"C of E" redirects here. Not to be confused with Council of Europe.
"English church" redirects here. For other uses, see English church (disambiguation).
Church of England
Abbreviation
CofE
Classification
Protestant[a]
Orientation
Anglican[b]
Theology
Anglican doctrine
Polity
Episcopal
Supreme governor
Charles III
Primate
Justin Welby
Associations
Anglican Communion Porvoo Communion World Council of Churches[1]
Region
England, Wales (cross-border parishes) Isle of Man Channel Islands Continental Europe Morocco
Liturgy
1662 Book of Common Prayer, Common Worship
Headquarters
Church House, Westminster, England
Founder
Augustine of Canterbury (united the early English church under papal jurisdiction)
Henry VIII (separated the church from papal jurisdiction)
Thomas Cranmer (author of the first liturgical rites of the church during the English Reformation)
Separated from
Roman Catholic Church (1534)
Separations
English Dissenters (1534 onwards) Puritans (17th century) Methodists (18th century) Plymouth Brethren (1820s) Free Church of England (1844) Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham (2011)
Members
26 million (baptised)
Other name(s)
Anglican Church
Official website
www.churchofengland.org
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the origin of the Anglican tradition, which combines features of both Reformed and Catholic Christian practices. Its adherents are called Anglicans.
The English church 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. It renounced papal authority in 1534, when King Henry VIII failed to secure a papal annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The English Reformation accelerated under the regents of his successor, King Edward VI, 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. In the earlier phase of the English Reformation there were both Roman Catholic martyrs and Protestant martyrs. The later phases saw the Penal Laws punish Roman 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 a via media between Roman Catholicism and radical Protestantism. After the victory of the Parliamentarians, the Book of Common Prayer was abolished and the Presbyterian and Independent factions dominated. The episcopacy was abolished in 1646 but the Restoration restored the Church of England, episcopacy and the Book of Common Prayer. Papal recognition of George III in 1766 led to greater religious tolerance.
Since the English Reformation, the Church of England has used the English language in the liturgy. As a broad church, the Church of England contains several doctrinal strands. The main traditions are known as Anglo-Catholic, high church, central church and low church, the latter producing a growing evangelical wing. Tensions between theological conservatives and liberals find expression in debates over the ordination of women and homosexuality. The British monarch (currently Charles III) is the supreme governor and the Archbishop of Canterbury (currently Justin Welby) is the most senior cleric. 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 the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
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