high church
Elevated place worship
High church refers to a style of Christian worship, especially within Anglicanism, that emphasizes ritual, ceremony, and traditional liturgical practices—elaborate vestments, incense, chanted prayers, and formal sacraments.
The approach values continuity with Catholic tradition while remaining Protestant.
The high church service featured processional hymns and a robed choir.
Often contrasted with low church or evangelical styles. (Capitalized High Church names the movement formally.)
Sacramental bread and wine
- vestmentsCeremonial religious attire
- incenseAnger greatly, or aromatic resin
- altarSacred ritual table
- candlesWax lights with wicks
procession · matins · vespers · compline · lectionary · psalter · litany · Holy Communion
Ceremonial set of actions
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- processionFormal moving line
- choirOrganized group of singers
organ · bells · acolyte · stained glass · hymns · psalms · genuflection · kneeling
Eucharist
Sacramental bread and wine
candles · procession · matins · vespers · compline · lectionary · psalter · litany · Holy Communion
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- solemnitySerious, dignified quality
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- processionFormal moving line
choir · organ · bells · acolyte · stained glass · hymns · psalms · genuflection · kneeling · bowing
cathedral
Bishop's principal church
sacrament · confirmation · Episcopal · Book of Common Prayer · bishop · diocese · rector · vicar
- ProtestantismLutheran, Protestantism, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian
- British ReligionAnglican, Archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, vicar
- English ChurchEnglish Reformation, Archbishop of Canterbury, Book of Common Prayer, Thomas Cranmer, Act of Supremacy
- Anglican ChurchAnglicanism, bishop, Archbishop of Canterbury, parish, diocese
- Anglican historyArchbishop of Canterbury, English Reformation, Book of Common Prayer, Henry VIII, Thomas Cranmer
- AnglicanismBook of Common Prayer, archbishops, Archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury, Anglicans
high churchevangelical
Zealously advocating beliefs
charismatic · free church · nonconformist · Puritan · nonliturgical
high churchPuritan
English Protestant simplifier
broad church · Calvinist · Protestant · nonconformist · dissenter
church, hierarchy, hierarchical, hierarchies, hierarchically, hierarchic