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Episcopalianism / Anglicanism
It seems probable that "the church" was introduced into the Roman province of Britain by the beginning of the third century, sometime between the years 208 and 240. No one knows how it came to Britain, perhaps across the sea with soldiers. It more probably came with the rich who built homes and bathed in the medicinal waters of Bath (Wakeman, 1). It was a very poor and insignificant church, but it was an organized branch of the Catholic Church, with Bishops at London and York (Wakeman, 2).
As heathens entered the country from central and eastern Europe, they overtook Roman fortresses like Canterbury which controlled all the land, driving away the Celtic inhabitants and imposing their own Civilization upon those that remained. At the end of century, the King of Kent married the daughter of the King of Paris. She was a Christian and was granted permission to bring a Bishop, her chaplain, to Kent. They encouraged the King to allow Christian missionaries to come to Kent (Wakeman, 2-9). In the year 585, Gregory, a missionary, saw some white skinned, blue-eyed, blonde haired slaves for sale in Italy. He then sought permission to leave Rome and devote himself to missionary work among the heathen English. He was not allowed to leave until years later when he became pope. He then chose his friend, Augustine, a monk, to be the one to go to England. Augustine and his group met the King of Kent and were allowed to make converts. Eventually, the King even allowed himself to be baptized, and Kent became an independent branch of the Catholic Church (Stendahll 332-335). After Augustine's death, evil times came upon the church. The King died and his son relapsed for a time into heathenism. But, the missionary effort was eventually successful and the papacy was at the full height of influence by the end of the thirteenth century when the country was divided into dioceses, and at the head of each diocese was a bishop as the source of power and jurisdiction. Under the bishops were priests who were responsible for the spiritual care of all baptized persons in their parishes. The bishops surrounded themselves with many assistants to carry out their many tasks. These assistants lived upon the fees that they received
for doing their duties, and were constantly subject to the temptation to make business in order to increase their incomes. The bishops became known to his diocese as a person for whose benefit rents were raised and dues extracted. They became lax in their duties. At the same time, many of the priests were very poor, and when they saw both the King and the bishops taking fees for everything they did, it became a great temptation for these priests, who began selling the sacraments (Wakeman, 157-162). The papacy refused to give any guidance, and left to itself, the church drifted aimlessly. This all left a mistrust of Rome in the hearts of Englishmen.
A major event in church history occurred at this point. Henry VII came to the throne. He was master of all England except the church. When he died, his son, Henry VIII, took the throne. He was concerned with winning England a position of equality among the nations of Europe. The occasion of the break between England and Rome came when Henry VIII wished to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Pope Clement VII would not grant it: Catherine was the aunt of the master of Italy, and Clement would lose his political arabitions and his liberty (Wakeman, 205-206). The king felt he had been dishonored, and did not wish to be held under the dictatorship of the emperor of Italy.
When Henry's struggle with Rome was ended, he found himself master of all England. He set about destroying all the religious houses in England. Henry knew that he had the support of a large majority of the English people. There were few in England who believed that the pope was a necessary part of the Catholic faith. There were many that knew him mainly as a cause of abuse and injustice. Henry saw that he could carry his plan through. He had made some changes in his religion, but every step was guarded by the royal authority and carefully explained by the royal wisdom, and was in its nature tentative and unofficial (Wakeman, 233-234). There were three major principles throughout Henry's policy. The first was common to all branches of Henry's government: the determination to keep the direction of affairs, even of religious belief and practice just as much as of political belief and practice, in absolute obedience to his own will (Wakeman, 262). He dictated to his subjects the beliefs they were to hold and the practices they were to observe. Secondly, he wanted all church services observed in the English language rather than Latin. Thirdly, he attempted to lay down a clear principle of reform in matters of both faith and observance.
When Henry VIII died, his nine-year old son, Edward came to the throne. Being so young, however, his uncle, Edward Seymour, was protector from 1547-1549. It was in 1549 that the Act of Uniformity was passed. This was a new beginning for Anglican Church history. The Act provided that all ministers used the new Book of Common Prayer and no other. This Book was a revision of the Latin Service books previously used, and spelled out the administration of the sacraments in English. John Dudley, who encouraged radical religious policies, replaced Seymour.
In 1553, a major milestone occurred in the church. The Forty-Two Articles of Religion were issued, and they revealed a large influence from the Reformed tradition. The Articles altered the form and spirit of the entire English Church. Even though early Lutheran influences were apparent, Luther's spirit was visible in the conservatism and theological emphasis in law and gospel (Ahlstrom, 87). Edward died three weeks after signing the Article, and was replaced by the Catholic, Mary Tudor, his half sister. She persuaded parliament to repeal nearly all of the church legislation of the previous two regimes (Ahlstrom, 87-88). Popular displeasure mounted, and when Queen Mary died, the people rejoiced (Wakeman, 306). Elizabeth was next in line for the throne, and the English Protestants wanted to see how she would rule. Elizabeth had been born with the magnetic power of leadership. Under her rule, as the years passed, wealth increased, prosperity returned the national spirit revived, and Elizabeth stood forth among the people as the incarnation of national greatness. The position of the Church of England in its reliance upon the scripture, its claim to special national rights of self-government, its denial of the modern doctrine of the papacy, and the definitions of its relationship to the pope and to the crown had all been dealt with. The Forty-Two Articles and the Book of Common Prayer remained the standard of doctrine and worship. The Church of England was again firmly established during the reign of Elizabeth.
During Elizabeth's reign, English exiles returned from Geneva with ideas of reform from Luther and Calvin. Men trained under the influence of Calvin believed in the utter corruption of human nature, derived the beginning of Christian life from the special "election" or choosing of some by God instead of from the grace offered to all in baptism, spoke against the doctrine of the "Real Presence" of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, denied that salvation was offered to all mankind through the sacrifice of the Cross, substituted the congregation of the elect for the visible church of Christ, and were prepared to hand over the vast majority of the human race to everlasting damnation, without any fault of their own, but by the terrible doctrine of reprobation (Wakeman, 331)
As the older clergy ordained in the time of Henry VIII died out, their places were filled by men who had lost the traditions of the Catholic Church, were ignorant of its theology, and did not understand the principles of its worship. Puritans, who wished for a purer form of religion, came forward. Gradually, as time went on, divisions began to show themselves among the Puritans. Part of them wished to stay within the discipline of the Church of England, but some were prepared to suffer all the penalties of the law rather than make a compromise with their consciences. But none ever thought of leaving the church and to be a sect within the nation was not what either Puritan or Anglican wished to be.
The problem of religious division presented itself for the first time (Wakeman, 334). So began the long war between the Church of England and Puritanism. On the side of the Church were the traditions of historical Christianity, the framework of Catholic order and discipline, a prayer book of Catholic doctrine and ceremony, and the strong support of the crown and government. On the side of Puritanism was the definite, logical and concentrated Calvinistic system of doctrine on which it rested, the uncompromising and hard character which Calvinism tended to produce, and the strong love of personal and national liberty which quickly associated itself with Parliamentary opposition to misgovernment and turned the merabers of a sect into the champions of the nation (Oakeman, 334). Frustrated with this long religious war, many Puritans sailed for the New World, and settled in New England. The Puritans who left were seeking to purify their religion, and separate from anything perceived as Roman. This "new" Anglicanism wanted to continue with England's Catholic past and retain traditional forms of ministry and the diocesan government. They wanted to retain the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Along with these wishes, however, were a few changes. Congregationalism became prominent. People from many other countries sailed to America, and many new denominations sprang up along the East Coast. According to Tawney, Puritanism "was the true English Reformation, and it is from its struggle against the old order than an England which is unmistakably modern emerges (Ahlstrom 97). Tawney also believed that "the growth, triumph and transformation of the Puritan spirit was the most fundamental movement of the seventeenth century" (Ahlstrom 97). The Anglican Church grew over the next 150 years, and after the Revolutionary War, the Protestant Episcopal Church was formed in Connecticut. This name was chosen to designate the church as non-Roman (Ahlstrom, 225).
"Episcopal," from the Greek word for "Bishop," refers to the hierarchical structure of the church. Theologically, the Protestant Episcopal Church is the United States branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. That means the body of doctrine is nearly identical with that of Roman Catholicism. Episcopal services are called masses, clergymen and clergywomen are called priests, the doctrine holRAB that bread and wine are changed into Christ's body and blood and that Catholic sacraments - baptism, confirmation, matrimony and penance - have real, not syrabolic power to bestow divine grace. But Anglicanism also means that the church has received influences from English character and history, a sense of moderation and rationality, love of literate sermons, suspicious of fanatics, and a suspicion of absolute power in the hanRAB of Bishops. Present day Episcopalians have become more liberal than Catholics, more relaxed even than most other Protestant sects on issues such as divorce, women priests, birth control and independence of the local parish (Konolige, 32).
Episcopalian spirituality distinguishes itself from the rigors of Calvinism and certain models of Roman Catholic spirituality. Consider the Book of Common Prayer and the practice of spirituality amongst Anglicans, and you will find traces of the importance of the laity, hospitality, and concern for others. Calvinism tenRAB to reject the world and the natural order. Roman Catholicism tenRAB to spiritualize the world and its order. Anglicanism has a readiness to see the world as sacrament and to claim the potential within heaven and earth for glory waiting to be revealed. The Book of Common Prayer includes three services for the ordination of the threefold ministry of deacons, priests and bishops. It emphasizes a strong place for both the Eucharist and the daily offices of the church with the implication that the latter are not just for clergymen, but should be the daily diet of prayer, psalm and Bible-reading open to all people of God. This is a strong, biblically based book for worship, with extensive parts of scriptures printed out in full (Marshall, 113-114).
The three main points in the method of Anglican theology are preaching, Bible study and daily offices. Scriptural, evangelistic preaching is a central responsibility and a challenge to all ministers of the word and sacraments. The Book of Common Prayer is quite explicit in the provision that it makes for a systematic daily Bible reading. The psalms have become an important part of the Anglican day. The Book of Common Prayer is quite explicit: all priests and deacons are to say daily the morning and evening prayers, either privately or openly (Marshall, 115).
Episcopalianism remains a dominant force of upper middle class life in America. Although merabership nurabers have begun to slide, about three percent of the population remains Episcopalian. As a group, Episcopalians are the wealthiest, most eastern, best educated and most highly placed professionally of any Christian denomination in the United States (Konolige, 27). The church is heavily white, and socially conservative, mostly Republican, with only one of five merabers under 30 years old. In every major city there is at least one parish, with the country's two largest parishes in the south-Atlanta and Dallas. The south is also the fastest growing area of the church (Konolige, 373). The Episcopal Church has merabers who can trace their roots back to the days of Puritanism. The common thread amongst Episcopalians is the well disguised but Irresistible assurance in self and background that is the most common part of an Episcopalian upbringing (Konolige, 386). This pride of class has been one of the major and probably one of the best factors in American life for more than a century. It was the cause of great opportunity in the United States, the foundation of public service, of a massive tradition of private support of irreplaceable public institutions, the root of much that was best in political thought and practice. To a large degree it helped to produce America (Konolige, 386).
Founded: 1783, as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States
Merabership: 2.4 million baptized merabers
Organization: 100 domestic dioceses, 13 dioceses in Latin America, Caribbean islanRAB, Europe
Clergy: bishops - 310, priests - 14,000, deacons - 1,700
Government: General Convention, bicameral legislature with House of Bishops and House of Deputies, meeting every three years
Budget: $40.5 million (1997)
Headquarters: Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017 (800) 334-7626
I chose to visit Saint James parish, the oldest Episcopal church in Chicago and one of the oldest in Illinois because of its downtown location and close proximity to work. I spoke with Leanne Unruh and Mary Wassilak who have been parishoners for 11 years. Saint James became the Cathedral of the Diocese of Chicago in 1955. St. James Cathedral, founded in 1834, was the first Episcopal Church in northern Illinois and was designated the diocesan cathedral in 1955, succeeding the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul which was destroyed by fire in 1921.The Diocese of Chicago is one of 100 domestic dioceses of the Episcopal Church which is headquartered in New York. The Episcopal church is one of 38 self-governing churches in the world-wide Anglican Communion. The churches are linked by their proclamation of the catholic and apostolic faith; their grounding in scripture, tradition and reason; their common liturgical tradition derived from The Book of Common Prayer; their recognition of the Eucharist as the central act of worship; and through their historic ties to the Arcrabroadishop of Canterbury, primate of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the 70-million meraber communion. The present Arcrabroadishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. George L. Carey, was appointed arcrabroadishop by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
Spiritual oversight of the diocese is vested in its bishop, the Rt. Rev. William D. Persell, who was elected the 11th bishop of Chicago Nov. 14, 1998.
The bishop serves as presiding officer of the administrative bodies of the diocese, including the Diocesan Council (budget and program), Bishop and Trustees (property management and gifts and endowments) and Diocesan Convention (legislation); and as the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese. With no set term, the bishop serves until he reaches mandatory retirement age of 72, or steps down for personal or canonical reasons. The bishop is assisted by a 19-meraber staff organized in four departments: Office of the Bishop; Finance and Administration; Congregational Development; and Communication, Deployment and Ministry Development. Day-to-day program direction is exercised by Treasurer Lesslie Keller, director of finance and administration, the Rev. Linda Green, director of deployment and ministry development; and the Rev. Canon Tim Hall, congregational development officer. The Diocese of Chicago welcomes a diversity of cultural, liturgical and theological expression as exemplified in its worship settings which range from evangelical to traditional Anglo-Catholic; in its ethnic diversity (ten Hispanic congregations, ten African American congregations and a joint Anglo-Korean congregation) and in its affiliated organizations which include Cursillo (faith renewal), Episcopal Church Women (service), the Society of St. Mary (Marian devotional), the Brotherhood of St. Andrew (service), the Union of Black Episcopalians, Episcopalians United for Renewal and Reform, and Integrity (gay/lesbian caucus).
The diocese's commitment to social witness and community service is expressed through the work of 13 Episcopal Charities and Community Service agencies; various committees including the Hunger Commission, AIRAB Task Force, Committee on Affordable Housing; the Committee on Ending Racism, and the Commission on Aging; and participation in community organizing efforts.
Coming to America to have a freedom of choice was how the Anglican Church in the United States began. It is democratic in its organization structure and its General Convention is believed to be the largest bicameral legislative body in the world. It meets every three years to approve the church’s program and budget; address resolutions and legislation affecting the church’s faith, and its position on issues before the church and wider society. St. James Cathedral is a site for a variety of religious and community activities acknowledging the Cathedral's role in the life of the city and its mission to the residents of a modern urban environment. Several hundred people gather each Wednesday noon in warm weather for Summerfest performances on the Plaza stage. St. James is committed to its community as evidenced by its countless activities available.
Episcopalians sit, kneel, stand, sing, pray aloud, pray silently. Some bow and make the sign of the cross; others don't. They balance the Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal and a service bulletin. The worship service was a bit confusing at first due to the unfamiliarity.
The Prayer Book guides you in what comes next, what to do, and what to say or sing. These guides were printed in italics. The emphasis on the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed reminded me of my young Lutheran upbringing. I could see the similarities in the two services. Standing to sing hymns was also a wonderful change from my current Catholic church practice of sitting during hymns, I always loved to stand to sing.
The main form of worship in the Episcopal Church is the Holy Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Mass. What I found interesting is that if you have been baptized in any Christian tradition with water in the name of the Trinity (no matter your age), then you are invited and encourage you to join at the Altar rail for communion. This is so different from the Catholic rules of who can take part in communion. The service was a change from the Catholic service which I usually attend. It was more relaxed although I was a newcomer I felt comfortable and welcomed. It was an enlightening experience where I felt accepted, challenged with trying to follow the service, and encouraged that although the religions may vary a bit the peace of God is at every service and every church no matter what denomination.
Bibliography
Ahlstron, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People. New Haven: Yale UP, 1972.
Konolige, Kit, and Frederica Konolige. The Power of Their Glory. New York: Wyden Books, 1978.
Marshall, Michael E. The Anglican Church Today and Tomorrow. Wilton: Morehouse-Barlow Co., Inc., 1984.
Stendahl, Krister, et al. "Mainstreams of Christian Faith." Great Religions of the World. National Geographic Society, 1971.
Wakeman, Henry 0. An Introduction o the History of the Church of England. New York: AMS Press, Inc., 1972.
http://anglicansonline.org/ Anglicans Online
http://www.mit.edu/~tb/anglican/ The Unofficial home page for the Episcopal Church
http://www.dfms.org/ The Official Episcopal Church Site
http://www.episcopalian.org/ Episcopalian Org
http://www.ep-online.com/ Episcopal Presence online
It seems probable that "the church" was introduced into the Roman province of Britain by the beginning of the third century, sometime between the years 208 and 240. No one knows how it came to Britain, perhaps across the sea with soldiers. It more probably came with the rich who built homes and bathed in the medicinal waters of Bath (Wakeman, 1). It was a very poor and insignificant church, but it was an organized branch of the Catholic Church, with Bishops at London and York (Wakeman, 2).
As heathens entered the country from central and eastern Europe, they overtook Roman fortresses like Canterbury which controlled all the land, driving away the Celtic inhabitants and imposing their own Civilization upon those that remained. At the end of century, the King of Kent married the daughter of the King of Paris. She was a Christian and was granted permission to bring a Bishop, her chaplain, to Kent. They encouraged the King to allow Christian missionaries to come to Kent (Wakeman, 2-9). In the year 585, Gregory, a missionary, saw some white skinned, blue-eyed, blonde haired slaves for sale in Italy. He then sought permission to leave Rome and devote himself to missionary work among the heathen English. He was not allowed to leave until years later when he became pope. He then chose his friend, Augustine, a monk, to be the one to go to England. Augustine and his group met the King of Kent and were allowed to make converts. Eventually, the King even allowed himself to be baptized, and Kent became an independent branch of the Catholic Church (Stendahll 332-335). After Augustine's death, evil times came upon the church. The King died and his son relapsed for a time into heathenism. But, the missionary effort was eventually successful and the papacy was at the full height of influence by the end of the thirteenth century when the country was divided into dioceses, and at the head of each diocese was a bishop as the source of power and jurisdiction. Under the bishops were priests who were responsible for the spiritual care of all baptized persons in their parishes. The bishops surrounded themselves with many assistants to carry out their many tasks. These assistants lived upon the fees that they received
for doing their duties, and were constantly subject to the temptation to make business in order to increase their incomes. The bishops became known to his diocese as a person for whose benefit rents were raised and dues extracted. They became lax in their duties. At the same time, many of the priests were very poor, and when they saw both the King and the bishops taking fees for everything they did, it became a great temptation for these priests, who began selling the sacraments (Wakeman, 157-162). The papacy refused to give any guidance, and left to itself, the church drifted aimlessly. This all left a mistrust of Rome in the hearts of Englishmen.
A major event in church history occurred at this point. Henry VII came to the throne. He was master of all England except the church. When he died, his son, Henry VIII, took the throne. He was concerned with winning England a position of equality among the nations of Europe. The occasion of the break between England and Rome came when Henry VIII wished to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Pope Clement VII would not grant it: Catherine was the aunt of the master of Italy, and Clement would lose his political arabitions and his liberty (Wakeman, 205-206). The king felt he had been dishonored, and did not wish to be held under the dictatorship of the emperor of Italy.
When Henry's struggle with Rome was ended, he found himself master of all England. He set about destroying all the religious houses in England. Henry knew that he had the support of a large majority of the English people. There were few in England who believed that the pope was a necessary part of the Catholic faith. There were many that knew him mainly as a cause of abuse and injustice. Henry saw that he could carry his plan through. He had made some changes in his religion, but every step was guarded by the royal authority and carefully explained by the royal wisdom, and was in its nature tentative and unofficial (Wakeman, 233-234). There were three major principles throughout Henry's policy. The first was common to all branches of Henry's government: the determination to keep the direction of affairs, even of religious belief and practice just as much as of political belief and practice, in absolute obedience to his own will (Wakeman, 262). He dictated to his subjects the beliefs they were to hold and the practices they were to observe. Secondly, he wanted all church services observed in the English language rather than Latin. Thirdly, he attempted to lay down a clear principle of reform in matters of both faith and observance.
When Henry VIII died, his nine-year old son, Edward came to the throne. Being so young, however, his uncle, Edward Seymour, was protector from 1547-1549. It was in 1549 that the Act of Uniformity was passed. This was a new beginning for Anglican Church history. The Act provided that all ministers used the new Book of Common Prayer and no other. This Book was a revision of the Latin Service books previously used, and spelled out the administration of the sacraments in English. John Dudley, who encouraged radical religious policies, replaced Seymour.
In 1553, a major milestone occurred in the church. The Forty-Two Articles of Religion were issued, and they revealed a large influence from the Reformed tradition. The Articles altered the form and spirit of the entire English Church. Even though early Lutheran influences were apparent, Luther's spirit was visible in the conservatism and theological emphasis in law and gospel (Ahlstrom, 87). Edward died three weeks after signing the Article, and was replaced by the Catholic, Mary Tudor, his half sister. She persuaded parliament to repeal nearly all of the church legislation of the previous two regimes (Ahlstrom, 87-88). Popular displeasure mounted, and when Queen Mary died, the people rejoiced (Wakeman, 306). Elizabeth was next in line for the throne, and the English Protestants wanted to see how she would rule. Elizabeth had been born with the magnetic power of leadership. Under her rule, as the years passed, wealth increased, prosperity returned the national spirit revived, and Elizabeth stood forth among the people as the incarnation of national greatness. The position of the Church of England in its reliance upon the scripture, its claim to special national rights of self-government, its denial of the modern doctrine of the papacy, and the definitions of its relationship to the pope and to the crown had all been dealt with. The Forty-Two Articles and the Book of Common Prayer remained the standard of doctrine and worship. The Church of England was again firmly established during the reign of Elizabeth.
During Elizabeth's reign, English exiles returned from Geneva with ideas of reform from Luther and Calvin. Men trained under the influence of Calvin believed in the utter corruption of human nature, derived the beginning of Christian life from the special "election" or choosing of some by God instead of from the grace offered to all in baptism, spoke against the doctrine of the "Real Presence" of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, denied that salvation was offered to all mankind through the sacrifice of the Cross, substituted the congregation of the elect for the visible church of Christ, and were prepared to hand over the vast majority of the human race to everlasting damnation, without any fault of their own, but by the terrible doctrine of reprobation (Wakeman, 331)
As the older clergy ordained in the time of Henry VIII died out, their places were filled by men who had lost the traditions of the Catholic Church, were ignorant of its theology, and did not understand the principles of its worship. Puritans, who wished for a purer form of religion, came forward. Gradually, as time went on, divisions began to show themselves among the Puritans. Part of them wished to stay within the discipline of the Church of England, but some were prepared to suffer all the penalties of the law rather than make a compromise with their consciences. But none ever thought of leaving the church and to be a sect within the nation was not what either Puritan or Anglican wished to be.
The problem of religious division presented itself for the first time (Wakeman, 334). So began the long war between the Church of England and Puritanism. On the side of the Church were the traditions of historical Christianity, the framework of Catholic order and discipline, a prayer book of Catholic doctrine and ceremony, and the strong support of the crown and government. On the side of Puritanism was the definite, logical and concentrated Calvinistic system of doctrine on which it rested, the uncompromising and hard character which Calvinism tended to produce, and the strong love of personal and national liberty which quickly associated itself with Parliamentary opposition to misgovernment and turned the merabers of a sect into the champions of the nation (Oakeman, 334). Frustrated with this long religious war, many Puritans sailed for the New World, and settled in New England. The Puritans who left were seeking to purify their religion, and separate from anything perceived as Roman. This "new" Anglicanism wanted to continue with England's Catholic past and retain traditional forms of ministry and the diocesan government. They wanted to retain the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Along with these wishes, however, were a few changes. Congregationalism became prominent. People from many other countries sailed to America, and many new denominations sprang up along the East Coast. According to Tawney, Puritanism "was the true English Reformation, and it is from its struggle against the old order than an England which is unmistakably modern emerges (Ahlstrom 97). Tawney also believed that "the growth, triumph and transformation of the Puritan spirit was the most fundamental movement of the seventeenth century" (Ahlstrom 97). The Anglican Church grew over the next 150 years, and after the Revolutionary War, the Protestant Episcopal Church was formed in Connecticut. This name was chosen to designate the church as non-Roman (Ahlstrom, 225).
"Episcopal," from the Greek word for "Bishop," refers to the hierarchical structure of the church. Theologically, the Protestant Episcopal Church is the United States branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. That means the body of doctrine is nearly identical with that of Roman Catholicism. Episcopal services are called masses, clergymen and clergywomen are called priests, the doctrine holRAB that bread and wine are changed into Christ's body and blood and that Catholic sacraments - baptism, confirmation, matrimony and penance - have real, not syrabolic power to bestow divine grace. But Anglicanism also means that the church has received influences from English character and history, a sense of moderation and rationality, love of literate sermons, suspicious of fanatics, and a suspicion of absolute power in the hanRAB of Bishops. Present day Episcopalians have become more liberal than Catholics, more relaxed even than most other Protestant sects on issues such as divorce, women priests, birth control and independence of the local parish (Konolige, 32).
Episcopalian spirituality distinguishes itself from the rigors of Calvinism and certain models of Roman Catholic spirituality. Consider the Book of Common Prayer and the practice of spirituality amongst Anglicans, and you will find traces of the importance of the laity, hospitality, and concern for others. Calvinism tenRAB to reject the world and the natural order. Roman Catholicism tenRAB to spiritualize the world and its order. Anglicanism has a readiness to see the world as sacrament and to claim the potential within heaven and earth for glory waiting to be revealed. The Book of Common Prayer includes three services for the ordination of the threefold ministry of deacons, priests and bishops. It emphasizes a strong place for both the Eucharist and the daily offices of the church with the implication that the latter are not just for clergymen, but should be the daily diet of prayer, psalm and Bible-reading open to all people of God. This is a strong, biblically based book for worship, with extensive parts of scriptures printed out in full (Marshall, 113-114).
The three main points in the method of Anglican theology are preaching, Bible study and daily offices. Scriptural, evangelistic preaching is a central responsibility and a challenge to all ministers of the word and sacraments. The Book of Common Prayer is quite explicit in the provision that it makes for a systematic daily Bible reading. The psalms have become an important part of the Anglican day. The Book of Common Prayer is quite explicit: all priests and deacons are to say daily the morning and evening prayers, either privately or openly (Marshall, 115).
Episcopalianism remains a dominant force of upper middle class life in America. Although merabership nurabers have begun to slide, about three percent of the population remains Episcopalian. As a group, Episcopalians are the wealthiest, most eastern, best educated and most highly placed professionally of any Christian denomination in the United States (Konolige, 27). The church is heavily white, and socially conservative, mostly Republican, with only one of five merabers under 30 years old. In every major city there is at least one parish, with the country's two largest parishes in the south-Atlanta and Dallas. The south is also the fastest growing area of the church (Konolige, 373). The Episcopal Church has merabers who can trace their roots back to the days of Puritanism. The common thread amongst Episcopalians is the well disguised but Irresistible assurance in self and background that is the most common part of an Episcopalian upbringing (Konolige, 386). This pride of class has been one of the major and probably one of the best factors in American life for more than a century. It was the cause of great opportunity in the United States, the foundation of public service, of a massive tradition of private support of irreplaceable public institutions, the root of much that was best in political thought and practice. To a large degree it helped to produce America (Konolige, 386).
Founded: 1783, as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States
Merabership: 2.4 million baptized merabers
Organization: 100 domestic dioceses, 13 dioceses in Latin America, Caribbean islanRAB, Europe
Clergy: bishops - 310, priests - 14,000, deacons - 1,700
Government: General Convention, bicameral legislature with House of Bishops and House of Deputies, meeting every three years
Budget: $40.5 million (1997)
Headquarters: Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017 (800) 334-7626
I chose to visit Saint James parish, the oldest Episcopal church in Chicago and one of the oldest in Illinois because of its downtown location and close proximity to work. I spoke with Leanne Unruh and Mary Wassilak who have been parishoners for 11 years. Saint James became the Cathedral of the Diocese of Chicago in 1955. St. James Cathedral, founded in 1834, was the first Episcopal Church in northern Illinois and was designated the diocesan cathedral in 1955, succeeding the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul which was destroyed by fire in 1921.The Diocese of Chicago is one of 100 domestic dioceses of the Episcopal Church which is headquartered in New York. The Episcopal church is one of 38 self-governing churches in the world-wide Anglican Communion. The churches are linked by their proclamation of the catholic and apostolic faith; their grounding in scripture, tradition and reason; their common liturgical tradition derived from The Book of Common Prayer; their recognition of the Eucharist as the central act of worship; and through their historic ties to the Arcrabroadishop of Canterbury, primate of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the 70-million meraber communion. The present Arcrabroadishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. George L. Carey, was appointed arcrabroadishop by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.
Spiritual oversight of the diocese is vested in its bishop, the Rt. Rev. William D. Persell, who was elected the 11th bishop of Chicago Nov. 14, 1998.
The bishop serves as presiding officer of the administrative bodies of the diocese, including the Diocesan Council (budget and program), Bishop and Trustees (property management and gifts and endowments) and Diocesan Convention (legislation); and as the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese. With no set term, the bishop serves until he reaches mandatory retirement age of 72, or steps down for personal or canonical reasons. The bishop is assisted by a 19-meraber staff organized in four departments: Office of the Bishop; Finance and Administration; Congregational Development; and Communication, Deployment and Ministry Development. Day-to-day program direction is exercised by Treasurer Lesslie Keller, director of finance and administration, the Rev. Linda Green, director of deployment and ministry development; and the Rev. Canon Tim Hall, congregational development officer. The Diocese of Chicago welcomes a diversity of cultural, liturgical and theological expression as exemplified in its worship settings which range from evangelical to traditional Anglo-Catholic; in its ethnic diversity (ten Hispanic congregations, ten African American congregations and a joint Anglo-Korean congregation) and in its affiliated organizations which include Cursillo (faith renewal), Episcopal Church Women (service), the Society of St. Mary (Marian devotional), the Brotherhood of St. Andrew (service), the Union of Black Episcopalians, Episcopalians United for Renewal and Reform, and Integrity (gay/lesbian caucus).
The diocese's commitment to social witness and community service is expressed through the work of 13 Episcopal Charities and Community Service agencies; various committees including the Hunger Commission, AIRAB Task Force, Committee on Affordable Housing; the Committee on Ending Racism, and the Commission on Aging; and participation in community organizing efforts.
Coming to America to have a freedom of choice was how the Anglican Church in the United States began. It is democratic in its organization structure and its General Convention is believed to be the largest bicameral legislative body in the world. It meets every three years to approve the church’s program and budget; address resolutions and legislation affecting the church’s faith, and its position on issues before the church and wider society. St. James Cathedral is a site for a variety of religious and community activities acknowledging the Cathedral's role in the life of the city and its mission to the residents of a modern urban environment. Several hundred people gather each Wednesday noon in warm weather for Summerfest performances on the Plaza stage. St. James is committed to its community as evidenced by its countless activities available.
Episcopalians sit, kneel, stand, sing, pray aloud, pray silently. Some bow and make the sign of the cross; others don't. They balance the Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal and a service bulletin. The worship service was a bit confusing at first due to the unfamiliarity.
The Prayer Book guides you in what comes next, what to do, and what to say or sing. These guides were printed in italics. The emphasis on the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed reminded me of my young Lutheran upbringing. I could see the similarities in the two services. Standing to sing hymns was also a wonderful change from my current Catholic church practice of sitting during hymns, I always loved to stand to sing.
The main form of worship in the Episcopal Church is the Holy Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Mass. What I found interesting is that if you have been baptized in any Christian tradition with water in the name of the Trinity (no matter your age), then you are invited and encourage you to join at the Altar rail for communion. This is so different from the Catholic rules of who can take part in communion. The service was a change from the Catholic service which I usually attend. It was more relaxed although I was a newcomer I felt comfortable and welcomed. It was an enlightening experience where I felt accepted, challenged with trying to follow the service, and encouraged that although the religions may vary a bit the peace of God is at every service and every church no matter what denomination.
Bibliography
Ahlstron, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People. New Haven: Yale UP, 1972.
Konolige, Kit, and Frederica Konolige. The Power of Their Glory. New York: Wyden Books, 1978.
Marshall, Michael E. The Anglican Church Today and Tomorrow. Wilton: Morehouse-Barlow Co., Inc., 1984.
Stendahl, Krister, et al. "Mainstreams of Christian Faith." Great Religions of the World. National Geographic Society, 1971.
Wakeman, Henry 0. An Introduction o the History of the Church of England. New York: AMS Press, Inc., 1972.
http://anglicansonline.org/ Anglicans Online
http://www.mit.edu/~tb/anglican/ The Unofficial home page for the Episcopal Church
http://www.dfms.org/ The Official Episcopal Church Site
http://www.episcopalian.org/ Episcopalian Org
http://www.ep-online.com/ Episcopal Presence online