Continuing Anglican Movement - Theological Diversity

Theological Diversity

Anglicanism in general has always sought a balance between the emphases of Catholicism and Protestantism, while tolerating a range of expressions of evangelicalism and ceremony. Clergy and laity from all Anglican churchmanship traditions have been active in the formation of the Continuing movement.

While there are high church, broad church, and low church Continuing Anglicans, many Continuing churches are Anglo-Catholic with highly ceremonial liturgical practices. Others belong to a more Evangelical or low church tradition, support the Thirty-Nine Articles, and observe Morning Prayer more frequently than Holy Communion.

The Continuing churches in the United States reject the 1979 revision of the Book of Common Prayer made by the Episcopal Church and use the 1928 version or prior official versions of the Book of Common Prayer for their services instead. In addition, some Anglo-Catholic bodies also use the Anglican Missal or English Missal in celebrating the Eucharist.

Liturgical use of the 1611 "Authorized Version" of Holy Scripture (more widely known as the King James Version) is also a common feature. This is done for many reasons, including aesthetics, and in protest against what some claim to be liberal or progressive theology that updated English translations such as the New Revised Standard Version are believed to embody.