Oxford movement

A revival movement in the Church of England. It began in the early 19th century with a sermon (1833) entitled "National Apostasy" by Oxford University professor Keble, who rebelled against the government's attempt to impose a series of reforms on the incompetent leadership of the Church of England. Keble and his sympathizers published " Tracts for the Times " in which they called for the improvement of the Church's constitution through a deeper understanding of it, and so the movement was also called the "Tract" movement. The claim that the Church of England is a branch of the true Catholic Church through apostolic succession and a spiritual entity free from the interference of secular power was severely criticized not only by the government and newspapers, but also by the low church factions of the Church of England, who tended to neglect the authority and sacraments of the church, and by liberal-leaning broad church factions such as Kingsley. However, this movement played a major role in the self-renewal and revival of faith in the Church of England, by revitalizing the lethargic Church of England at the time, restoring solemnity to worship services, raising the educational and moral standards of the clergy, offering comfort to workers and the poor, and actively promoting overseas missionary work.

[Takashi Yashiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリス国教会における信仰復興運動。19世紀初頭、無能な国教会首脳部にかわって、一連の改革を押し付けようとした政府に反発したオックスフォード大学教授キーブルによる「国家的背教」と題する説教（1833）によって始められた。キーブルとその同調者らが『時局小冊子(トラクト)』Tracts for the Timesを刊行し、教会理解の深化による体質改善を訴えたため、「トラクト」運動ともよばれた。イギリス国教会が使徒継承による真のカトリック教会の枝であり、俗権の干渉を受けない霊的存在であるとするその主張は、政府、新聞だけでなく、教会の権威や聖奠(せいてん)を軽視しがちな国教会内の低教会派や、キングズリーのような自由主義的傾向をもつ広(こう)教会派の人々から厳しく批判された。しかし、無気力な当時の国教会に活気を与え、礼拝に荘厳さを取り戻し、聖職者の教育および道徳の水準を高め、労働者や貧民に慰めの手を伸べ、海外伝道を積極的に推進するなど、この運動が国教会の自己革新と信仰復興のために果たした役割は大きい。

［八代　崇］

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