The Thirty-Nine Articles and the Reformed Tradition

One of the most debated questions in Anglican theology is whether the Church of England is truly a Reformed church. The answer, when we look carefully at the Thirty-Nine Articles, is largely yes — though with important qualifications. The Articles stand squarely within the broader Reformed Protestant tradition while maintaining a distinctively English and catholic character.

Continental Influences on the Articles

The English Reformers were in constant conversation with their Continental counterparts. Cranmer corresponded with Calvin, Bullinger, and Melanchthon. The Strasbourg reformer Martin Bucer spent his final years in Cambridge, where he exerted a direct influence on Cranmer's theological development. The German Confession of Augsburg and the Reformed confessions of Switzerland all left their mark on Anglican theology.

Where the Articles Are Reformed

The Reformed character of the Articles is most evident in their soteriology. The doctrines of original sin, the bondage of the will, justification by faith alone, and the assurance of salvation all reflect the Augustinian Calvinist mainstream of sixteenth-century Protestantism. Article XVII on predestination — while carefully worded — is unmistakably within the Reformed tradition, affirming election to life as the purpose of God before the foundation of the world.

Where the Articles Are Distinctively Anglican

Yet the Articles are not simply a British version of the Heidelberg Catechism. They maintain episcopacy as the form of church government without making it an article of faith. They preserve a high view of the ancient creeds and the patristic inheritance. Their sacramental theology, while rejecting transubstantiation, speaks of the Lord's Supper in terms that go beyond mere memorialism. This gives the Articles their characteristic breadth — Reformed in doctrine, Catholic in order and spirit.

A Confession for the Global Anglican Communion

Today the global Anglican Communion — with over 85 million members — is a diverse family of churches, not all of whom would describe themselves as Reformed. Yet the Articles remain the doctrinal standard of the Church of England and many Anglican provinces. For those who want to recover the confessional identity of Anglicanism, the Articles stand as a reminder that the English Reformation produced a genuinely Protestant, genuinely Catholic, and genuinely Reformed church.