Eternal Son pre-existent before the Incarnation
Anglican theology affirms the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God as the second person of the Trinity, consistent with Nicene orthodoxy. The Nicene Creed, confessed in every Sunday Eucharistic service in Anglican churches, teaches that the Son is 'begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.' The Thirty-Nine Articles affirm the eternal divinity of the Son who 'took Man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin.'
This pre-existence is foundational to Anglican Christology and soteriology: it is the eternal Son of God — not a creature — who became incarnate for our salvation, which gives the Incarnation and Atonement their infinite significance. Anglican theology does not develop distinctive innovations on this topic beyond the ecumenical consensus of the councils.
Key Distinctions
- Preexistence affirmed:
- affirmed — the Son/Logos eternally pre-existed the Incarnation
- Ot identity:
- the eternal Word and agent of creation (John 1:1-3); identified with YHWH in various OT theophanies
Scripture References
Sources
- Nicene Creed, as received in Book of Common Prayer (1662)
- Thirty-Nine Articles, Article II (1571)