Church of England

The Church of England (C of E) is a Christian church which is the established church of

England

. The archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor. The Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain by the 3rd century, and to the 6th-century Gregorian mission to

Kent

led by

Augustine of Canterbury

.

The English church renounced

papal

authority when Henry VIII failed to secure a papal annulment of his marriage to

Catherine of Aragon

in 1534. The English Reformation accelerated under Edward VI's regents, before a brief restoration of papal authority under

Queen Mary I

and

King Philip

. The Act of Supremacy 1558 renewed the breach, and the Elizabethan Settlement charted a course enabling the English church to describe itself as both Reformed and Catholic:
* The Evangelical tradition has emphasized the significance of the Protestant aspects of the Church of England's identity, stressing the importance of the authority of Scripture, preaching, justification by faith and personal conversion.
* The Catholic tradition, strengthened and reshaped from the 1830s by the Oxford movement, has emphasized the significance of the continuity between the Church of England and the Church of the Early and Medieval periods. It has stressed the importance of the visible Church and its sacraments and the belief that the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons is a sign and instrument of the Church of England's Catholic and apostolic identity.
* The Liberal tradition has emphasized the importance of the use of reason in theological exploration. It has stressed the need to develop Christian belief and practice in order to respond creatively to wider advances in human knowledge and understanding and the importance of social and political action in forwarding God's kingdom.

In the earlier phase of the English Reformation there were both Catholic martyrs and radical Protestant martyrs. The later phases saw the Penal Laws punish

Catholics

and nonconforming Protestants. In the 17th century, the

Puritan

and Presbyterian factions continued to challenge the leadership of the church which under the Stuarts veered towards a more catholic interpretation of the Elizabethan Settlement especially under Archbishop Laud and the rise of the concept of Anglicanism as the ''via media''. After the victory of the Parliamentarians, the Prayer Book was abolished and the Presbyterian and Independent factions dominated. The episcopacy (bishops) was abolished in 1646. The Restoration restored the Church of England, episcopacy and the Prayer Book. Papal recognition of

George III

in 1766 led to greater religious tolerance.

Since the English Reformation, the Church of England has used English in the liturgy. The church contains several doctrinal strands, the main three being known as Anglo-Catholic, evangelical and broad church. Tensions between theological conservatives and progressives find expression in debates over the ordination of women and homosexuality. The church includes both liberal and conservative clergy and members.

The governing structure of the church is based on dioceses, each presided over by a bishop. Within each diocese are local parishes. The General Synod of the Church of England is the legislative body for the church and comprises bishops, other clergy and laity. Its measures must be approved by both Houses of Parliament.

History

Early Christianity in England

According to tradition, Christianity arrived in Britain in the 1st or 2nd century, during which time southern Britain became part of the

Roman Empire

. The earliest historical evidence of Christianity among the native Britons is found in the writings of such early Christian Fathers as

Tertullian

and

Origen

in the first years of the 3rd century. Three Romano-British bishops, including Restitutus, are known to have been present at the Council of Arles in 314. Others attended the Council of Serdica in 347 and that of Ariminum in 360, and a number of references to the church in

Roman Britain

are found in the writings of 4th century Christian fathers. Britain was the home of

Pelagius

, who opposed

Augustine of Hippo

's theology of original sin.

While Christianity was long established as the religion of the Britons at the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasion, Christian Britons made little progress in converting the newcomers from their native paganism. Consequently, in 597,

Pope Gregory I

sent the prior