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The Episopalian or Anglican Church is an offshot of the Church of England which King Henry VIII broke off from Rome during the Reformation (16th century). It was founded in America at the Jamestown Colony in Virginia (1609). It became the established church in the southern colonies. The idea of establishing a church became controversial, largely because there were so many other Protestant denominations in America. It was prohibited by the First Amendment of the Constitution. As a result, the American Episcopalian Church had to compete on an equal footing with the other denominations. The Episcopalian Church, also called Anglican, is often considered to be a Protestant Church and has at time had a basically Protestant liturgy. At one time the American branch of the Anglican Church was officially called "The Protestant Episcopal Church" but the word Protestant has since been dropped, and the current Episcopal Church usually thinks of itself as a branch of Catholicism but without the doctrine of papal infallibility which was officially adopted in Rome only in the 19th century. Cardinal Newman, who had formerly been an Anglican priest, voted against it. In many respects Anglicans are like the Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Coptic, etc.), retaining the apostolic succession, the threefold orders of bishops, priests, and deacons, and the seven sacraments (two major and five minor). The major ones are Baptism and Holy Communion; the lesser ones are Confirmation, Ordination, Auricular Confession, Unction, and Marriage. American Episcopal dioceses in the upper mid-west (Wisconsin, Illinois, Northern Indiana, for example) also are Catholic in their orientation. Often Episcopal cathedrals and major churches in big cities such as Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco lean in the Catholic direction. But there is also an Evangelcial wing of both churches which is much more Protestant in attitude and less traditional and ritualistic in worship.
The Episopalian or Anglican Church is an offshot of the Church of England (COE) which King Henry VIII broke off from Rome during the Reformation (16th century). This launched the Protestant Reformation in England, although that was not Henry's intent. And Henry kept the COE largely Catholic in liturgy and theology. Thus from the beginning there was a tension in the COE between Catholcism and Protestantism and the liturgy and theology of the CIOE has swung back and forth between Protestant and Catholocism. The COE only began to move toward Protestantism after Henry's death and the reign of his son Edward VI. His sister Mary attemoted to move the COE back into the Catholic field, but her inability to produce an heir led to the reign of Elizabeth who firmly established the Anglican Church in the Protestant camp.
The COE was founded in America at the Jamestown Colony in Virginia (1609). It automatically as the established English church, became the established church in England's American colonies. Other imperial countries went to great lengths to ensure that only the approved state religion was established in the colonies and only good Catholics were allowed to settle in the colonies. Even Spaniards of converted Jews were not allowed in the colonies. The Inquisition was very active in the Portuguese and Spanish colonies. France after Louis XIV suppressed the Pr\otestants did the same in Canada. The situation in England was very different. The COE was the established church, but not the only church. King James I attempted to prevent the disenting churches from establishing colonies, but failed. Thus the discenting churches actually established themselves in New England, but because of Royal support for the COR and the arrival of various discenting faiths, the religious pattern in the North, especially New England became extremely varied. And as England became emeshed in the Civil War, religious trends develooped in each colony without any control or even guidance from the monarchy which was the head of the COE. The Anglican Church became especially importsnt in the southern colonies.
The idea of establishing a church became controversial, largely because there were so many other Protestant denominations in America. It should be stressed that the desenting churches were not proponents of relgious freedom. They objected to the establishment of the COE, but not the idea of establishment. They wanted to be the established church. Only over time and the development of so many different denominations did the idea of religious freedom gain ground. Thomas Jefferson considered one of his greatest achievements as govenor was the The Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom (1786). The subject was not addressed in the Constitution approved by the Contitutional Convention (1789), but to gain ratification it was in the Bill of Rights--the First Amendment.
Establishment of religion was prohibited by the First Amendment of the Constitution. As a result, the American Episcopalian Church after the Revolution had to compete on an equal footing with the other denominations.
Absolom Jones, the first black priest in the Episcopal Church, was born into slavery and became a Methodist in Philadelphia. The Methodists in Britain had been at the hear of the Abolitionist movement. In America their attitudes toward slavert were more varied. Jpnes founded a separate church for blacks, St. Thomas, which became an Episcopal Church. He purchased his freedom from slavery. He was made a deacon first, and later (1804) a
priest--the first black priest in the American Episcopal Church.
With the secession of the Southern States, the Civil War broke out (April 1861). The representatives of the Episcopal churches in the South met and organized a new church within the Condederacy--"The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States. Just as the Federal Government did not reciognized secessiion of the cSouthern states, the Church in the North did not recognize the secession of the southern churches. At the meeting of the General Convention in New York (1862), the roll call included the Southern dioceses. They were absent, bit they were still considered to be a part of the Church. This approach made a reunion after the War aelatively simple matter. The Episcopal Church in the Confederate States had a very brief existence and quickly rejoined the northern church after the War. Another factor here was that the Episcopal Church even in the north had not been a leader in the Abolitionist movement.
The Episcopalian Church, also called Anglican, is often considered to be a Protestant Church and has at time had a basically Protestant liturgy. At one time the American branch of the Anglican Church was officially called "The Protestant Episcopal Church" but the word Protestant has since been dropped, and the current Episcopal Church usually thinks of itself as a branch of Catholicism but without the doctrine of papal infallibility which was officially adopted in Rome only in the 19th century. Cardinal Newman, who had formerly been an Anglican priest, voted against it.
In many respects American Episcopalians like other Anglicans are like the Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Coptic, etc.), retaining the apostolic succession, the threefold orders of bishops, priests, and deacons, and the seven sacraments (two major and five minor). The major ones are Baptism and Holy Communion; the lesser ones are Confirmation, Ordination, Auricular Confession, Unction, and Marriage. There are three important creeds: Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian, The liturgical calendar has specific seasons (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, etc.). One aspect of union would be coordinating he colors of the vestments--violet or blue for Advent, white for Christmas, green for Epiphany, violet for Lent, red for martyrs' days, for Holy Week (the Passion), and for Pentecost (flame of the Holy Spirit)--the birthday of the Church, etc. Another issue is saints' days and special holy days that don't fall on a Sunday (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Ascension Thursday, for instance) and post-Reformation commemorations in the Anglican calendar (i.e., for great Anglican figures such as Archbishops Cranmer and Laud, poets George Herbert and John Donne, and many others (including--in the American calendar only--Martin Luther King, also Absolom Jones, the first black priest ordained (1804).
American Episcopal dioceses in the upper mid-west (Wisconsin, Illinois, Northern Indiana, for example) also are Catholic in their orientation. Often Episcopal cathedrals and major churches in big cities such as Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco lean in the Catholic direction. But there is also an Evangelcial wing of both churches which is much more Protestant in attitude and less traditional and ritualistic in worship.
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