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Article III: The Resurrection of Christ in Anglican Theology

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

June 22, 2026

3 min read

anglicanism
Symbolic depiction of the risen Christ ascending, representing the Anglican confession of resurrection in Article III

Among the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Article III holds a place of quiet but profound importance. In a few measured sentences, it stakes the Anglican confession on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ — 'with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature.' Far from a peripheral concern, this affirmation is the cornerstone on which Anglican soteriology, sacramental theology, and eschatology all rest.

The Precision of Article III

The language of Article III is intentional. By specifying 'flesh, bones,' the Anglican reformers echoed the words of the risen Christ in Luke 24:39 — 'A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' The resurrection being affirmed is not a spiritual renewal or a metaphorical hope but the bodily raising of the crucified Jesus. This matters because the entire Christian hope — the resurrection of the dead, the renewal of creation, the final judgment — depends on what happened to the body of Jesus in Joseph's tomb.

The article also addresses the descent into hell, a phrase inherited from the Apostles' Creed. Anglican interpretation has varied: some read it as affirming the full reality of Christ's death and burial, others as a proclamation of victory over the realm of the dead as in 1 Peter 3:18-20. The Articles do not resolve this exegetically, but they insist that the full arc of Christ's journey — death, burial, descent, resurrection, ascension — be confessed together as the shape of redemption.

The Session, the Return, and Anglican Worship

That Christ 'ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth' is not a statement of divine rest but of divine reign. The session at the right hand of the Father is the posture of an enthroned king whose rule extends over all creation (Hebrews 1:3; Ephesians 1:20-22). Anglican liturgy captures this confidence — the Book of Common Prayer is saturated with the expectation that Christ is present as risen Lord, interceding for his people and governing history toward his return.

Sunday worship in Anglican tradition has always been shaped by resurrection theology. The Lord's Day is the weekly commemoration of the first Easter. The Eucharist proclaims the death of the Lord 'until he comes' (1 Corinthians 11:26), making every celebration an anticipation of the resurrection feast. Even the Anglican practice of Morning and Evening Prayer is structured around resurrection — the day begins and ends in the light of the risen Christ.

The Weight of the Confession

Anglicanism's confession of the bodily resurrection in Article III is not a historical relic but a living claim about the nature of the world. If Christ rose bodily, then matter matters — bodies, creation, and social life all fall under his lordship. Anglican social engagement, from William Wilberforce's abolitionism to the faith-informed public life of countless Anglican statesmen and women, has drawn energy from the conviction that the risen Christ is Lord of all. Article III is not merely doctrine. It is the fulcrum on which an entire vision of human life and history turns.

Tags:anglicanismthirty nine articleschristology

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Article III of the Thirty-Nine Articles teach about the resurrection of Christ?

Article III of the Thirty-Nine Articles states that Christ 'rose again from the dead, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.' This affirmation of a genuinely bodily resurrection—with flesh, bones, and all that belongs to complete human nature—aligns Anglican theology with Nicene and Chalcedonian orthodoxy against both docetic and purely spiritual interpretations of the resurrection. The risen and ascended Christ is confessed as both truly human and truly divine.

Why is the bodily resurrection of Christ central to Anglican and Christian theology?

The bodily resurrection of Christ is central to Christian theology because, as Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:14–19, 'if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.' The resurrection vindicates Jesus's claim to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4), confirms the efficacy of his atoning death, and grounds the future resurrection of believers. Anglican theology, following Article III, insists this resurrection was bodily rather than merely spiritual—a concrete, historical event in which the crucified body of Jesus was transformed and glorified, as witnessed by the disciples over 40 days.

How does the resurrection of Christ relate to his descent into hell in Anglican theology?

Article III of the Thirty-Nine Articles is closely related to the Apostles' Creed clause 'he descended into hell,' which Article III does not directly address but which is confessed in the creed the Articles endorse. Anglican theology has generally followed two main interpretations: the first understands 'descended into hell' as referring to Christ's burial and experience of death in its fullness, while the second (particularly in High Church and Anglo-Catholic theology) affirms a literal descent into the realm of the dead. The resurrection narratively reverses the descent, vindicating the crucified Christ with new resurrection life.

What was the historical context for including a resurrection article in the Thirty-Nine Articles?

Article III was included among the Thirty-Nine Articles in 1563 as part of the Anglican church's comprehensive confession of Nicene orthodoxy, distinguishing the Reformed Church of England from both Roman Catholic practice and radical Protestant groups. Some 16th-century spiritualist reformers minimized the bodily resurrection in favor of a purely spiritual understanding, and the article's emphasis on 'flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature' explicitly guards against such spiritualizing. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's theological vision insisted that the Reformation was a recovery of authentic Catholic and patristic Christianity, of which the bodily resurrection was an indispensable article.

How do Anglicans today engage with scholarly debates about the resurrection of Christ?

Contemporary Anglican theologians have engaged seriously with historical-critical challenges to the resurrection, with figures like N.T. Wright (former Bishop of Durham, born 1948) producing major defenses of the historicity and bodily nature of the resurrection in works like 'The Resurrection of the Son of God' (2003). Wright argues from historical evidence that the empty tomb and resurrection appearances are best explained by the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus, and that this is fully consistent with—indeed required by—Jewish apocalyptic categories. Anglican clergy are expected to affirm the resurrection as a historic event, and Article III's language of bodily resurrection with 'flesh and bones' remains the official formulary of the Church of England.

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