Negotiating unfamiliar Anglo-Catholic eucharistic pieties in the Church of England, using the sacramental theology of Rowan Williams

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reflects upon the potential difficulties for individuals in worshipping contexts who are unable or unwilling to participate in the worshipping body’s normative pieties, owing to their apparent doctrinal basis. In particular, I address the Anglo-Catholic context in the Church of England, and the relationship between the doctrine of transubstantiation and certain eucharistic pieties. I begin by considering the relationship between doctrine and practice, before examining how Rowan Williams’ emphasis of real presence in the eucharistic event might enable a variety of otherwise reluctant worshippers to engage with eucharistic pieties. Throughout, I ground my reflections in practically-oriented pastoral terms, imaginatively profiling three newcomers to an Anglo-Catholic context and practice, each with their own reasons for non-participation in the eucharistic pieties of their congregations.