Thanks Craig, I know it well. The theological issues are less focused upon than the politics and personalities within the church and the articles are, as is so often the case, bereft of any substantial statistical evidence. I have been chasing up the episcopal establishment processes with great interest. We are fortunate in Australia that the issues of overseas Anglican dioceses (outside of England that is) while linked to North America in terms of the role of the Bishops of London, was resolved by the debate over an American Anglican episcopate although now, in the way of canon lawyers, the status of many bishops in the US of the umpteen neoAnglican groupings is a thing of wonder.
One of the mysteries of Episcopalian thought, to a foreign Anglican, is how the idea developed that TEC has any claim to be the 'national' church in America (vide 'national cathedral' in Washington) and from that, the only legitimate voice of the Anglican tradition in North America and now, it seems, in much of the Americas and elsewhere. It is all the more surprising given the relatively tiny numerical strength of the TEC - less than Anglicanism in Australia.
I have been astonished, frankly, to see some writing that suggests that the TEC is more legitimate historically than Rome itself. That absolutely bewilders me and seems to have some roots in the 'Light on the Hill' dimension that so affects American perceptions of the world.
All of the above has arisen from wide reading that started with Lydia Mary Fay. But I can close by saying that she had one hell of a romantic passion for a certain Alexandria clergyman who was her great hope and eventual disillusionment when it came to marriage. Hence off to China!
Ian
On 24-09-09, Craig Kilby <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Ian,
>
> Volume 15, No. 2 (2007) of the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography is devoted entirely to the history of the Episcopalian Church in Virginia from 1607 to the present. It was written by Edward L. Bond and Joan R. Gundersen It is divided into these chapters:
>
> 1. Colonial Origins and Growth: The Church of England Adapts to North America, 1607-1760
> 2. Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: The Reinvention of the Church of Virginia, 1760-1840
> 3. Evangelicals Ascendant: Bishop Meade and the High Tide of Evangelical Episcopalianism, 1840-1865
> 4. Reinventing Mission: The Diocese of Virginia, 1865-1970
> 5. Recent Crises: Coming to Terms with a Modern Society, 1970 to the Present
>
> The magazine is, of course, published by the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond.
>
> Craig Kilby
>
>
> On Sep 22, 2009, at 5:33 PM, Ian Welch wrote:
>
> >... All of which led me to look at the Episcopal Church in broad detail from the Revolution to the Civil War and the rise and decline of evangelicalism among Episcopalians over the years. I have been looking in general terms at wider Episcopalian issues along the way.
> >
> >
> >Ian Welch, Canberra
>
>
> ______________________________________
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html (http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html)
>
--
(Dr) Ian Welch, Australian National University, Canberra
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
