Anglican Church has been Defined by its Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

Since the Reformation, the Anglican Church has been defined by its ecclesiastical hierarchy and in this sense, the Anglican Seminary is a centre of theological reflection. In the United States, the main church body is the Anglican Evangelical Association and the main theological seminary is the Evangelical fellowship of Churches. The theological seminaries are located across the US and the work of these seminaries includes preparing students for the ministries of the Anglican Church, as well as the work of the reformed Churches outside of the US.

Because the Reformation marked a split in the eclesiastical structure of the Church, a new center of authority was established by the German Emperor Innocent III. He decreed that all catholic churches in Germany were to be established under his jurisdiction. One of his priests, Johannes Fabricius, was to be the first bishop of the German church in 9th century. This became the precedent for the coming in of the first anglican seminary.

In the US, the Anglican faith and ministry had a major split with the main church body in America, which was headed by the Duke of York. A group of elders, known as the “Druids” were empowered to move against the authority of the ruling bishops in order to establish a free church. When the British made their move towards the Lakes and Eastern States, there were many ex-bishops who were willing to accept the authority of the king in matters of religion and the ordination of clergy. They were the forerunners of the present day bishops. The leaders of the English catholic church under the leadership of John Hus and Henry VIII, divided from the catholic church and founded the Church of Rome. This was the first break in the connection with the Roman Catholic Church.

Anglican Studies School of Theology University of the South

It was under the reign of Edward IV that the first official English catholic church was established in Rome. The first of the Bishops of Rome were Innocent III and Cerimbertius, who were followed by Innocent IV and John VI. Under these kings, there was a dramatic increase in the number of anglican seminaries. The main function of these seminaries was to increase the number of priests.

There are two types of Anglican seminaries: the Roman Catholic seminary offering and the non-Romeo-Roman Catholic seminary offering. Both have similar theological underpinnings, but the differences between them lie in the form of their admissions policy and admission procedures. The Roman Catholic form is highly structured, while the non-Roma form has a much looser admission policy. Each of these seminaries also offers a set of core courses and specializations, along with electives for students outside the four major streams of study offered by the school.

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The main goal of every anglican seminary is to produce trained and ordained clergy. Each year, students are required to take a national examination, called the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TWEL). After taking this exam, students will be admitted to either the Roman Catholic or the non-Roma stream of study. Once accepted into one of these universities, candidates must complete a theology degree, either as an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree, plus fulfill other requirements such as satisfactory grades in subjects like mathematics, history, philosophy, and science.

A large proportion of those entering the seminary choose the non-Roma stream of studies because it is more flexible than the rigid theology the priests had to face in their homeland. For those who choose to go to Zabara University, one of the most popular theological education schools in Zambia, all learners are required to take part in a nine-month vocation course, known as a diocesan vocation, which gives students a clear idea of the religious education they will have to undergo in a Catholic church. A candidate's theological studies in Zambia may range from three years to five years as a priest or pastor, depending on the length of his service in the church. The ordination of a Zambian priest, who becomes a Catholic Church clergyman, is the most prestigious in the world.

There are also religious education institutes in Zambia exclusively for men. Most of these institutes offer diocesan degree courses, while others focus on a broader selection of religious vocations. Diocesan seminaries are similar to the Catholic Church's theology schools. After acceptance, candidates enter the ordination school, where they complete their studies. Candidates who win a place in the ordination school will have to pass a three-year course that covers all the main works of theology. Candidates who fail will be placed in the common college of preaching, where they will complete their degrees.