Published October 1, 2022
I. Defining Establishment
Although the Anglican Communion may be fast losing its distinctiveness amid the universal acids of individualism, globalism, and multiculturalism—not to mention sometimes ill-conceived ecumenical endeavors—its rich theological tradition still has many unique gifts to offer the modern church. Among these is its long defense of the value of public religious establishment, a notion that seems quaint to modern ears, if not downright noxious.
To be sure, Anglican churches are no longer likely to be established churches. The Episcopal Church of the United States was disestablished in the majority-Anglican states almost immediately after its formation in the wake of the Revolutionary War. The Anglican Church in Australia was disestablished in 1836, and in Canada, all provinces had ended their establishments by the time of Canadian independence in 1867. The Church of England still clings to its formal status as an established church, but perhaps for not much longer.
Continue reading this archived article on the Unio cum Christo (Union with Christ) journal website.
Brad Littlejohn was a Fellow in EPPC’s Technology and Human Flourishing and Evangelicals in Civic Life programs from 2022-2025. His wide-ranging research and writing encompasses work on the relation of digital technology and embodiment, the appropriate limits of free speech, the nature of freedom and authority in the Christian tradition, and the retrieval of a Protestant natural law ethic.
