Living With History (New Church's Teaching Series)

by Fredrica Harris Thompsett

Fredrica Harris Thompsett, a scholar of the English Reformation, introduces us to the role that history has played in creating and shaping the Episcopal Church as we know it today. In giving us the broad lessons of Anglican history, she explores in detail both the historian's task and Anglicanism's distinctive history, from its roots in Scripture and the English language Bible and prayerbook to its seventeenth century flowering in poetry and prose and the different forms it has assumed in the American landscape from the time of the Revolution right through to the late 20th century.

Thompsett begins by discussing the relationship between history, tradition, and change, and goes on to outline ten key "touchstones" or milestones in Christian history that are of particular interest to Anglicans. Since it is the historian's task to write the "unwritten" as well as the official story of the church, chapter three is a history of ministry in the church, especially of lay ministry. Chapter four looks at three ways that Anglicans have handled conflict and controversy throughout its history, concentrating on the Elizabethan Settlement, the American Civil War, and the impact of Darwin and the new science. Chapter five discusses how theological insight can be "recycled" to shed new light on the problems of today, focusing on Anglican theology of creation and how it helps us address ecology as a spiritual crisis. Finally, chapter six focuses on how a living historical tradition affects the life and mission of the church today, and how we are a part of that history.

Genres: Religion, History

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 1999

Reviews

[Riley Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the history of the Episcopal Church and Anglicanism in general.

[Tynan Brooks]

Doesn't say much.

[Cara Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

She definitely kept me engaged, although I’m not sure how well it’ll help me prepare for the GOEs. Fascinating in a nerdy, theological sort of way, however!

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thompsett is a skilled author who describes the historian's craft adeptly in this volume of the New Church's Teaching Series. Her method is helpful for encouraging us to perceive the history of the church and our own current activities in the church as part of an enfolding history. This is important in that the assertion that the "golden age" of the church is an illusion, and that there are pillars of faith in our own time just as in times past with stories that matter, and which help us interpret and respond to needs of our current day.

I just wish the book were a bit more engaging and had a stronger sense of continuity from chapter to chapter. This isn't a history book that moves chronologically; it is a practical philosophy book with the discipline of history as its subject instead of a book that gives the reader a sense of the history of the Episcopal Church within the Christian tradition. I was perhaps coming to the book expecting something different.

Definitely worth reading if you're interested in reading the entire series. Other books in the series have been more meaningful and engaging for me.

[Joshua Booher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewing series as a whole: This was a good series. It helped shaped the way I think about the Episcopal Church. It has greatly improved my ability to mentor an EfM group. However, my take was that a lot of the books duplicated the same ground and did not necessarily cover the ground they were supposed to cove based on their title and descriptions. Overall, they were helpful, though.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

For June book group when we're looking at the "Old Covenant" part of the catechism.

This was a cohesive and easy read on how the Episcopal Church & Anglican Communion has encountered its own history and lives into the present.