Why Anglicanism Makes Sense for Eliot

“What happens [in the writer] is a continual surrender of himself as he is at the moment to something which is more valuable. The progress of an artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.”

--T.S. Eliot

After our class finished reading “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” we discussed T.S. Eliot’s emphasis on “consciousness of the past” and connected this to his later decision to become an Anglican. We discussed how Eliot’s values relate to the doctrine contained in Cranmer’s Three-Legged Stool as well as the theology behind the Prayers of the People. Since I am also an Anglican, I can speculate further and guess that the distinct worship and the structure of the Anglican Church would appeal to Eliot, as well.

Eliot emphasizes “consciousness of the past,” an attribute vividly present within the Anglican Church’s worship. When I attend my home church, I become awestruck when I realize that I am experiencing a liturgy very similar to the service used by the Church down through the ages. For example, if I turn to the chapter on Medieval Liturgy in my music history textbook, I see the same form used by my parish: the Gloria, the Kyrie, the Creed, the Sanctus, etc. The Creed itself creates in me a "consciousness of the past" since Christians throughout the world have repeated it since the 8th century. I also consider the liturgical calendar and realize that the Church has marked time in the same way since the early middle ages, if not earlier. When I consider the history behind the liturgy, I feel almost overwhelmed by the tradition of a far-reaching movement. For example, on Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday I find myself thinking of the ancients and their commemoration of these solemn days.

I see this same "consciousness of the past" in the celebration of saints. The Anglican Church commemorates certain saints' days, and this enables the Church to remain conscious of those Christians who have traveled before us, forming a kind of standard for us to follow. Does our own devotion resemble theirs in practice and in passion? We continue to in that "tradition" in the development of our own spiritual lives.

At some point in the Anglican service, a priest will lead the congregation in the Confession. I see this action as something that would appeal to Eliot's sensibilities because of his emphasis on "continual surrender . . . to something which is more valuable." In the case of Confession, the congregation submits in to God and the truths of His law as well as the glory of His grace.

Finally, I see the hierarchical structure of the Anglican Church as appealing to Eliot. The Archbishop of Canterbury is at the top of this hierarchy, other archbishops submit to him, the diocesan bishops answer to the other archbishops or to a Presiding Bishop, and rectors submit to their diocesan bishops. This structure and emphasis on authority resemble the same submission and self-sacrifice that Eliot admires, and it makes the individual seem quite small in the context of the larger worldwide Church.

While I still can't agree with all of Eliot's claims, my understanding of the assumptions behind his commitment to the Anglican Church enables me to appreciate our common ground. Now that I understand his appreciation for conformity, perhaps I can appreciate his work.