Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
The American Episcopalian Church held its General Convention in Indianapolis this week, and it was apparently quite a show. Back in 1970, when the population of this country was considerably smaller, there were three million Episcopalians in our midst. Today, there are only one million. But one thousand of them gathered this year for the debates that took place in its House of Deputies and its House of Bishops.
In the evenings, Jay Akasie reports, they behaved in accord with the stereotype:
General Convention is also notable for its sheer ostentation and carnival atmosphere. For seven straight nights, lavish cocktail parties spilled into pricey steakhouses, where bishops could use their diocesan funds to order bottles of the finest wines.
During the day, he adds, the legislators in the two chambers gathered to discuss
such weighty topics as whether to develop funeral rites for dogs and cats, and whether to ratify resolutions condemning genetically modified foods. Both were approved by a vote, along with a resolution to "dismantle the effects of the doctrine of discovery," in effect an apology to Native Americans for exposing them to Christianity.
I wish that I were making this up, but I am not doing so -- and it looks as if things are going to get worse, for the Episcopalians are on the verge of formalizing what Akasie calls "the reality that many Episcopalians already know: a church in the grip of executive committees under the direct supervision of the church's secretive and authoritarian presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Shori, [which] now set the agenda and decide well in advance what kind of legislation comes before the two houses." I am not myself a republican in ecclesiastical affairs, but it looks as if what Lenin once called "democratic centralism" is going to become the order of the day.
A number of dioceses have withdrawn and are being sued so that Bishop Shori can take control of their assets. The entire delegation from the diocese of South Carolina walked out of the General Convention on Wednesday, which suggests that the South Carolinians will also soon withdraw.
What comes next? Is the Episcopalian church still a Christian church? If so, will it be one in ten years? Can it be saved from itself? Or is it too far gone to be saved?
I have long thought that the Catholic church should establish an Anglican rite. With a tweak or two, the Book of Common Prayer would work rather well. And the music, oh my God, the music? In my days at Oxford -- as a student and, much later, as a visiting fellow at All Souls -- I frequently attended evensong, and nearly always I found it moving.
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Aug '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
The philosophies of men...mingled with scripture
Feb '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
I am a lay member of the Episcopal church, and not one heavily involved in church politics.
I regret that I don’t have the time to mount a full defense of my church, here, & I wonder if I should limit myself to anecdotes.
But there is a reason I stay in the church, and that is because it is the one place I find I can truly worship God — and by God, I mean the holy Trinity & all the rest. I know gay clergy and gay laity for whom the Eucharist is, as one said, “the center of my life.” And it is true. He was (in addition to being gay) also pretty liberal about a lot. But he was convinced that God is present in our church. I am too, but not because of any argument. I am convinced because I find him there every week.
Oct '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
I strive to accept Gamaliel's wisdom: "38 And now I say unto you, refrain from these men and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought;
39 but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest it may happen ye be found even to fight against God." — Acts 5:38-39
Nov '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
In the long-ago days of my undergrad education, I seem to recall that I was taught that Anglicanism/Episcopalianism was formulated as "Lutheran theology in Catholic surroundings", so to speak, put forward in a political effort to end/forestall bloodshed. The key word being 'political'. (I wholeheartedly agree re: Byrd and Tallis, by the way.) Good to see you here, Professor!
Sep '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Just for the record, it's the American EPISCOPAL Church. It's members are Episcopalians.
That said, much of the criticism of our church is warranted. We are slowly withdrawing to our diocese and parish for spiritual leadership. The local parish will probably be our last stronghold!
Feb '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Paul A. Rahe
…
Consider the theological adjustments that must be made if one is to accommodate funeral rites for cats and dogs and to apologize for trying to convert pagans in Christians.
I do not know whether to laugh or cry. · 17 minutes ago
Does the funeral rite for cats and dogs assert that cats and dogs are able to attain the beatific vision? Or is it rather a prayer service which ministers to people who have lost beloved pets? If it is the former, then a lot of doctrine is at stake. If it is the latter, then I don’t see any doctrine at stake.
When it comes to apologizing to the American Indians, surely you must be mischaracterizing the nature of the apology. The intent is not, I take it, to say that missionaries ought not to have introduced Christ & his church to the aboriginal peoples, but that the manner in which it was done was often very unchristian. I haven’t bothered to look up the language, so maybe it cannot be construed in this way. But I would hope every denomination would be willing to acknowledge that not every attempt to convert is good.
May '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
I left several years ago when it became clear that TEC was more interested in LGBTQIBCB-M, social justice, other left-wing causes du jour, and punishing those churches which actually wanted to adhere to the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
As for what happens next to the TEC? The demographic decline is clear and the current leadership just doesn't do evangelism, so the demographic cake is baked. They're destined for demographic oblivion. Even if Episcopalians did evangelize what exactly do they offer? A weekly Left-wing social justice & pansexual carnival show every Sunday with some really great music? I don't have children yet, but there's no way I'd expose them to that.
The real question is when will the rest of the Anglican Communion declare TEC apostate? There's a huge tension between the African/Asian/Latin American traditional Anglicans who have the demographics eg growing population v. the Episcopalians/Anglican Church in Canada/UK Anglicans who have the money but few people.
FYI, there are some interesting accounts about the General Convention at Stand Firm and Virtue Online.
Jun '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Not by any traditional definition of the word Christian. There are still Christian Anglican/Episcopalians, but the Anglican/Episcopal Church as an institution left Christianity awhile ago.
Jun '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Jul '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
My understanding was that Anglicanism was an attempt at a middle way between Lutheranism and Calvinism that ended up going off in a different direction than either Reformation tradition.
Dec '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Paul A. Rahe
Michael Horn
Can you provide an example? · 7 minutes ago
The masses of William Byrd (who was a Catholic but wrote for Queen Elizabeth). · 3 hours ago
Thanks! I'll check it out on YouTube later today.
Apr '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Paul A. Rahe
Michael Horn
Can you provide an example? · 7 minutes ago
The masses of William Byrd (who was a Catholic but wrote for Queen Elizabeth). · 3 hours ago
Likewise, Thomas Tallis remained a Catholic while writing music for Elizabeth. Julian Bream used to introduce a piece by Byrd, the composer for the Queen's chapel, then get a laugh by saying "He must have been a very good composer, because he remained a Catholic all his life".
Sep '11
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Sunday Sabbath, Baptizing babies, celebrating Easter, Sacraments, ritualistic worship, belief in Apostolic succession, prayers for the dead...
Were they ever Christian?
Aren't they all hot & heavy about Ecumenism- The One World Government of Churches?
Haven't the Anglicans been Catholic since the 1999 " Gift of Authority"?
Many leaders of "once protesting" churches have kissed Pope's ring by now.
~Jimm
Jan '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Mr. Rahe,
If you are going to be snarky about the Episcopal Church and go after the Presiding Bishop, get her name right. It is Schori. And yes, she is a woman. And OH! we have homosexuals serving in the clergy! And OH! Silly things happen at the convention. Get the log out first.
As to the cheap shot from the WSJ article you quoted, I wonder why it didn't say that the Bishops could have used their diocesan funds to buy cocaine too? He offered just as much evidence for that as he did that they spent their church funds on the most expensive wines. Really? I expected more from you.
May '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
You want Evensong? I present you with the urquell: the BBC Radio 3 page and player: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tp7rNow go avail yourselves of the banquet of Mags, Nuncs, and Anglican chant.
Edited on July 13, 2012 at 11:28pmSep '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Snarky?
I thought Dr Rahe's post rather mild compared to Diogenes' more edgy reflections such as fabius maximus cunctator, growing, growing, gone and last, but certainly not least consensus in the cause of inertia which contained this gem:
No need to thank me my good man: I'm here to help.
Feb '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
KarlUB: When it comes to music, everyone knows Lutherans rule.
I have one word in my defense: Bach.
I have but one name for the ages, Claudio Monteverdi, who combined stylo antiquo (chant & polyphony in the style of Palestrina, des Pres and Okhegem), with his inimitable contribution to the establishment of stylo nuovo (the nascent Baroque style), in the Marian Vespers of 1610. He is, in my opinion, to the 17th Century what Bach and Handel are to the 18th in the triumph of both the sacred and the secular traditions.
May '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. Proverbs 14:1
Mar '12
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
Years ago I moved my family from Charlotte, North Carolina to Suwanee, Ga. In need of a local church, and having been raised as an Episcopalian, I went to a Sunday service at the local Episcopalian church and attended the adult Sunday school class. In the course of an hour at Sunday school we discussed racism (it’s bad), gun control (it’s good), segregation (it’s bad), racism (it was still bad), the KKK (they aren’t nice) and prejudice (it’s bad). All of this in the scope of 1 hour without one reference to scripture or Christian teaching based on the Episcopalian faith. While I might agree with the assertions presented I would have rather had something of a more spiritual nature being taught. I was left feeling like I had been in a political pep rally. I long ago came to the conclusion that the Episcopal Church was a political party and not a faith…
Nov '10
Re: Is the US Episcopalian Church Still a Christian Church?
If you find it depressing to read about such spineless episcopal clowns, refresh yourself with this account, of the new bishop of Shanghai: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/A-blow-to-the-Patriotic-Association:-the-bishop-of-Shanghai-a-prophet-and-hero-25245.html