RETURN TO THE ANCIENT PATHS: ANGLO-ORTHODOXY AND PROTESTANTISM IN CONTRAST

The Fronticepiece for an Ancient Book of Psalms in Our Ancient Anglo-Celtic Orthodox Tradition 

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

Introduction 

In an age marked by theological fragmentation and liturgical minimalism, Anglo-Orthodoxy stands as our culture’s ancient connection to the Christian Faith of the first millennium, as believed in the Undivided Church. It is the “Original Gospel” and what the Ancient Church believed and taught about Christ Jesus. It seeks to restore the fullness of apostolic faith and practice to the West, drawing from the wellsprings of Eastern Orthodox theology, Anglo-Celtic historical consciousness, and a sacramental life deeply grounded in the Church's unbroken and unchanging tradition. This vision stands in contrast to the prevailing paradigms of Protestantism and Evangelicalism, offering a pathway to personal and corporate holiness that is both ancient and ever new.

1. Salvation: From Legal Transaction to Transformational Theosis

Protestant and Evangelical traditions often emphasize salvation as a legal declaration - justification by faith alone (sola fide), where Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer. This forensic model views salvation primarily as a change in legal status before God.

In contrast, Anglo-Orthodoxy embraces the Eastern Orthodox understanding of salvation as theosis - the transformative process of becoming partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Salvation is not merely a legal acquittal but a dynamic journey of healing and union with God, initiated through baptism and sustained by the sacramental life of the Church. This perspective, as highlighted in the "Pathway to Holiness" catechism, emphasizes that salvation is a communal and sacramental process, deeply rooted in the life of the Church.

The Church Fathers articulated this transformative vision:

- St. Athanasius of Alexandria declared, "He was made man that we might be made god" (On the Incarnation, 54.3).

- St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is" (Against Heresies, V).

- St. Gregory of Nazianzus exhorted, "Let us become as Christ is, since Christ became as we are; let us become gods for his sake, since he became man for our sake."

This understanding of salvation as theosis underscores a participatory and transformative relationship with God, contrasting with the Protestant emphasis on legal justification.

2. Sacraments: Means of Grace, Not Mere Symbols

Evangelicalism typically recognizes two ordinances - baptism and the Lord's Supper - as symbolic acts of obedience. These are often viewed as memorials rather than means of grace.

Anglo-Orthodoxy, aligning with Ancient Christian tradition, affirms seven sacraments as outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace. These sacraments - Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Unction - are not mere symbols but actual means by which God imparts grace to the faithful. This sacramental theology is deeply rooted in the practices of the early Church and reflects a holistic understanding of salvation as both spiritual and physical restoration.

As St. Basil the Great explained, "Through the Spirit we become citizens of heaven... we acquire a likeness to God; indeed, we attain what is beyond our most sublime aspirations—we become God" (On the Holy Spirit, 9).

This sacramental life is not about ritualism but about participating in the divine life, being transformed by grace through tangible means instituted by Christ and upheld by the apostolic tradition.

The Pathway to Holiness is Through the Seven Sacraments of the Church

3. Authority: Scripture, Tradition, and the Living Church

Protestantism often upholds sola scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. This principle can lead to individual interpretations and a fragmentation of doctrine.

Anglo-Orthodoxy recognizes Scripture as the inspired Word of God but insists that it must be interpreted within the living Tradition of the Church. This especially looks to the Apostolic Fathers, the Disciples of the Twelve Apostles, and includes the teachings of the later Church Fathers as a source of hermeneutics, the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils as the primary source of dogmatics, and the ongoing life of the Church guided by the Holy Spirit as the anchor of our Christian practice in the experiential truth of Jesus Christ. This approach ensures continuity with the apostolic faith and guards against doctrinal innovation.

St. Irenaeus emphasized this continuity: "Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace" (Against Heresies, 3.24.1).

This harmonious interplay between Scripture and Tradition preserves the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3) and maintains the unity and integrity of Christian doctrine.

4. Worship: Participating in the Heavenly Liturgy

Evangelical worship often emphasizes spontaneity and contemporary expressions, focusing on personal experience and emotive engagement.

Anglo-Orthodox worship is liturgical, sacramental, and participatory, drawing the faithful into the heavenly liturgy described in Revelation. It employs ancient prayers, chants, and rituals that engage all the senses, fostering a profound sense of reverence and continuity with the worship of the early Church. In particular, our Church employs the Divine Liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem, the oldest form of Christian worship, the ancestor of all other Christian liturgies. We employ the Psalter, the divinely inspired Psalms of David as our hymnal, the source of all other worship.  These forms of worship are not about personal preference but about entering into the timeless worship of the Triune God, revealed to us by God Himself and preserved by the Apostles and the Ancient Church. 

As St. John Chrysostom noted, "When we are engaged in the divine liturgy, we are standing in heaven, and the angels are present with us."

This liturgical worship is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, uniting the Church militant with the Church triumphant in a continuous offering of praise and thanksgiving.

5. The Church: A Visible, Apostolic, and Sacramental Community

Protestantism often views the Church as an invisible fellowship of believers, with less emphasis on visible structures and apostolic succession.

Anglo-Orthodoxy upholds the Church as a visible, hierarchical, and sacramental community, founded by Christ and sustained through apostolic succession. It affirms the threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons, and sees the Church as the locus of salvation - a living organism through which believers are nurtured in holiness.

St. Cyprian of Carthage asserted, "He can no longer have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother" (On the Unity of the Church, 6).

This ecclesiology emphasizes the Church's role as the Body of Christ, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), and the means by which the faithful are incorporated into the life of God.

Summary: Embracing the Fullness of the Faith

Our Anglo-Orthodox Patrimony invites believers to rediscover the richness of the apostolic faith as lived in the first millennium of the Undivided Church. It offers a holistic vision of salvation, a sacramental worldview, and a deep connection to the historic Church, embracing what has been believed in all times, places, by all Christians (St. Vincent of Lérins, Commonitorium 2.6). By embracing this path, Christians can find a deeper communion with God and a more profound participation in the life of the Church, one in direct continuity with the Priests, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists of our Holy Tradition. 

A Collect for the Pursuit of Holiness

O God of our fathers, who didst call thy Church to be a holy nation and a royal priesthood: Grant us grace to walk in the ancient paths, to hold fast the apostolic faith, and to partake worthily of thy holy mysteries; that, being transformed by thy grace, we may attain to the fullness of life in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

For further exploration, consider reading the Pathway to Holiness Catechism and engaging with the writings of the Church Fathers and the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils to deepen your understanding of the apostolic faith.