Why I am Still an Anglican

The Anglican church has been no stranger to controversy over its long history but, arguably, the debates raging at the moment are among the very hottest it has known, so much so that they threaten to split the Anglican Communion. What better time, then, to ask several prominent Anglicans why they are still in the church and what they love about it?

The contributors have been chosen because they represent Anglicanism in all its range and diversity, but also because they remain positive about the church and their place in it. "Despite the widely differing ages, backgrounds and perspectives of the contributors," writes the editor, Caroline Chartres, "some common themes emerge: a dislike of labels ('evangelical'/'liberal'/'charismatic' etc); an enthusiasm for the parish system and Prayer Book Evensong (whether under turning fans in the tropical heat or in Sir Christopher Wren's great masterpiece at the heart of London); an appreciation, rather than resentment, of a Church that is broad enough to contain those of opposing views.

This is a personal, partial and affectionate (though by no means uncritical) glimpse of the Anglican Church, whose diversity should still - most of the time - be a cause for celebration."