What We Believe
One Church - Many Points of View
If there’s one distinctive thing about the Episcopal Church, it’s that its people feel free to question and argue about just about anything. Robin Williams, the famous comedian, once stated in his “Top 10 Reasons to be an Episcopalian”,that no matter what you believe, there's bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you. While we pride ourselves on the intellectual freedom to discuss any subject in a religious context, this honesty in discussions from widely differing views can occasionally cause arguments. Reconciliation efforts focus on the spirit of tolerance, respect for and patience with differing views. Overall, however, we try to adhere to Anglican tradition, interpretation of scripture and reason as our sources of guidance.
In general, arguments tend to concentrate on the differences between ultra conservative viewpoints that support the literal, inerrancy of scripture, versus the liberal view points, showing historical respect for scripture, while seeking more modern interpretations. The current majority in the hierarchy of the Episcopal Church has a more liberal leaning, while the average Episcopalian is probably a moderate somewhere in between the two extremes.
Two other elements of our beliefs are The Trinity and The Creeds.
The Trinity
The Trinity simply stated is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one. This can be very confusing if a strict literalist approach is taken. However, if the Trinity is interpreted as 3 ways to experience the Divine, the explanation is easier.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- God the Father is the experience of the Divine as Creator and author of all living and non living things. As scientific information about the universe unfolds, we begin to fathom the immensity and dynamism of creation.<!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- God the Son is the experience of the Divine through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ; and by extension, seeing Him in the faces and experiences of all humanity.<!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->- God the Holy Spirit is the experience of the invisible Divine action in our daily lives, especially through our contemplative practices.
The Creeds
Two of the belief elements frequently pointed to are the Creeds: the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. [See BCP pg. 851] Here again, the conservatives might adhere to a literal inerrancy, while the Liberals have respect for them as historical documents that deserve a significant place in Christian history, but hold little literal contemporary value. Their place in the liturgy supports both views. Conservatives hold fast to the traditional wording of the Creeds, while Liberals are comfortable with and may support changing the wording to have more contemporary relevance. A large parish church with more than one weekly service, may actually support both approaches.
Formalized discussions of these beliefs can be found on the National Church Website.
