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A BRIEF STATEMENT OF OUR FAITH

By the Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe

IX Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas

There is an old saying in our branch of Christ’s one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church that we pray what we believe. The core of Episcopal theology is contained in The Book of Common Prayer, which is the description of our common life expressed in our public worship of the triune God. It reflects the breadth of catholic (universal) teaching going back to the earliest followers of Jesus and includes the reforming ideals of the architect of the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer. In addition, we are shaped by the early tradition of the ecumenical councils of the Church. One of the councils produced the Nicene Creed (Prayer Book, page 358), a normative statement of the Christian faith said at each celebration of the Holy Eucharist by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalians and many other Christians throughout the world.

The Nature of God

We believe in God as revealed in the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Episcopalians affirm that God is the creator of the universe.  In the Catechism, “An Outline of the Faith,” it states that “…there is one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.” (Prayer Book, page 846).

The Nature of Jesus Christ

Episcopalians believe that Jesus is the Christ, God incarnate, the Savior, the unique Son of God – the second person of the Holy Trinity, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God (Nicene Creed, Prayer Book, page 327). He was born of the Virgin Mary and is the perfect image of the Father, for he alone is without sin and shows us the nature of the Father. We further believe the ancient truth that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. He suffered death, was buried and on the third day rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Nicene Creed, Prayer Book, page 327).

The Role of Scripture

The Holy Scriptures are of fundamental importance to Episcopalians. Congregations throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas hear readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles and the Gospels each Sunday. We affirm that they “…contain all things necessary to salvation.” (from the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, Prayer Book, page 877). They are the divinely inspired, revealed Word of God and are the primary authority for the Church and the life of individual Christians.

We believe the Scriptures are true at a number of different levels. To believe there is “only” a literal sense is to misunderstand the Gospel in the same way Nicodemus did when Jesus told him “…No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nicodemus understood this literally as a re-entering into the womb. Jesus responded, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”(John 3:5) Jesus is speaking metaphorically, and he often employs parables, which have a literal truth, a moral truth, a truth about salvation and the metaphorical interpretation of the story. The Holy Spirit serves to guide the Church in all these interpretations.

There are certainly some parts of the Bible, like the Song of Songs, which were intended to be read metaphorically. To deny there is a metaphorical meaning to the Scriptures is to deny the Church’s long history of interpreting the Bible. One need not have only a literal or only a metaphorical understanding of the Bible. One can, as I do, believe in the truth of the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection and believe in their metaphorical, moral and salvation-giving meanings as well.

Sin and Death

We believe that humanity was created good and in the image of God, but sin entered creation through Adam and Eve and has been the human tendency ever since. Sin is missing the mark, separation from God or distorting the will of God for ourselves and for the creation.

We have no power to overcome sin on our own. Jesus alone, through his death and resurrection, made the atonement for sin we could not make and opened for us the way of eternal life – salvation, which is reconciliation with God. To know eternal life, we must accept God’s offer of salvation, repent of our sins and walk as disciples of Christ.

Diversity of Belief

Since the development of the Anglican tradition during the Reformation, people have interpreted the Church’s position on any number of issues within the broad expanse of orthodox belief. In our day still, there are people who hold beliefs that do not reflect the beliefs of the majority. Anglicans have long believed that the Holy Spirit is present in this diversity and that this diversity is modeled on the holy diversity we find in the whole created order. Our differences make us stronger and more resilient.

The Church

The Holy Spirit forms, guides and empowers the Church, the Body of Christ, to proclaim by word and example the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are called to continue the work Christ has given us to do, to “…restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (Prayer Book, page 855). One of the primary ways we engage in this ministry is to follow our Lord’s “Great Commission,” to “Go…into all the world and make disciples…” The Church baptizes and forms disciples in the Sacraments and worship of God for mission. In the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, our beliefs make us disciples who seek to make disciples in Christ’s name.