What Episcopalians believe centers on the person of Jesus Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture, proclaimed through ancient creeds, and experienced in sacramental worship. Walking a "via media" or middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism, Episcopal theology is guided by the authority of Scripture, the wisdom of church tradition, and human reason.
The three-legged stool: Scripture, tradition, and reason
Unlike denominations that adhere strictly to sola scriptura or those governed by a centralized papal magisterium, the Episcopal Church approaches theological discernment through a famous tripartite model often called "the three-legged stool." First articulated by sixteenth-century Anglican divine Richard Hooker in his monumental treatise Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie, this theological approach balances three complementary sources of divine revelation and human insight:
- Holy Scripture: The foundational leg of the stool. Episcopalians confess that the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God and contain all things necessary for human salvation. Scripture provides the primary narrative of God's redemptive work in Christ.
- Church Tradition: The living transmission of the Christian faith across generations. Tradition encompasses the historic ecumenical creeds, the decisions of early ecumenical church councils, ancient liturgical forms, and centuries of theological reflection. Tradition prevents believers from misinterpreting Scripture in individual isolation.
- Human Reason: The intellectual and moral faculty endowed by God, through which human beings evaluate evidence, ask thoughtful questions, and apply ancient truths to modern ethical challenges. Reason includes insights drawn from science, historical inquiry, and personal experience.
In Episcopal thought, no single leg can stand alone without the other two. Scripture is interpreted through the lens of historic church tradition and evaluated with rational reflection, creating a thoughtful theological posture that prizes inquiry over dogmatic rigidity, as detailed in our overview of Episcopal Church history.
The historic creeds and the Thirty-Nine Articles
The Episcopal Church is a confessional church anchored in the ancient ecumenical creeds of undivided Christendom. In weekly celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, congregations stand to recite the Nicene Creed, composed at the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD). During baptismal liturgies and Morning and Evening Prayer, worshippers recite the Apostles' Creed, the ancient baptismal confession of the Roman church.
These creeds define orthodox Trinitarian faith: belief in God the Father Almighty, the eternal deity, incarnation, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the Lord and Giver of Life. Episcopalians regard the creeds as sufficient statements of essential Christian dogma, allowing considerable liberty on secondary theological questions not addressed by the ecumenical councils.
For historical doctrine, the Episcopal Church preserves the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, drafted in England during the Protestant Reformation and finalized in 1571. Printed in the historical documents section of the Book of Common Prayer, the Articles affirm Protestant doctrines of justification by faith alone, the primacy of Scripture, and the rejection of medieval purgatory and papal jurisdiction. However, while some Anglican communions treat the Articles as binding confessional standards, the modern Episcopal Church views them primarily as historic landmarks illustrating how sixteenth-century Anglicans addressed the theological controversies of their era.
The sacraments: Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist
Sacramental worship is the heartbeat of Episcopal spirituality. The Episcopal Church defines a sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and trustworthy means by which we receive that grace."
The church distinguishes between two primary sacraments ordained directly by Christ in the Gospel—often called the "great sacraments of the Gospel"—and five additional sacramental rites. The two dominical sacraments are:
- Holy Baptism: Administered with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ, signifying forgiveness of sin, new birth in the Holy Spirit, and adoption into God's family. The Episcopal Church practices both infant baptism and believer's baptism, affirming that baptism is unrepeatable.
- Holy Eucharist: Also designated as the Mass, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper. The Eucharist is the principal act of Sunday worship in almost every Episcopal parish. Episcopalians affirm the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine, believing that Christ is truly and spiritually communicated to the faithful, while generally declining to define the precise philosophical mechanics such as Roman Catholic transubstantiation, as examined in our study of Catholic vs. Episcopal similarities and differences.
A hallmark of modern Episcopal practice is open communion. All baptized Christians of any denomination—regardless of age, tradition, or church background—are warmly invited to receive the consecrated bread and wine at the altar rail.
The five sacramental rites of the Church
In addition to the two great sacraments of the Gospel, the Episcopal Church recognizes five distinct sacramental rites that developed in the historic life of the Church. While not commanded by Christ in the same manner as Baptism and the Eucharist, these rites are means of divine grace for specific seasons of life:
- Confirmation: The mature, public affirmation of baptismal vows accompanied by the laying on of hands by a bishop.
- Ordination: The conferral of holy orders upon qualified candidates called to the historic threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons through prayer and the laying on of hands by bishops.
- Holy Matrimony: The Christian union of two persons who enter into a lifelong covenant of mutual fidelity, love, and support before God and the church community.
- Reconciliation of a Penitent: The private confession of sins to an ordained priest, who offers pastoral counsel and declares Christ's authoritative absolution. Episcopal practice regarding private confession is summarized by the historic maxim: "All may, some should, none must."
- Unction of the Sick: The anointing of a sick or dying person with consecrated olive oil accompanied by prayers for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
The "via media": A bridge between Catholic and Protestant
The organizing genius of Anglican beliefs is the concept of the via media—a Latin phrase meaning "the middle way." Coined during the English Reformation and championed by nineteenth-century Oxford Movement theologians, the via media positions Anglicanism not as a lukewarm compromise, but as a comprehensive synthesis that embraces the best insights of both Western traditions.
From the Catholic tradition, the Episcopal Church retains:
- Historic episcopal governance and apostolic succession linking modern bishops back to the original apostles.
- The threefold ordained ministry of bishops, priests (presbyters), and deacons.
- Liturgical worship organized around the historic Christian calendar (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost).
- A rich sacramental life and reverence for ancient church history, creeds, and saints.
From the Protestant Reformation, the Episcopal Church maintains:
- The supreme authority of Holy Scripture as the rule and standard of faith.
- Salvation by divine grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, without human merit.
- Worship conducted entirely in the vernacular language of the people.
- Democratic church governance granting laypeople equal legislative voting authority alongside clergy and bishops.
- The right of clergy to marry and raise families.
This balanced synthesis allows Episcopalians to maintain organic fellowship within the worldwide Anglican Communion, while engaging in continuous dialogue with conservative bodies such as the Anglican Church in North America.
Diversity of practice: High church, low church, and broad church
Because the Episcopal Church values comprehension and liturgical unity rather than uniform theological regimentation, individual parishes exhibit a wide spectrum of liturgical and theological flavors, summarized by three historic categories:
High Church (Anglo-Catholic): Anglo-Catholic parishes emphasize the Catholic heritage of the church. Sunday services are formally celebrated as High Mass, featuring elaborate liturgical vestments, altar bells, incense, chanting, Eucharistic adoration, and prominent statues of the saints and the Virgin Mary. Clergy are universally addressed as "Father."
Low Church (Evangelical): Low Church parishes emphasize the Protestant and evangelical heritage of the Reformation. Worship is simpler and less formal, focusing heavily on expository sermon preaching, biblical study, personal evangelism, and contemporary musical praise alongside traditional hymns. Clergy often wear simple choir vestments (surplice and stole) rather than elaborate chasubles.
Broad Church (Liberal / Progressive): Broad Church parishes, which represent the predominant modern mainstream of the denomination, prioritize theological inquiry, ecumenical engagement, and social justice. These parishes focus on translating ancient Christian ethics into contemporary action, including racial reconciliation, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and full inclusion for LGBTQ Christians. The geographical patterns of these diverse parishes are detailed in our national overview of Episcopal and Anglican churches by state.
What to expect when visiting an Episcopal church
Attending an Episcopal service for the first time is a participatory, sensory experience. Congregations worship using the red Book of Common Prayer alongside blue hymnals found in pew racks, or follow printed service bulletins that outline the entire liturgy.
Worship follows a rhythmic pattern of standing to sing praise, sitting to listen to scripture lessons and the sermon, and kneeling or standing to pray. The central climax of the gathering is the celebration of Holy Communion at the altar rail. To find an active parish in your community, consult our national directory of Episcopal and Anglican churches, and read our comprehensive guide to visiting an Episcopal church before your visit.