Top voices highlight important changes in the role of bishop. Compelling essays, written by bishops, other clergy, and academics from across the Episcopal Church, reflect the breadth of thinking on the history, current state, and future of the role of leadership within the denomination and the wider Anglican Communion. Topics include the transformation of the role over the last fifty years, a review of historic documents on the episcopacy, issues of race and gender, and the definition of ministry and leadership. This volume will be of interest to leaders across denominations as well as scholars.

* Focused on a topic of wide interest to the Episcopal Church * Essays from academics across the spectrum of perspectives The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music sought input from multiple sources in order to better understand the charge of the General Convention of 2015 suggesting that it present a plan for the revision of the Book of Common Prayer to the 2018 Convention. While the individual chapters of this volume raise a variety of differing issues, they share a common assumption-that one of the sources of information for the Standing Commission and the Church in its deliberations ought to be the community of academically trained liturgical scholars. The hope of this volume is to open a conversation across the church that will continue in the future.

This thorough, carefully researched history sets church events against the background of social changes. This third revised edition will be up-to-date through the events of the 2012 General Convention of the Episcopal Church.

" . . . a lively story of the Episcopal tradition."-E. Brooks Holifield A carefully researched history that sets church events against the background of social changes, now available in Spanish. The author has interwoven new content recognizing the diversity of the church and the significance of events and individuals previously less acknowledged. For church historians, seminarians, and those who have interest in the past, present, and future developments within the Episcopal and broader religious landscape.