The Episcopalians

Subjects:

• Religious Studies » Comparative Religion
• Religious Studies » Religious Studies (General)
• Religious Studies » History of Religion

Awards:

• History Book Club Alternate Selection

Reviews:

• Recommended for libraries.
  —Library Journal April 1, 2004
• How do you characterize a denomination that is doctrinally indifferent, liturgically lush, culturally elite, politically conservative, socially liberal, and that Thomas Merton once described as little more than an "atmosphere"? Hein and Shattuck have risen to the challenge with this lively, well-balanced, and readable book....Highly recommended. General readers; lower-level undergraduates and above.
  —Choice September 2004
• [A] superior introduction to the Episcopal Church and its American heritage.
  —Anglican and Episcopal History June 2005
• Do we really need another history of the Episcopal Church so soon after David Holmes' in 1993 and Robert Prichard's in 1999? Emphatically, we do....[9]9 biographies of the famous or notorious , the obscure or peripheral, the obvious or eccentric are what give The Episcopalians its special flavor....The book shows a Church that has come of age, culturally diverse and politically sensitive at last....If anyone asks, "How did our dear old Church get to where it is today?" this is the book to read.
  —The Historiographer 2004

• Endorsement From The Rev. Harold T. Lewis, Ph.D.
  Rector, Calvary Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Penn.,
  author of Yet with a Steady Beat: The African American Struggle for Recognition in the Episcopal Church: What distinguishes The Episcopalians from other histories of the Episcopal Church is its contextualization. Shattuck and Hein go to pains to show how the Episcopal Church has affected and been affected by the history of the Republic with which it has long had a unique, symbiotic relationship. The authors fully appreciate how the church's grappling with such issues as race, gender, and human sexuality relate to the ways in which the nation has struggled with the same challenges....Both newcomers and dyed-in-the-wool Episcopalians will be enlightened by the fresh approach of this vibrant history of the traditions, beliefs, and especially the people who make up the mosaic of American Anglicanism.
• Endorsement From Donald S. Armentrout
  Quintard Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Theology at the University of the South: ^{he Episcopalians} is well organized, clearly written, carefully researched, and great fun to read. It will be the perfect book on the history of the Episcopal Church for seminarians, clergy, historians, and all those interested in American church history. Read it and enjoy yourself!
• Endorsement From Mary S. Donovan
  Adjunct Assistant Professor of History, Hunter College, City University of New York
  Former President, Historical Society of the Episcopal Church: It is so refreshing to read a history that portrays the church as an institution shaped and changed by the people of God. David Hein and Gardiner Shattuck have set the Episcopal Church clearly in the midst of the shifting currents of social and political history and have recognized the broad ethnic and racial diversity that marks this branch of the Anglican Communion.
• Endorsement From Charles H. Lippy
  Leroy A. Martin Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: A real tour-de-force....Admirably balanced in coverage of historical periods and supplemented with a stunning list of biographical profiles, this book will become the standard reference for students and scholars alike. The authors draw on an array of primary sources and the most vital interpretive approaches to tell a fast-paced, well-written story of one of America's most influential religious bodies.
• Endorsement From Robert Bruce Mullin
  SPRL Professor of History and World Mission, The General Theological Seminary: This volume is a welcome addition to the field of Episcopal studies....It will be a boon to scholars, students, and the general reading public, both inside and outside of the Episcopal Church.
• Endorsement From Amanda Porterfield
  Professor of Religious Studies, University of Wyoming: This masterpiece of institutional history embodies the magnanimity, elegance, and broad-minded reasonableness characteristic of Episcopalian sensibilities. Without minimizing regrettable aspects of the past, or boasting about accomplishments, David Hein and Gardiner Shattuck reveal the remarkable contributions to American culture made by Episcopalians in the past, and the importance of Episcopalian thought and practice in the vast terrain of religious life today.
• Endorsement From Nathan A. Scott Jr.
  William R. Kenan Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, University of Virginia: One marvels at the clarity, the eloquence, and the precision with which Gardiner Shattuck and David Hein have reviewed the history of the Episcopal Church from the colonial American scene of the 1660s to the end of the twentieth century. Theirs is in every way a splendidly written and therefore a highly readable book, and it deserves a large audience.
• Endorsement From J. Robert Wright
  Historiographer of the Episcopal Church
  St. Mark's Professor of Church History, The General Theological Seminary: This book gives an answer to just the sort of questions that persons outside the Episcopal Church often want to know....It presents an informed perspective that is carefully written and solidly based on the evidence.

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• Abbreviations Used in This Volume
• English and American Beginnings: 1534-1662
• Anglicanism in Colonial America: 1662-1763
• The Crisis of the American Revolution: 1763-1783
• Reorganization in a New Nation: 1783-1811
• Unity, Diversity, and Conflict in Antebellum America: 1811-1865
• Social and Intellectual Challenges: 1865-1918
• Emergence of the Modern Church: 1918-1958
• Changing Times: 1958-2003
• Biographical Entries
• A Chronology of the Episcopal Church
• Bibliographic Essay
• About the Authors