The Church of England's defining doctrinal articles, finalized in 1571 and printed in the Book of Common Prayer.
Tagged: Creeds and Confessions Reformation Anglican
Historical Context
The Thirty-Nine Articles grew out of the English Reformation, reaching their final form under Archbishop Matthew Parker in 1571, when clergy were required to subscribe to them. They state Anglican teaching on the Trinity, Scripture, justification, the sacraments, and the church, steering a course the Church of England understood as reformed and catholic. They are a confessional standard of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, not an ecumenical creed of the whole Church.
Use and Practice
The Articles are printed in the Book of Common Prayer, studied in theological training, and affirmed in varying degrees by Anglican clergy at ordination according to each province's canons. They are not recited congregationally.
References
- The Book of Common Prayer Free / open access
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Anglican Collects (Book of Common Prayer) — The short, structured prayers of the Book of Common Prayer appointed for each Sunday and feast, exemplified by the Collect for Purity.
- Apostles' Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Nicene Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
Related Across the Site
- Anglican Communion Office Document Library Library — More than 1,500 communiqués, resolutions, and papers documenting the life and work of the Anglican Communion since 1867.
- Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts Library — An extensive collection of Reformation and post-Reformation texts, including Reformed, Anglican, and Presbyterian works, by subscription or perpetual access.
- Project Canterbury Library — A free archive of out-of-print Anglican works and related modern documents, transcribed and hosted by the Society of Archbishop Justus.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- London Baptist Confession Prayer or Creed — The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.