A proposed society (or society-in-formation) of orthodox catholic Anglicans seeking to follow a common rule of life, core theological commitment, liturgical sensibility, and applied spirituality.
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About the Society
Preamble
The Anglican Diocese of the West was established in the 1990s under Bishop Richard Boyce, and continued under Bishop Winfield Mott, both of whom sought to retain Anglican Spirituality, Prayer Book worship, and Catholic Order, with Ecumenical Charity. Bishop Mott often said that “a sectarian Catholic is an oxymoron” and applied the aphorism as the primary philosophy of the Diocese of the West, in contrast to the division and exclusivism prevalent in the years following the Affirmation of St Louis. As the Diocese of the West gathered parishes and ministries to itself, it earnestly sought and established communion relationships with various continuing Anglican groups, including functioning within the Anglican Province of America and the Reformed Episcopal Church. In 2016, it reorganized as a regional convocation within the Missionary Diocese of All Saints of the Anglican Church in North America, and has continued under the same ethos under the excellent pastoral leadership of Vicar General Michael Penfield.
Vision and Purpose
The Caroline Society seeks to form out of this foundation; not as a replacement but as a supplement, to strengthen and crystallise the foundation and ethos that was established as an unwritten culture1 in the Diocese of the West/Convocation of the West, and continue within, but not limited to, the Convocation of the West. By contrast to a diocese, a society operating as a sodality—a religious community independent of a particular diocese, geography, or jurisdiction—is not subject to sustainability clauses, to loss of relationship due to diocesan transfer, or to concern with the institutionalism of the larger church structure. As a community of Christians who worship according to the Book of Common Prayer as we have received through the classical Anglican tradition, we uphold Catholic faith and order, practice missionary flexibility, and express ecumenical charity. To this end, we seek here to form a society as defined above to be preserved, strengthened, and enlivened through common Principles of Community & Fellowship, Liturgical Norms, and Rule of Life. Through this we hope not just be sustained by but grow in our common culture and sensibility, as we seek to make disciples and receive those friends in Christ we have not yet met.
Name of the Society
The Caroline Society (Carolina Societas Catholicorum Anglicanorum) is so named for the Caroline Divines, which is to say it is under no specific patronage; rather it is so named because of deriving inspiration from a movement — inclusive of, but not limited to, King Charles the Martyr, Lancelot Andrewes, William Laud, Jeremy Taylor, John Donne, and George Herbert — in a pivotal time for the English Church, which proved a refining time for Anglican identity in contrast to Puritan and Roman opposition. It was self-aware to be a church consistent with the early councils and fathers, representing a reformed Catholicism in the English tradition. The Caroline church, while tragically cut short by a hostile political climate, established practices as a Reformed Catholic Church, one far more sympathetic to Eastern Orthodoxy, while remaining differentiated from Romanism, Lutheranism, and Presbyterianism. Scholarship of the last 100 years has noted the interest of the Divines, most especially Lancelot Andrewes and William Laud, in Eastern Orthodox theology. This thread continued through the Scottish non-jurors, and was picked up variously by the Anglo-Catholic revival in the 19th Century. Such a connection has been noted by Martin Thornton.2 Further, recent scholarship has made the case that the Caroline Divines as a movement in historical context have strong ecumenical points in common with the church of Rome after the Second Vatican Council.3
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Feast of St Lawrence, 2023
Notes
| 1 | More background on the foundation of the Society |
| 2 | English Spirituality, Introduction |
| 3 | Langham, Mark (2018), The Caroline Divines and the Church of Rome |
A society-in-formation of orthodox catholic Anglicans seeking to follow a common rule of life, core theological commitment, liturgical sensibility, and applied spirituality.
Founding Principles
1. Principles of Community and Fellowship
Threefold Identity and Purpose: Prayer Book, Catholic, Ecumenical
i. Prayer Book in Spirituality
We look to the Book of Common Prayer as the primary identity through which the Anglican Tradition has been practiced and which has been a bulwark against the changes of Western culture, worldview, and morals. We look first to the Prayer Book for the doctrine and ceremonial of the Apostolic church. The historic Book of Common Prayer,4 together with the Ordinal, continues to be a primary identifier for Global Anglican Identity, by its fruit the Prayer Book has been tried and proven as a universal (Catholic) model for ascetical life, community prayer, and the celebration of sacraments. (hereafter “Prayer Book Anglican”)
ii. Catholic in Faith and Order
The Caroline Divines and the Oxford Movement emphasized the theological and sacramental continuity of the English church throughout its history—from Patristic, to Medieval, to Reformation. We look to these movements as we aspire to integrate the same historic continuity with contemporary expressions of Orthodox Catholic Anglicanism.5 (hereafter “English Catholic”)
iii. Ecumenical in promoting Catholic unity
Seeking participatory relationship with Evangelicals as well as Catholics, with missionary flexibility and working together where there is agreement as Christians.6 (hereafter “Ecumenical Christian”)
Common Affirmations of Belief*
*The repetition between the three affirmations emphasizes that such a threefold identity naturally overlaps.
i. Prayer Book Anglican: Affirm the 1977 Affirmation of St Louis Principles of Doctrine and Morality7 or the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration as broadly aligning our Anglican identity in relation to the global communions8 of Anglican churches of varying churchmanships.
ii. English Catholic: Affirm the Forward in Faith Declaration or these Seven Common Principles as an intentional group of Catholic Anglicans. (n.b., the position and membership of Forward in Faith UK, also aligns with these.)
iii. Ecumenical Christian: Affirm Declaration of Scranton as Ecumenical Christians seeking universal (Catholic) unity in the Body of Christ.
1. In affirming the Vincentian Catholic emphasis of the Declaration of Scranton, we affirm where agreeable to 1.b.i and 1.b.ii the Old Catholic - Orthodox Theological Commission Joint Statements9
2. Liturgical Norms
Common Sacraments: Prayer Book, English Catholic, Ecumenical Christian
Prayer Book: Prayer Books of the Society, which contain the rites for Sacraments of the Gospel and the Ordinal, including translations, and modernizations. (e.g., An Anglican Prayer Book, 1662:International Edition, &c.)10
i. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and those books which preceded it, especially the 1549 and 1637, are the standard for the Anglican tradition of worship.
ii. Other National Books of Common Prayer, based upon 2.a.i.
1. 1928 American
2. 1928 English (Proposed)
3. 1954 South African
4. 1962 Canadian
iii. 2019 ACNA Book of Common Prayer & 2019 ACNA Book of Common Prayer, Traditional Language Edition
1. The recommended norm, according to 2.a.i., for ACNA Holy Communion is the Anglican Standard Text reordered conforming to the 1662/1928 Books of Common Prayer.11
2. The Anglican Standard text being in the lineage of the historic Books of Common Prayer should where possible utilize historic Anglican ceremonial (2.b.iv.).
3. The Renewed Ancient Text (2.b.iii.) as a modern ecumenical text suits contemporary innovations, not the Prayer Book tradition. It should be avoided when possible, and not used in Oratory contexts.
English Catholic:
i. The Holy Communion according to 2.a. is to be celebrated as the principal service of the church, observed on the Lord’s Day, and should be celebrated or attended in all able communities.
ii. Optional Missals which augment the Books of Common Prayer in 2.a.
1. The English Missal
2. The American Missal (Lancelot Andrewes Press)
3. Other Sarum Use additions to BCP.12
4. And vernacular translations thereof.
iii. The 2019 BCP, Renewed Ancient Text13 may be used as a modern Ecumenical-Catholic rite in common with the Novus Ordo pattern of celebration when one's context prevents celebrating the historic Prayer Book liturgy.(2.a., 2.b.iv.2.)
1. Recommended:
- Readiness and Decency, 1961 Edition
- PNCC ceremonial rubrics
iv. Ceremonial Philosophy
1. As Prayer Book Catholics, we seek historic, reverent, prayerful worship in our liturgy. Inspired by the practice of the Eastern Orthodox, we see a balanced approach which is neither casual nor rigid, accurate but not fastidious. Stuffy is to be avoided as much as flippancy.
2. Recommended guides
a. SSSJE Readiness and Decency (1946) and At the Lord’s Table
b. Alcuin Club Tracts
c. Ceremonial of the English Church, Vernon Staley
d. Parson’s Handbook, Percy Dearmer
e. Using the Book of Common Prayer, Bishop Paul Thomas
v. Pastoral Rites for the Sacraments of the Church
1. A Manual for Priests.
2. The English Ritual.
3. The Orthodox RitualEcumenical Christian: We remain open to the Holy Spirit, and view with charity the varieties of cultural expression, evangelism, and mission. For worship and other services that do not involve or contradict Sacraments of the Gospel (2.a.) or other sacraments (2.b.), we uphold flexibility for local contextualization and creative expression, as well as ecumenical cooperation with fellow Christians and their ministries.
3. Rule of Prayer & Christian Living
The Rule here listed is the standard to which members commit to follow, not as a legal requirement, but the spiritual target to which each member aspires.
Imperfect prayer prayed regularly is more important than perfect prayer prayed sporadically.
Prayer Book Anglican: Follow established practices of the Classical Prayer Book tradition: resist the temptation to reinvent the wheel.
i. Daily Prayer Commitments
1. Lay, Minor Order, or Deacon: Family Prayer or the Daily Office as able.
2. Priest or Bishop: Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer
ii. Regular self-examination from Exhortations of the Prayer BookEnglish Catholic:
i. Seek a Spiritual Direction relationship with one supportive of any of the three Common Affirmations of Belief. Seek a Mentor, Confessor, or Spiritual Father, if the Spiritual Director is not the same person.
ii. In addition to Principles of Community, discern and follow a personal Rule of Life under guidance of 3.b.i.
iii. Recommended Texts
1. Christian Proficiency, Martin Thornton
2. Preferring Christ : a Devotional Commentary and Workbook on the Rule of St. Benedict, Norvene Vest
3. Ages of the Spiritual Life, Paul Evdokimov
4. Way of Christ, Trinity MissionEcumenical Christian:
i. From The Declaration of Scranton:
1. to teach the essential Christian truths by the proclamation of the Word of God and by the instruction of the faithful;
2. to seek truth and practice charity when discussing controversial doctrines;
3. and in word and deed to set, in accordance with the teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ, an example for the faithful of the Church.
ii. Practice hospitality as part of an intentional missionary vocation.14
iii. Seek opportunities for connection with like-minded Christians, irrespective of denomination or jurisdiction.
iv. Affirming calls by Roman, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, we commit to honor and care for God's creation.15
Agreed procedures as a society of believers were to formed around this rule and set of norms, in order to maintain community, but without episcopal oversight or financial structure. Such governance protects the rule and administers who is called a “member.”
This section is not yet public.
5. Constitution and Governance17
To be considered primarily if established as a formal society providing a structure of leadership, including episcopal oversight and finances, beyond the voluntary association committed to in Principles of Community and Fellowship and Provisional Governance.
This section is not yet public.
6. Appendix I
Specialized prayers for use within the Society
To be finalized.
Prayers of discernment prayed for the Novice
Profession of the Rule of the Society
Prayers prayed for the new member
Collect for the Society
Prayers prayed should a member leave.
Notes
| 4 | 1662, those books which preceded it, and those books which follow its direct lineage. |
| 5 | Texts contextualizing our Anglo-Catholicism: • Moss, C.B. (1943) The Christian Faith • Allchin, A. M. (1988). Participation in God: a forgotten strand in Anglican tradition (Anglicanism and Orthodoxy) • Langham, Mark (2018), The Caroline Divines and the Church of Rome (Caroline Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism) • Lossky, Nicholas (1991), Lancelot Andrewes the preacher (1555-1626) : the origins of the mystical theology of the Church of England (Anglicanism and Orthodoxy) • Braaten & Jensen (1998), Union with Christ (Lutheranism and Orthodoxy) |
| 6 | Texts contextualizing our ecumenical Catholicity: • Maurice, F.D. (1842), The Kingdom of Christ (Abridged) • Old Catholic-Orthodox Theological Commission (1987), The Road to Unity: A collection of agreed statements of the joint Old Catholic - Orthodox Theological Commission • Evdokimov, Paul (1998), Ages of the Spiritual Life |
| 7 | The 1990 Traditional Anglican Concordat: “Each member Church or Province of this Communion shall have authority to adopt its own Fundamental or Solemn Declarations consistent with The Affirmation of St. Louis” |
| 8 | Canon Robert Bader: “It is my contention that there are essentially three types of Anglicanism in the world today […] Canterbury Anglicanism, GAFCON Anglicanism, and [Affirmation of St Louis] Anglicanism. […] GAFCON Anglicanism is the ideology associated with the Global Anglican Future Conference, the 2008 meeting of bishops from mostly Third World Anglican provinces, which was instrumental in the creation of the currently named Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). […] [St. Louis Anglicanism] is the ideology set forth in the Declaration of Scranton and the Affirmation of St Louis, both of which require us to maintain the faith and practice of the undivided Church. Beyond that, Scranton or St. Louis Anglicanism is what N.P. Williams described in Northern Catholicism: “Catholicism which is neither Roman nor Byzantine; which is non-Papal, but at the same time specifically Western in its outlook and temper.” |
| 9 | Old Catholic-Orthodox Theological Commission (1987), The Road to Unity: A collection of agreed statements of the joint Old Catholic - Orthodox Theological Commission |
| 10 | 2008 Jerusalem Declaration: “We uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to be translated and locally adapted for each culture.” _“We receive The Book of Common Prayer as set forth by the Church of England in 1662, together with the Ordinal attached to the same, as a standard for Anglican doctrine and discipline, and, with the Books which preceded it, as the standard for the Anglican tradition of worship.” BCP 2019 p. 767 1990 Traditional Anglican Concordat: “This Communion retains and approves the formularies of the classical Anglican tradition authorized prior to the emergence, within some Churches or Provinces of ‘The Anglican Communion,’ of those departures from orthodox Faith and Practice which made necessary and precipitated the Congress of St. Louis. The standard of Faith and Worship of this Communion is that expressed in the first Book of Common Prayer, and Ordinal, of Edward VI and in the following revisions: [1662, 1962, 1928, 1963, 1926, 1954, and The Church of England Deposited Book of 1928 and such other editions or revisions of the Book of Common Prayer]” |
| 11 | BCP 2019 pp. 104, 142, 689, 717; see also The Eucharist: An Anglican Altar Book |
| 12 | Including The Eucharist: An Anglican Altar Book (for 1662IE, 1928, 2019/TLE, and 1662 modern language) |
| 13 | The “Renewed Ancient Text” is not founded upon the Prayer Book or the English Catholic tradition, and therefore is not based on the 1662 or the books which preceded it, deviating from established values in the Jerusalem Declaration and St Louis Affirmation. While it cannot be unreservedly recommended, RAT does reflect the ecumenical, catholic Eucharistic pattern begun in the 20th century, correcting some of the revolutionary chages found in 1979 BCP. If RAT must be used it should emphasize the broadly Catholic and Ecumenical Christian values of the Society rather than the classical Prayer Book. |
| 14 | "To practice hospitality towards each other and the world by creating regular social spaces in which life is shared with each other and into which people outside the community are invited. The intentional practice of hospitality reflects a desire to share our lives in Christ with each other and with other people." https://thedht.org/mission-communities |
| 15 | Texts for living in God's creation: • Theokritoff, Elizabeth (2009) Living in God's Creation • Chryssavgis, John, et al (2013) Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation • Pope Francis (2015) Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home |
Contact Us
We are in the very early stages of formation. This site serves as a central source of information in that process.
More information will be forthcoming.