by .Ælfgifu. » May 21st, 2005, 1:13 pm
Don't worry, pjb0015, I don't think anyone is offended by your comments at all - there's just a bit of confusion about what the term 'Anglo-Catholic' means.
To an Anglican in England, a member (as Lewis was) of the Church of England, 'Anglo-Catholic' churchmanship is a movement nestling comfortably within the Anglican church, sometimes described as 'High Anglican'. It represents the traditionalists who remember that the Anglican church came out of Roman Catholicism and who prefer a more Catholic style of worship - what is sometimes described as 'smells and bells'.
I get the impression that by 'Anglo-Catholic' you are referring to something definitely outside the Anglican church, sort of poised between Anglican and Catholic but not exactly either. The main reason I don't think it likely that Lewis would be in this position is that there isn't really much between the High Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in England. Belonging to a church - to the church - was important to Lewis, and I don't think it would be quite his style to establish his own mid-way denomination, so I imagine he would choose one or the other. I think you're completely right when you say that his opinion on the Roman Catholic church probably wouldn't have changed, so that leaves him (probably) still an Anglican.
non lucem tenebrae, sed lux tenebras superavit