What is Anglicanism and where does it come from? Many people might answer this question by pointing to the English Reformation, Henry VIII, and the Church of England. But Anglicanism’s roots are deeper and broader than this history suggests. This latest offering in Dio’s popular series of non-credit courses explores the origins and development of the Anglican tradition, beginning with the arrival of Christianity in Britain and culminating in a worldwide Anglican Communion.
Students will trace the path of Christianity in Britain from its earliest arrival a few centuries after Christ’s ministry, through the break with Rome during the Reformation, and into the development of “Anglicanism” as an independent identity. The course will also consider revivals within Anglicanism and the spread of of Anglicanism around the world. Throughout, students will pay attention to how some of the hallmarks of Anglicanism, such as the Book of Common Prayer or the centrality of bishops, have developed and changed over time.
Students will leave this course with a deeper understanding of the history of the Anglican tradition, its unique characteristics, and the gifts this tradition has to offer to Christianity.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Hilary Bogert-Winkler is Director of Pastoral Studies at Montreal Diocesan Theological College.