Nicene Trinity affirmed; foundational to Anglican faith
Anglicanism firmly affirms the doctrine of the Trinity as expressed in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds, which are formally recognized as 'sufficient statement of the Christian faith' in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (1888). The Thirty-Nine Articles (Articles I–V) confess one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — equal in power and glory. The Book of Common Prayer's liturgy is thoroughly Trinitarian in structure, with prayers addressed to the Father through the Son in the Spirit.
The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral places the creeds second only to Scripture as a defining mark of Anglican identity. Denials of the Trinity, such as those promoted by historical Unitarians, have been consistently regarded as departures from Anglican orthodoxy. The Athanasian Creed is included in the Book of Common Prayer, though its use has become optional in many Anglican churches.
Key Distinctions
- Persons ontology:
- three coequal persons, one divine substance
- Spirit procession:
- from Father and Son (filioque)
- Creed stance:
- Nicene and Apostles' Creeds in liturgy; Thirty-Nine Articles
Scripture References
Sources
- Thirty-Nine Articles, Articles I–V (1571)
- Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (1888)
- Book of Common Prayer, Nicene Creed (1662)