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What is the Anglican doctrine about Purgatory?

User Idriys
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Final answer:

The Anglican doctrine, shaped by the Elizabethan Settlement, does not endorse the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory. Influenced partly by Calvinist theology, the Church of England's stance reflects a focus on the Protestant sacraments and the dismissal of practices such as indulgences and prayers for souls in purgatory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Anglican Church, following the English Reformation and particularly the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559, parted ways with the Roman Catholic doctrine regarding purgatory. According to Roman Catholic belief, purgatory is a state or place of cleansing or purification for souls who have died in a state of grace but still need to atone for venial sins.

In contrast, the Church of England, under the influence of both traditional Catholicism and Protestant Reformation, moved away from the concept of purgatory. The settlement--which established the structure and theology of the Anglican Church--did not adopt the notion of purgatory.

This is evident in the Book of Common Prayer, which reflects a compromise between Catholic and Calvinist ideas, the latter rejecting concepts such as transubstantiation, the efficacy of indulgences, and the existence of a purgatorial state after death.

Therefore, while priests were still to guide their congregations in faith, the Calvinist influence within the Anglican doctrine meant that practices aimed at reducing time in purgatory, such as obtaining indulgences or praying specifically for the souls trapped there, were not a part of its teachings.

The Anglican doctrine focused instead on the importance of the two Protestant sacraments of baptism and communion and recognized other traditional sacraments without endorsing the existence of purgatory.

User Kyle Shrader
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