Are there any members of the Episcopal Church out there?

[PickyPicky]

But he spoke out against women’s suffrage.

Well, one would indeed be extremely liberal in the 19th C to support women’s suffrage.

 

[GKMotley]

There was certainly a presence of the Anglo-Catholic/Ritualist movement in the slums and downtrodden urban areas and folk, early on. Sometimes because such parishes were the only ones such clergy could get appointed to.

 

[blackforest]

the Book of Common Prayer contains much that is admirable, with many beautiful passages.

Most of it’s Scripture. But yes, the collects are well written. There’s a formula to them:

Oh Lord/God, who [attribute], grant us/grant that [petition], so that [purpose of the petition]. [Final plea - e.g. we ask this in Jesus’ name]. Amen.

The divorce was simply something for a self-serving monarch to capitalize on, not the end-all-be-all reason for the split.

All Christian communities have had bizarre, unhealthy and sometimes scandalous relationships with civil magisterial powers.

Exactly.

They use the Book of Common Prayer, which I cannot stand.

1928 or 1979? Why can’t you stand it?

 

[Bithynian]

There was certainly a presence of the Anglo-Catholic/Ritualist movement in the slums and downtrodden urban areas and folk, early on.

Very true! Although I’ve often wondered whether the hagiographic emphasis on this in some literature is due to rose tinted glasses. One can also read the same laudatory descriptions about 19th century evangelical Anglicans and their (perceived or actual) affinity for the poor in the slums, factories and docks, and about +Ryle being a tireless minister to the blue-collar Liverpudlian.

 

[GKMotley]

I award accolades to all.

 

[commenter]

I award accolades to all.

Accolades to which all? 19th century clergy dedicated to the poor, or all those who wrote posts on this thread?

As part of the Me generation I assumed you meant us, but maybe you meant them.

 

[GKMotley]

There are things out of kilter with some of the Me generation.

Not thee and me, of course.

 

[Maximian]

As an ex anglo-catholic, now traditionalist catholic, I can offer an explanation from my personal experience.

In order to be an anglo-catholic, you have to have a mentality which as it were bends doctrine to suit your tastes. It allows you to have the aesthetics of traditional catholic liturgy without the inconvenience of traditional Catholic morals. Recognition of this truth made me uncomfortable and accept Catholic teaching despite the ghastly liturgy the Catholic Church was ruthlessly imposing at the time. That was a decade before Summorum Pontificum

 

[ltwin]

Pardon the intrusion by a friendly RC.

I was surprised to learn of local Episcopal congregations that advertise services that are “Anglo Catholic” with apparently very traditional worship…yet are also extremely liberal in the social/moral causes they support.

Yeah, its an odd contradiction. Gay marriage? Fine. Non-liturgical worship? Heresy!

 

[GKMotley]

I think that is a broad brush for Anglo-Catholics as a sub species.

 

[blackforest]

It allows you to have the aesthetics of traditional catholic liturgy without the inconvenience of traditional Catholic morals.

Specifically what branch of Anglicanism did you practice? I was confirmed Anglican, and this doesn’t even come close to my experience.

 

[EOvsRC1054]

I attended an Anglo-Catholic style Episcopal Church and my experience was very nice and the liturgy was beautiful. Even if the political views of the church were not conservative, it felt very spiritually refreshing and I could feel Gods presence there. Without that church, my friends would not have come to know Christ or experience him. I plan to convert to Roman Catholic but part of me still feels attached to the Episcopal Church since my friends found Christ there and it was a safe haven for me.

 

[gohjedrek]

Either one goes for liturgical worship and liberal theology, or non-liturgical worship and conservative theology. Having both, usually means the Anglican Continuum churches.

In order to be an anglo-catholic, you have to have a mentality which as it were bends doctrine to suit your tastes. It allows you to have the aesthetics of traditional catholic liturgy without the inconvenience of traditional Catholic morals.

When an individual gives up to follow catholic teachings, one has to submit to the doctrines. As long as one disagrees with one/two doctrines, it is difficult to follow the catholic church.

Even if the political views of the church were not conservative, it felt very spiritually refreshing and I could feel Gods presence there. Without that church, my friends would not have come to know Christ or experience him.

For some, they came to faith in the episcopal church. If they experience God there, then that is good for them. We can’t judge their spiritual journey, it is a process of discovery.

 

[Maximian]

That hasn’t always been the case. The genesis of the Oxford movement (the progenitor of modern day Anglo-Catholicism) in the early 19th century was, essentially, a very conservative revival.

Yes but at that time so was ultramontanism, nowadays called uberpapalism, which is presently a liberal disease.

In fact, though it was not seen at the time, ultramontanism depends on the fundamental liberal idea that you can seek the Truth in a human agency

 

[Maximian]

If you read my message you will see that I specify Anglo Catholicism. I read Theilogy at Oxford and was a regular at Pusey House and St Mary Magdalen, among whose ministers was Walter Hooper, the friend, editor, confessor and executor of C.S. Lewis, who is now a Catholic too.
Particularly striking in anglo-catholic circles was an accommodation with homosexuality, but also with modern sexual mores in general.
This is hardly surprising. I knew an old lady who, as a divorcee, had remarried in an anglican church in London as early as 1923. I suppose you could say that Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church precisely to accommodate his own sexual mores.

 

[GKMotley]

Either one goes for liturgical worship and liberal theology, or non-liturgical worship and conservative theology. Having both, usually means the Anglican Continuum churches.

Pretty much. As in my parish.

 

[GKMotley]

One could say that, re: Henry, if one ignores a range of contributing factors.

 

[blackforest]

If you read my message you will see that I specify Anglo Catholicism.

Yes, I saw that. But I need more specifics. I grew up in the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC). I can assure you that they are extremely conservative.

 

[EOvsRC1054]

It’s interesting how if a style of church that has “Catholic” at the end of a prefix is automatically assumed to be conservative like the Roman Catholic Church, and it throws people off when its not.

Just an observation.

 

[Bithynian]

But I need more specifics

The user is probably referring to the established Church of England as Anglo-Catholic churches not in communion with the Abp. of Canterbury have a very minimal presence - essentially non-existent in most places - outside North America.

The only major Anglican church in the UK not in Communion with ++Cantaur is - I think - the Free CoE, which is overwhelmingly evangelical in character.