Resources

Structure

Thirty-nine brief articles addressing Scripture, the Trinity, justification, the sacraments, and church-state relations. Each article is concise by design, reflecting the Anglican commitment to holding theological breadth within a defined doctrinal framework.

Purpose

Finalized under Queen Elizabeth I in 1563, the Articles defined a distinctively Anglican via media — a middle way between Roman Catholicism and continental Reformed theology — settling the doctrinal disputes that had torn England's church for decades.

Usage

Historically required subscription by all Church of England clergy. They remain the doctrinal standard for Anglicanism worldwide, though subscription requirements vary by province, and they continue to define Anglican theological boundaries in debate and ecumenical dialogue.

Influence

Shaped the theological character of the Church of England and its global offspring — including the Episcopal Church, Anglican Church in North America, and numerous provincial churches across Africa, Asia, and the Americas — for over 460 years.