The Jerusalem Statement: Part 3
Christology, Atonement, and Liturgy
I am continuing my commentary on the Anglican Jerusalem Statement of 2008.
5. Christ’s Unique Lordship and Atonement
We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.
This article affirms Jesus as Lord, Son of God, and Saviour - so a biblical christology is implied. It also articulates a clear view of substitutionary atonement theology: Jesus died the death we deserved, took our judgment upon himself, and in so doing he secured redemption for all who trust him.
The language is robustly exclusivist, i.e. Jesus is “humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell.” This undermines any religious pluralistic claim to the effect that all paths lead to God.
The phrase “lived the life we could not live,” could be problematic if it refers to Jesus’s active obedience that needs to be imputed to us in order to fulfil a covenant of works. But it can be taken in a number of ways, i.e. Jesus was righteous as we are called to live lives of righteousness without implying anything about an accumulation of merit.
The reference to “atoning death and glorious resurrection” holds together the cross and the empty tomb, refusing to separate them, which is good. Salvation involves both Jesus’s death for sin and his resurrection securing new life.
The requirement of “repentance and faith” maintains that while Jesus’s work is objectively accomplished, it must be subjectively appropriated through contrition and turning away from sins. This is evangelical Anglicanism at its clearest—gospel-centered, cross-focused, Jesus as Lord and Saviour, insistent on a personal response of faith and repentance.
Some would criticize this atonement theology as overly forensic, but GAFCON would respond that it’s simply biblical Christianity.
Come study with me at Ridley College for BTh, BMin, Grad Dip, MDiv, MTh, or PhD. We have a vibrant campus life, high-quality online degrees, and one of the best PhD programs in the world in divinity studies. In addition, there is also the FREE Ridley Certificate. Check out Ridley’s podcast and chapel talks too!
6. Sacramental and Liturgical Heritage
We rejoice in our Anglican sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, and we uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to be translated and locally adapted for each culture.
In this article, GAFCON affirms Anglican worship, specifically upholding the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as “true and authoritative standard.” This matters because liturgy shapes theology, i.e. lex orandi, lex credendi (the law of prayer is the law of belief). The BCP embodies Reformation theology in worship, emphasizing Word and sacrament, Scripture readings following the church year, and prayers soaked in biblical language.
By affirming the 1662 BCP as normative, GAFCON roots Anglican identity in a specific liturgical tradition whilst allowing for “translation and local adaptation for each culture.” This attempts to balance Anglican identity with cultural diversity - continuity with change - so that the BCP provides the theological template whilst permitting contextual expression.
Critics note that rigid adherence to 1662 forms can feel archaic or culturally inappropriate in non-Western contexts. GAFCON would respond that the BCP’s theological content, not its precise wording, provides the template for the Anglican way to be suitably indigenized.
The phrase “sacramental and liturgical heritage” signals that Anglicanism isn’t merely cerebral theology but embodied worship. Worship happens through corporate prayer, sacramental celebration, and liturgical rhythm. For GAFCON, authentic Anglican identity requires not just right doctrine but right worship (i.e. orthodoxy!), rooted in the BCP tradition even whilst contextually adapted.