Relations between the Churches of the Anglican Communion and the Churches of Eastern Christianity

In this chapter the author discusses the Anglican Communion and the Churches of the Christian East which have had a long and significant relationship both at an official level of international dialogue and at a more local level between clergy, laity, and congregations. This series of relationships has resulted in both practical assistance as well as deep theological and spiritual influence. The twentieth century saw a remarkable rapprochement between Anglicanism and Orthodoxy that left both communions changed, and this chapter outlines these general trends and focuses on two important episodes that show the depth that these relations attained. In spite of more recent developments and distance, the picture that emerges here supports the view that relations between Anglicanism and Byzantine and Oriental Orthodox communities have been formative for the respective traditions.