Sacramental Theology

According to the Catechism, “A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. God gives us the sign as a means by which we receive that grace, and as a tangible assurance that we do in fact receive it.” Such signs, therefore, are not “empty.” God uses them to accomplish his work. In the words of the Articles of Religion, the sacraments are “sure witnesses” in which we can have utter confidence, because their effectiveness rests upon Christ’s faithfulness and promise.

Anglicans, along with other traditions following the Reformation, place a particular emphasis on two sacraments, sometimes called “sacraments of the Gospel,” which were ordained by Christ himself: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist). As the Catechism explains, these sacraments are “generally necessary for salvation.” The Catechism also identifies five “other rites and institutions commonly called sacraments," which "include confirmation, ordination, marriage, absolution, and the anointing of the sick. These are sometimes called ‘sacraments of the Church.’” They are different from the “sacraments of the Gospel”; they “were not ordained by Christ as necessary to salvation, but arose from the practices of the apostles and the early Church, or were blessed by God in Scripture.” Nevertheless, as the Prayer Book expresses and the Catechism states, “God clearly uses them as means of grace.”

The logic of sacramental theology is grounded in the divine acts of creation and incarnation. From the beginning, created things have reflected God’s nature, expressed his love, and become means of his self-revelation to his people. This pattern reaches its fullness in the incarnation, when created human nature is joined to God’s own nature in the person of Jesus Christ. In him, God is perfectly made known as a creature: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1). In him, as the Exsultet proclaims at the Great Vigil of Easter, “earth and heaven are joined, and Man is reconciled to God.” In him, risen and ascended, the physical creation of our embodied humanity is taken to the very right hand of the Father. In him, creation becomes what it was always meant to be: God’s dwelling place, saturated with his glory. This twofold pattern, the revelation of God through creation and the drawing up of creation into God, is the foundation for all sacraments, and for all sacramental theology.

Candidates must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of what both the Articles of Religion and the Catechism teach about the Sacraments. They should also be prepared to explain the theology implicit in the various sacramental liturgies of the Prayer Book. Finally, they ought to understand what the sacramental worldview is and why it matters to Anglicans.

Recommended Reading

For the Life of the World, Alexander Schmemann

Doctrine

a. Creeds - Apostles, Nicene & Athanasian b. Trinity: Christology c. Salvation d. Sin, Suffering & Reconciliation e. Sacramental Theology f. Anglican Theological Method g. Office of Instruction/Catechism h. Heresies i. 39 Articles j. BCP 1662 as standard k. Theology of Mission

Liturgics

a. History of Christian Worship b. Content and use of The Book of Common Prayer c. Daily Office d. Corporate and Private Prayer e. Sacramental Theology f. The Holy Eucharist g. Christian Initiation: Baptism and Confirmation h. Marriage and Children i. Rites of Healing j. Death and Burial k. Sanctification of Time l. Sanctification of Space m. Liturgy and Music n. Liturgy and Mission

Practical Theology

a. Office & work of the Episcopate, Presbyterate and Diaconate b. Conduct of Worship c. Principles of sermon composition & delivery d. Principles & methods of Christian education in the parish e. Constitutions and Canons of ACNA & Local Diocese f. Use of voice in reading & speaking in worship g. Healing Prayer h. Sacramental Theology i. Theology of Marriage j. Baptismal Theology k. Leadership Development l. Strategic Planning