Forty-two Articles

formulary of faith by Cranmer

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June 26, 2026

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The Forty-two Articles were a formulary of faith created by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1553 for the Church of England. These articles aimed to prevent disagreements on religious opinions. They were influenced by earlier documents, including the Thirteen Articles of 1538 and the Augsburg Confession of the Lutheran church.

The Forty-two Articles were later revised and became the Thirty-nine Articles in 1571, which remain the doctrinal statement of the Church of England today. These articles address both common beliefs shared with Roman Catholics and Protestants, as well as points of contention, often with carefully worded ambiguity to foster inclusivity within the church.1

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Thirty-nine Articles
…Thirty-nine Articles developed from the Forty-two Articles, written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1553 “for the avoiding of controversy in opinions.” These had been partly derived from the Thirteen Articles of 1538, designed as the basis of an agreement between Henry VIII and the German Lutheran princes, which had been…
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…Thirty-nine Articles developed from the Forty-two Articles, written by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1553 “for the avoiding of controversy in opinions.” These had been partly derived from the Thirteen Articles of 1538, designed as the basis of an agreement between Henry VIII and the German Lutheran princes, which had been…
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Thomas Cranmer
Achievements under Edward VI
…those years also produced Cranmer’s Forty-two Articles (1553), a set of doctrinal formulas defining the dogmatic position of the Church of England on current religious controversies. All clergy, schoolmasters, and degree candidates in the universities were compelled to subscribe to the articles, which were later reduced to 39 and officially…
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…those years also produced Cranmer’s Forty-two Articles (1553), a set of doctrinal formulas defining the dogmatic position of the Church of England on current religious controversies. All clergy, schoolmasters, and degree candidates in the universities were compelled to subscribe to the articles, which were later reduced to 39 and officially…
Read More