Farsight one Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 I've just started a job as a mental health tech at a hospital that was founded by Episcopalians, and I'm interested in learning about their beliefs. Does anyone know anything about them? I've heard of them refered to as "Catholicism lite", or the more crude "hippie Catholicism", but that doesn't tell me much? If you've got sources, that would be absolutely amazing. Gracias. p.s. - not sure if this is the right place, but it seems like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomProddy Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Blarg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Wednesday Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 (edited) Episcopals are, from what I understand, the American branch of Anglicanism. Anglicanism was started when King Henry VIII separated from the church after the pope refused to grant him a divorce. Some Calvinists, fundamentalists and evangelicals historically criticized the Anglicans as being too "popish." They are regarded as a watered down version of Catholicism or middle ground between Catholicism and Evangelicism. There has been a great deal of division recently among the high Anglican church and the Episcopal church because the Episcopals are very liberal about some things, such as ordination of women and their increasing acceptance of open homosexuality. Many conservatives in high Anglicanism have converted to Catholicism. Overall the Anglican church (episcopals included) have a liturgical service that often has a look and feel of a Catholic mass, but they do not believe in transubstantiation (true presence in the Eucharist) nor do they recognize the pope. They allow married clergy, contraception, and believe abortion is permitted in some extreme cases. They have a mixed view of praying to the saints. Some are comfortable with this, some aren't. They historically were at odds with certain Catholic marian doctrines such as the immaculate conception and her assumption, though in recent years they have come to at least some agreement on the importance of Mary. If I'm wrong on any of this, one of you theology buffs can correct me. [url="http://www.request.org.uk/issues/topics/abortion/abortion05.htm"]http://www.request.org.uk/issues/topics/ab.../abortion05.htm[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicanism"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicanism[/url] Edited February 8, 2008 by Ash Wednesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 (edited) Why can't you play chess with an Anglican? The Anglican can't tell the difference between the King and the Bishop. Why can't you play chess with an Episcopalian? They have no king on their side of the board. Edited February 8, 2008 by Sacred Music Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doe-jo Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 [quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1457258' date='Feb 7 2008, 07:37 PM']Why can't you play chess with an Anglican? The Anglican can't tell the difference between the King and the Bishop. Why can't you play chess with an Episcopalian? They have no king on their side of the board.[/quote] hahahahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thequeensindian Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 [quote name='Farsight one' post='1457221' date='Feb 7 2008, 08:36 PM']I've just started a job as a mental health tech at a hospital that was founded by Episcopalians, and I'm interested in learning about their beliefs. Does anyone know anything about them? I've heard of them refered to as "Catholicism lite", or the more crude "hippie Catholicism", but that doesn't tell me much? If you've got sources, that would be absolutely amazing. Gracias. p.s. - not sure if this is the right place, but it seems like it.[/quote] I haven't got a link handy, but if you'll google "book of common prayer" and go to the section titled "An Outline of the Faith, Commonly Called the Catechism" that should answer most of your questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Yeah, that's a good idea, actually. I think I'll google it myself, (seeing I can't find my book of common prayer that I thought I still have on one of my bookshelves somewhere) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journeyman Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 [quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1457252' date='Feb 7 2008, 09:57 PM']Episcopals are, from what I understand, the American branch of Anglicanism. Anglicanism was started when King Henry VIII separated from the church after the pope refused to grant him a divorce. Some Calvinists, fundamentalists and evangelicals historically criticized the Anglicans as being too "popish." They are regarded as a watered down version of Catholicism or middle ground between Catholicism and Evangelicism.[/quote] Newman was seeking to prove Anglicanism was "another" rite . . . the "middle way" . . . when he came to the conclusion that the Anglican Church wasn't and converted to Catholicism [quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1457252' date='Feb 7 2008, 09:57 PM']Overall the Anglican church (episcopals included) have a liturgical service that often has a look and feel of a Catholic mass, but they do not believe in transubstantiation (true presence in the Eucharist) nor do they recognize the pope. They allow married clergy, contraception, and believe abortion is permitted in some extreme cases. They have a mixed view of praying to the saints. Some are comfortable with this, some aren't. They historically were at odds with certain Catholic marian doctrines such as the immaculate conception and her assumption, though in recent years they have come to at least some agreement on the importance of Mary.[/quote] maybe it was the way I was brought up . . . but I was taught transubstantiation as an Episcopal belief. The pope was not the head of the church (the English sovereign took over that role - and delegated it to the Archbishop of Canterbury for us Americans) To be honest, I don't remember any teaching on contraception or abortion . . . but that was pre Roe v. Wade . . . We didn't have as many saints . . . but we had them Marian doctrine was downplayed (but I've learned since my conversion that it was not totally absent) Catholicism lite . . . or, in my family, JV Catholic . . . seems a fair description of the Episcopal Church I grew up in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelF Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 (edited) To be fair, the Anglican (Episcopalian in the US) Communion is so loose in theology and doctrine that you can encounter groups (factions, to be more specific) that are one step away from being Roman Catholic (known as Anglo-Catholics*, quite a few of these folks [i]do[/i] make the jump to Rome, sometimes an entire Parish at once), all the way to the other end of the spectrum, whether that be the New Age-ish Universalist faction or the hardcore "Low Church" Evangelical Protestant faction (somewhat akin to the Kirk, if you know the Church of Scotland). The members of the Communion who hold fast to their Traditions (and the remnants of their Apostolic Succession, invalid though it be) and core Christian doctrine are either jumping ship (to "Continuing Anglican" organizations, the Catholic Church, or the Orthodox) or engaging in a particularly nasty trench fight with the more......"Progressive" elements (who mandate female priests**, ordination of active homosexuals, and inclusiveness at all costs, even if that means changing 2000yrs of Christian doctrine). Lots of good people caught up in the fray. I hope they either win the fight (as the disintegration of such an ancient church would be a massive blow to Christendom, wayward*** though they might be these last centuries), or find their way to Rome. OTOH, it is a fairly stark example of what happens when you make compromises in order to feel good. Eventually you don't stand for anything. *-the Anglo-Catholics gave us Cardinal Newman (whose reversion to Rome caused a huge upset in the Church of England). **-seems they get offended when you use the English feminine version of the noun Priest. Odd, that. ***-there's always hope that the mainline Protestant churches (Lutherans, Anglicans, specifically) will return to Union with the Bishop of Rome. Likely, after the Orthodox, but it will be a good start to putting Christendom back together. Edited February 9, 2008 by MichaelF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Well about the eucharist... people did believe it was Christ, but the Anglican ministers, at least in Canada have to swear before their ordination that it's only a symbol. Interesting how the congregation will think otherwise. Must be a certain longing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journeyman Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1457252' date='Feb 7 2008, 09:57 PM']Episcopals are, from what I understand, the American branch of Anglicanism. Anglicanism was started when King Henry VIII separated from the church after the pope refused to grant him a divorce. Some Calvinists, fundamentalists and evangelicals historically criticized the Anglicans as being too "popish." They are regarded as a watered down version of Catholicism or middle ground between Catholicism and Evangelicism.[/quote] Newman was seeking to prove Anglicanism was "another" rite . . . the "middle way" . . . when he came to the conclusion that the Anglican Church wasn't and converted to Catholicism [quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1457252' date='Feb 7 2008, 09:57 PM']Overall the Anglican church (episcopals included) have a liturgical service that often has a look and feel of a Catholic mass, but they do not believe in transubstantiation (true presence in the Eucharist) nor do they recognize the pope. They allow married clergy, contraception, and believe abortion is permitted in some extreme cases. They have a mixed view of praying to the saints. Some are comfortable with this, some aren't. They historically were at odds with certain Catholic marian doctrines such as the immaculate conception and her assumption, though in recent years they have come to at least some agreement on the importance of Mary.[/quote] maybe it was the way I was brought up . . . but I was taught transubstantiation as an Episcopal belief. The pope was not the head of the church (the English sovereign took over that role - and delegated it to the Archbishop of Canterbury for us Americans) To be honest, I don't remember any teaching on contraception or abortion . . . but that was pre Roe v. Wade . . . There weren't as many saints . . . but they were around (including some statues) Marian doctrine was downplayed (but I've learned since my conversion that it was not totally absent) Catholicism lite . . . or, in my family, JV Catholic . . . seems a fair description of the Episcopal Church I grew up in Links to several editions of the [url="http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/bcp.htm"]Book of Common Prayer[/url] I grew up with the 1928 BCP . . . the most significant distinction from the Catholic Mass (in my untutored - non-liturgically oriented POV) is that a general confession and general absolution were at the beginning of the service (eliminating confession/reconciliation as a prerequisite to reception of communion) Edited February 9, 2008 by journeyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelF Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 (edited) Due to the "looseness" of the Anglican Eucharistic Theology, you have Anglicans that maintain Transubstantiation (usually the High Church Anglo-Catholics), [i]con[/i]substantiation (thanks, Luther....), Pious Silence, and all possible admixtures of the above. Edited February 9, 2008 by MichaelF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 what are they? they're lame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateo el Feo Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 A couple links to the Anglican/Episcopal Catechism: [url="http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/visitors_10898_ENG_HTM.htm"]http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/visitors_10898_ENG_HTM.htm[/url] [url="http://anglicansonline.org/basics/catechism.html"]http://anglicansonline.org/basics/catechism.html[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 Unfortunately, those sites don't speak for all. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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