 1992 it allowed the elevation of women to the rank of priest. In 2013, the General Synod adopted a decision in support of the plan to elevate women to the rank of bishop, which was later approved by the British Parliament. The Anglican Church occupies a significant place not only in the political, but also in the spiritual and cultural life of the British. The official state religion is present at all levels of citizens' life - in government, education, social activities, art, architecture, etc. Throughout its history, the Anglican Church has established basic rituals and regulated the life of ordinary citizens. Membership of the Church of England was an important and widespread feature of English society. The Anglican Church had a real opportunity to lead to obedience a significant part of society. Great Britain is a country famous for its history, conservative values, adherence to traditions. MM. Krivonosov in his article "Religion in the Life of the British" notes that the presence of Anglicanism is observed in various aspects of everyday life: these are the lines of the national anthem "God Save the Queen", and Latin sayings on British coins "By God's grace, Queen, Protector of Faith", and the inscription on the coat of arms of the royal family "God and my right". The participation of the national church in the social and cultural life of the country is very tangible. In various cities in England, church premises can be observed being used for various charitable events, for example, sales, theatrical performances, celebrations, etc. Secular events are often held in cathedrals - concerts of classical music, exhibitions of paintings. Religion and church traditionally play a big role in the life of almost every British citizen, this is especially noticeable in matters of upbringing the younger generation. Children's Sunday schools are very popular here, striving to give religious and moral education to children. And in ordinary schools, religious education has a large place. In all schools, classes begin and end with Bible reading and prayer, teaching all subjects is imbued with religious ideology. The clergy of the Church of England strives to influence the extracurricular activities of young people by organizing numerous associations, unions, clubs and evenings. The Church is actively promoting among women, involving them in mass religious organizations, associations, etc. The clergy use all possible means of propaganda: press, books, meetings, sermons and other events, both secular and spiritual. The favorite method of educational work of the church is Christian charity, which creates the appearance of the care of the ruling classes for those in need. We can safely say that religion still occupies a large place in the life of every Briton. Spiritual education here begins in childhood and then becomes firmly entrenched in the minds, thanks to which the number of British believers noticeably exceeds the number of atheists. The choice of religion in Great Britain is absolutely free. However, most of the locals - about 70% of the population - belong to the most widespread Anglican state church. But the number of adherents of the Anglican Church is gradually decreasing - a contradiction between those who think of themselves as a Protestant and those who are active parishioners becomes obvious. The British newspaper "The Guardian" notes that according to statistics, the Church of England will decline over the next 30 years. Analysts say the reasons for this are an increase in the average age of parishioners and a skeptical attitude towards the official religion on the part of young people. In Britain, even many of those who do not believe in Christianity feel a sense of belonging to the Church of England. For individuals, Anglicanism, manifested in rituals, liturgies, hymns, music, is a distinct cultural expression of "Englishness." For the majority of the population, regardless of how actively a particular resident adheres to Christianity, the surrounding elements of religion are an expression of national identity.

References:

1. Fedotov S.P. The Anglican Church and State Power in England: Past and Present

2. Bulgakov A.Ya. On the question of the Anglican hierarchy

3. Makarov E.P. The Anglican Church in the internal political development of England in the second half of the 18th century

5. Veish Ya.Ya. Religion and Church in England.

6. Erokhin V.N. Anglican Identity Formation: Past and Present