The Alexandrian Community (formally known as the Ancient Apostolic Church of Alexandria) is committed to honoring past while embracing the present. We seek to respectfully engage creedal theology while dialoging deeply with the esoteric and mystical themes that have been always present in the church, but which have at times been suppressed and ignored. Ours is a vision of contemplation and service. We walk a pilgrim path seeking ever to enjoin fellow spiritual sojourners in the way of wisdom and Transfiguration.
Central to our identity is the notion of a “fourth way,” which stretches beyond the conventional reaches of Rome, Constantinople, and Canterbury. Looking to the ancient city of Alexandria for inspiration, our work is deeply informed by the spirit of Alexandria’s catechetical school which served as a unique hub of learning, convergence, and synthesis for and of the diverse philosophical and theological traditions of the ancient world.
Drawing on the wisdom of the ancient Alexandrian stream of Christianity, our Church’s modern history bounds from the Liberal Catholic tradition, which like the historic Alexandrian school before it, emphasizes a mystical and esoteric expression of Christianity, and a metaphorical approach to scripture – tools and dispositions uniquely suited to the challenges of modernity. We affirm the erudition of the past while also acknowledging its shortcomings (such as the exclusion of women from the priesthood). We seek to breathe new life into our tradition. Our community recognizes the need for active discernment in midwifing the rebirth of the perennial wisdom of the Christian tradition into the 21st century, amidst the “Easter experience” of the global church at present, where secularism and materialism reign as dominant ideologies. We seek to meaningfully converse with these forces, and in the light of their gifts and shadows, to uphold and transmit our faith in relevant and accessible ways.
In the spirit of true catholicity (“universality”), we affirm the workings of the Holy Spirit across time, space, and varied cultural contexts. By engaging contemplative, mystical, and esoteric wisdom, both within and beyond the borders of conventional Christianity, we seek to better understand our own faith and our lives therein, through recognizing, preserving, and promoting the spiritual, moral, and socio-cultural gifts found amongst the world’s wisdom traditions, fostering a rich tapestry of spiritual expression.
We do not dismiss traditional conciliar and creedal theology of Christianity, we simply place particular emphasis (and even primacy) on the teachings of the historical Jesus and a theological lens rooted in the Transfiguration, understanding these as unique guideposts for our journey.
As spiritual pilgrims, we embrace diversity and defend ourselves from blind dogmatism, finding unity in our reverence for the sacred and the sacramental life it informs. We uphold a historic episcopacy, preserve the church’s seven sacraments, and insist upon a continual conversion of life, rooted in authentic discernment and ongoing formation, at all levels (for clergy and laity alike). We empower our clergy to interpret and celebrate the sacraments in ways that resonate authentically with themselves and the communities they serve, embodying the spirit of individual consciousness within our collective pilgrimage.
Above all, our community is dedicated to serving the world in love, following the example of Jesus Christ. We seek to transcend divisive labels and to embrace all people, always aiming to facilitate transformative, life-giving experiences, and encounters with the sacred through deepening spiritual practice."