Henry Benjamin Whipple served as the First Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota from 1859 until his death in 1901. Not only did he oversee the yearly trials and successes of the diocese of Minnesota, but also became an active advocate of Indian policy reform. His role in reform, rather than generating the process of cultural genocide for the Dakota and Chippewa peoples of Minnesota, actually worked for their survival and the salvation of what land claims they could arrest from the advancing American population to the West. Whipple's Chippewa and Dakota friends and congregants called him "Straight Tongue." Contrary to their experiences with Indian Agents and other American officials, Whipple was a man who kept his word and who worked for their benefit and the protection of those within his diocese. Whipple also faced the horrors of the Civil War and saw firsthand its impact on Minnesota. He maintained significant correspondence throughout the war with associates, politicians, and generals. His interpretation of the war, its causes and its meaning, stand with other conservative nineteenth century clergyman of his day. The war was a judgment of God upon a sinful nation, a nation neglectful of their responsibility to their Native wards in the North, and their African American wards in the South. Man in the Middle reopens the history of Henry Benjamin Whipple using his sermons, his letters, and Dakota and Chippewa letters. One who had become an obscure figure in American history deserves a reintroduction to the story of American religious and Indian history.

On a September afternoon in 1853, three African American men from St. Philip's Church walked into the Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and took their seats among five hundred wealthy and powerful white church leaders. Ultimately, and with great reluctance, the Convention had acceded to the men's request: official recognition for St. Philip's, the first African American Episcopal church in New York City. In "Faith in Their Own Color," Craig D. Townsend tells the remarkable story of St. Philip's and its struggle to create an autonomous and independent church. His work unearths a forgotten chapter in the history of New York City and African Americans and sheds new light on the ways religious faith can both reinforce and overcome racial boundaries.

Founded in 1809, St. Philip's had endured a fire; a riot by anti-abolitionists that nearly destroyed the church; and more than forty years of discrimination by the Episcopalian hierarchy. In contrast to the majority of African Americans, who were flocking to evangelical denominations, the congregation of St. Philip's sought to define itself within an overwhelmingly white hierarchical structure. Their efforts reflected the tension between their desire for self-determination, on the one hand, and acceptance by a white denomination, on the other.

The history of St. Philip's Church also illustrates the racism and extraordinary difficulties African Americans confronted in antebellum New York City, where full abolition did not occur until 1827. Townsend describes the constant and complex negotiation of the divide between black and white New Yorkers. He also recounts the fascinating stories of historically overlooked individuals who built and fought for St. Philip's, including Rev. Peter Williams, the second African American ordained in the Episcopal Church; Dr. James McCune Smith, the first African American to earn an M.D.; pickling magnate Henry Scott; the combative priest Alexander Crummell; and John Jay II, the grandson of the first chief justice of the Supreme Court and an ardent abolitionist, who helped secure acceptance of St. Philip's.

Seventy million assorted individuals comprise a church family that is renowned for its rich diversity. Christians of all shades of belief together make up the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches that extends around the world and includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. At its best, the spirit of openness that marks this fellowship is a sign of openness to the Holy Spirit. Few Anglicans would presume to have arrived spiritually, and the door is always open to all who are seeking God. Whether you are a cradle Episcopalian or are exploring the denomination, Always Open is an excellent introduction to Anglican beliefs and practices. Down to earth and good humored, Always Open explains the essentials of the Anglican approach to authority, the Bible, social and moral questions, dialogue with people of other faiths, and much, much more.

Paul Weller argues that continuation of the Church of England as an establishment is theologically and politically inadequate to the religious, social and political landscape of the twenty-first century. Within an outline of the contemporary religious landscape and the empirical results of research into the nature and extent of religious discrimination, Time for a Change traces the historical and contemporary contours and implications of establishment. A range of alternative social, legal historical, theological and ecclesiological approaches and models are examined and aspects of 'negotiation theory' are used to explore the conditions and dynamics necessary for transition and change. Finally, Weller argues that often-neglected perspectives of Baptist Christian tradition - in particular its theologically founded commitment to religious freedom and voluntaryist ecclesiology - offer more adequate resources for shaping the Christian future in a religiously plural and secular society than perspectives historically associated with establishment. Time for a Change shows that, through the conjunction of social, political, demographic, theological and ecclesiological developments, a 'kairos' or decision time has arrived for establishment. It aims to stimulate a social and religious dialogue leading to the evolution of a new 'socio-religious contract'.

This new edition of the 1974 classic What Anglicans Believe is for the very different world of the twenty-first century and its powerful new preface examines the whole question of belief. David Edwards' purpose is to present a straightforward account of what many Anglicans believe. He writes honest answers to the questions that many are asking of their faith and the Church. He aims to help Anglicans all over the world to understand their own tradition and what it can offer them. A list of questions for discussion makes this an ideal book for study groups as well as for individual contemplation.

Well over a century and a half after its high point, the Oxford Movement continues to stand out as a powerful example of religion in action. Led by four young Oxford dons--John Henry Newman, John Keble, Richard Hurrell Froude, and Edward Pusey--this renewal movement within the Church of England was a central event in the political, religious, and social life of the early Victorian era. This book offers an up-to-date and highly accessible overview of the Oxford Movement.

Beginning formally in 1833 with John Keble's famous "National Apostasy" sermon and lasting until 1845, when Newman made his celebrated conversion to Roman Catholicism, the Oxford Movement posed deep and far-reaching questions about the relationship between Church and State, the Catholic heritage of the Church of England, and the Church's social responsibility, especially in the new industrial society. The four scholar-priests, who came to be known as the Tractarians (in reference to their publication of Tracts for the Times), courted controversy as they attacked the State for its insidious incursions onto sacred Church ground and summoned the clergy to be a thorn in the side of the government.

C. Brad Faught approaches the movement thematically, highlighting five key areas in which the movement affected English society more broadly--politics, religion and theology, friendship, society, and missions. The advantage of this thematic approach is that it illuminates the frequently overlooked wider political, social, and cultural impact of the movement. The questions raised by the Tractarians remain as relevant today as they were then. Their most fundamental question--"What is the place of the Church in the modern world?"--still remains unanswered.

This book studies the way the central act of Christian worship (variously known as the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, the Holy Communion, and the Mass) has been treated in the thought and practice of the Evangelical tradition in the Church of England. Evangelicals are not associated with an emphasis on the Eucharist, and Dr. Cocksworth's study is important and potentially very influential because it demonstrates that--at its times of strength--the Evangelical tradition has held the Eucharist in the highest regard.

This book traces the history and theology of Evangelicals in the Church of England, both liberal and conservative, from the First World War to the appearance of the Alternative Service Book in 1980. Evangelical Anglicans stand for what they see as historic Anglicanism with its emphasis on the intrinsic veracity of scripture as the sole authority for faith and life. While it highlights the progress of the gospel through evangelism and literary output, the work does not gloss over the small-mindedness and ‘sectarianism’ that has sometimes characterised Evangelicals. Earlier in the twentieth century, Evangelical Anglicans saw themselves as making a ‘last ditch’ stand for Protestant integrity but, in mid-century, with the backing of scholarship, they came out of their ‘fox holes’ and eventually emerged with a redemptionist theology to embrace both church and society. This movement reached a peak with the national evangelical congresses in 1967 and 1977.

This portrait of the last Prince Bishop of Durham, William Van Mildert, and his associates in the influential High Church "Hackney Phalanx," illuminates a little-explored area of Anglican history. Drawing extensively on original correspondence, Dr. Varley outlines the perceptions of the Phalanx in the struggle they were engaged in, the vision of the Church of England that inspired them, and the part they played in the immediate post-1833 reappraisal of Church-state relations.

This illustrated dictionary for the Episcopal Church is an essential reference to its terminology, worship, structure, and polity. Originally intended as a resource for new members and confirmands in the Episcopal Church, since it was first published in 1985 the dictionary has become increasingly popular with clergy, vestries, and other lay ministers and leaders. This entirely new edition has been expanded, revised, and updated to include new terms that have come into use since it was first published, as the language Episcopalians use to describe their faith, worship, and common life continues to evolve. A Dictionary for Episcopalians is an ideal reference book for new members, seminarians, clergy, confirmation and inquirers classes, altar guilds, church school teachers, and anyone who wants to learn more about the Episcopal Church. With illustrations and a pronunciation guide, it is a useful addition to every parish library and sacristy."

This book provides readers with an account of the rivalry between the two kingdoms of Church and State between the years 1450 and 1660.

England inherited, from medieval times, two systems of authority: the Church, governed by Pope and Bishops; and the State, ruled by Monarch and Lords. However, from the late fourteenth century onwards, this division was increasingly challenged by the laity's insistence on their right to choose not only between different systems of Church government but also between different forms of religious belief. The author charts the rivalry between clergy and laity's and shows how political and social developments between 1450 and 1660 were decisively influenced by this conflict. This second edition includes updates throughout the text in the light of recent scholarship and a new bibliography.

What Roger Ferlo did for the Bible in Opening the Bible, volume 2 of The New Church s Teaching Series, Jeffrey Lee now does for the prayer book in volume 7 of the series. Opening the Prayer Book introduces us to the history and liturgies of The Book of Common Prayer, and helps us understand why the prayer book is such an important aspect of Anglican self-understanding. Lee begins with the fundamental question, What is common prayer? He explores some of the ways in which our worship according to The Book of Common Prayer affects who we are as a church, and the way it shapes our lives of faith. In chapter 2 Lee turns to the development of patterns of liturgy from the time of Jesus to the Reformation, tracing changes in the primary liturgies of baptism, eucharist, and daily prayer. The American prayer book is the focus of chapter 3, from the earliest revisions in the new nation through the liturgical scholarship that led to the substantial theological and liturgical changes in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Chapter 4 begins a survey of the pages of the prayer book itself. Lee examines in particular the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter, baptism and eucharist, and the daily office, with a view to understanding the way the parts of the services are rooted in the historical prayers of the church and at the same time reflect the living tradition of Christians today. This theme is further developed in chapter 5, which focuses on the prayer book and our common life. Here Lee discusses questions of how a common prayer book can be responsive to a growing variety of pastoral situations and diverse cultures in a fast-changing world. The final chapter addresses the future of the prayer book within the Anglican Communion, in light of demands for further revision and for greater freedom to adapt the prayer book to local needs and beliefs. As with each book in The New Church s Teaching Series, recommended resources for further reading and questions for discussion are included.

Moldovan explores an aspect of Martin Luther King's legacy that has been largely overlooked by scholars until now. Martin Luther King Jr. is a unique study of Dr. King's preaching and emerging theology spanning from his student days to his tragic death. The influence of Dr. King's religious convictions is conveyed through the personal accounts of his listeners. This study of theology and homiletics attests to Martin Luther King's indelible mark on American society. Moldovan traces the power and influence of Dr. King's words on those who heard him in Selma, Birmingham, and Chicago during the Civil Rights era.

In this first volume to the New Church's Teaching Series James Griffiss provides an introduction to the Anglican tradition. He focuses especially on Anglicanism's ability to hold together theological continuity (especially the emphasis on the Incarnation) with social and cultural change. After discussing the Episcopal Church today and the ways in which it has changed over the past fifty years, Griffiss shows how the distinctive Anglican approach has been lived out in its history, spirituality, mission, worship, and approach to Scripture. Throughout, the book stresses the place of Anglicanism in the late twentieth century and its ability to be both flexible and traditional in rapidly changing cultures. The Anglican Vision is intended for wide parish use, including adult education, parish forums, inquirers and newcomers classes, and study groups throughout the church year. It includes a study guide, list of resources, and suggestions for further reading.

American Episcopalians have long prided themselves on their love of consensus and their position as the church of American elites. They have, in the process, often forgotten that during the nineteenth century their church was racked by a divisive struggle that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the Episcopal Church. On one side of this struggle was a powerful and aggressive Evangelical party who hoped to make the Episcopal Church into the democratic head of "the sisterhood of Evangelical Churches" in America; on the other side was the Oxford Movement, equally powerful and aggressive but committed to a range of Romantic principles which celebrated disillusion and disgust with evangelicalism and democracy alike. The resulting conflict--over theology, liturgy, and, above all, culture--led to the schism of 1873, in which many Evangelicals left the church to form the Reformed Episcopal Church. For the Union of Evangelical Christendom tells this largely forgotten story using the case of the Reformed Episcopalians to open up the ironic anatomy of American religion at the turn of the century.

Today, as the Episcopal Church once again finds itself enmeshed in cultural and religious crisis, the remembrance of a similar crisis a century ago brings an eerily prophetic ring to this remarkable work of cultural and religious history.

A compelling short biography of the 'Lord's horseman cantering towards eternity') John Wesley. Using the as yet unpublished Oxford diaries, the author, himself a Fellow of Wesley's Oxford College, reveals Wesley's extraordinarily complex and paradoxical personality. Originally published by Thomas Nelson in 1964.

The noted preacher and spiritual writer Michael Mayne wrote extensively about Anglicanism's distinctive theology and ethos, and how it could help the church speak to contemporary society. This collection of his unpublished writings and lectures offers a vintage distillation of his wisdom and pastoral understanding that remains extraordinarily relevant. Michael Mayne's wisdom calls the church back to its deepest spiritual identity and purpose, exploring: * The nature of moderation and tolerance; * The influence of daily prayer; * What happens when Anglicans disagree; * Unity in Christ despite diversity in practice; * Learning from controversies.

In this compelling memoir Anthony Harvey traces the three ways he has felt drawn throughout his life - to a ministry in the Anglican priesthood, to a profession in theological scholarship, and to his marriage and family. Harvey recounts his clergy training in Canterbury, his time as canon of Westminster Abbey, his teaching and research at the University of Oxford, and his many exciting travels. He also candidly discusses the challenges presented by his marriage to an artist and writer whose spells of mental illness, along with the premature death of their daughter, placed great strain on both his family life and his public responsibilities. Throughout the book Harvey authentically narrates his inner tensions and conflicts, his own spiritual questioning, and his propensity toward a Christian stoicism. From the foreword: "This moving and unpretentious memoir charts a journey of education in faith, not least through times of deep challenge in personal life. It shows us a scholar always willing to put the resources of his remarkable learning at the disposal of the Christian community. . . . It has the capacity to rekindle faith in the theological vocation in the fullest sense of the word `theological' and to renew a confidence in the possibility of interweaving human honesty and Christian depth." - Rowan Williams TENT

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) was the first Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the author of the Book of Common Prayer, and a central figure in the English Protestant Reformation. Few theologians have led such an eventful life: Cranmer helped Henry VIII break with the pope, pressed his vision of the Reformation through the reign of Edward VI, was forced to recant under Queen Mary, and then dramatically withdrew his recantations before being burned alive. This gripping biography by Leslie Williams narrates Cranmer's life from the beginning, through his education and history with the monarchy, to his ecclesiastical trials and eventual martyrdom. She portrays Cranmer's ongoing struggle to reconcile his two central beliefs - loyalty to the crown and loyalty to the Reformation faith - as she tells his fascinating life story.

Archbishop Michael Ramsey's archiepiscopate from 1961 to 1974 saw profound renegotiations of the relationship of the Church of England with its own flock, with the nation more widely, with the Anglican church worldwide, and with the other Christian churches. Drawing from unique source material in the Lambeth Palace Library archives and reproducing many original writings of Ramsey for the first time, this book explores key questions which surround Ramsey's tenure. How did Ramsey react to the rapid hollowing-out of the regular constituency of the church whilst at the same time seeing sweeping changes in the manner in which the church tried to minister to those members? What was his role in the widening of the church's global vision, and the growing porousness of its borders with other denominations? And how did the nature of the role of archbishop as figurehead change in this period?

How has the Church responded to the challenge to combat institutional racism? What efforts are being made to bring about positive and sustained changes in the structures? To what extent are the issues being addressed by church schools, clergy and parishes? How are theological colleges and courses responding to the importance of preparing and training ordinands for leadership in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith Britain? What is the Church doing to encourage a more culturally diverse lay and ordained leadership? These are some of the questions that have challenged the Church of England in its struggle to understand racism and the way it is used by institutions, maybe unwittingly, to disadvantage minority ethnic people. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report acted as a catalyst and forced the Church to take a fresh look at itself with respect to its record in combating institutional racism. This book gives new insights into the Church of England's response to race issues and presents a fascinating view of the Church at the start of the twenty-first century. It highlights examples of good practice and demonstrates the progress that has been made since the publication in 1991 of Seeds of Hope, a seminal report of a survey on combating racism in the Church of England. An Amazing Journey is written from the perspective of Glynne Gordon Carter who served the Archbishops' Council's Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (the former Black Anglican Concerns Committee) as Secretary from 1987 to 2001.

English author and philosopher, Bishop Thomas Burgess lived from 1756 to 1837. His early career was concerned with advocating for the emancipation of slaves and evangelistic work among the poor. In 1803, he was appointed Bishop of St David's where he remained for the next twenty years, and in that position he founded and liberally endowed St. David's College, now the University of Wales, Lampeter. This book gathers together essays that use Bishop Burgess' life as a starting point to uncover the links between the academic, religious and social cultures of Britain, Europe and North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The essays in the volume comprise papers read at two conferences in 2003 and the St David's Day lecture delivered at Lampeter in 2004.

Many of the controversial religious debates of our day grow out of disagreements about how to interpret scripture correctly. Is it a historical or theological text? How do we address the apparent contradictions? In "Anglican Approaches to Scripture," the sequel to ATB Book of the Year "Christian Hope and Christian Life," Greer shows the multi-layered Anglican tradition of what scripture is and how it is to be interpreted.