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The Church in the Canadian era: The first century of confederation
John Webster Grant?s The Church in the Canadian Era was originally published in 1972. It remains a classic and important text on the history of the Canadian churches since Confederation. This updated edition has been expanded to include a chapter on recent history as well as a new bibliographical survey. Its approach is ecumenical, taking account not only of the whole range of Christian denominations but of sources in both national languages.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1988
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December 3, 2020
It is with good reason that "The Church in the Canadian Era" has become the standard text chronicling the history of Christianity in Canada beginning in 1867, the year of Confederation. In this book, historian John Webster Grant traces how the major denominations established themselves in the new country of Canada and how they mobilized themselves in Canada's unique context. Throughout its history, Canada has been caught between the immediate influence of its southern neighbour and its European (British and French) heritage and this dynamic has impacted Canadian churches (p. 207-8). Grant identifies four key factors that shaped Canadian church history: “settlers, missionaries, novelty of the environment and the pull of the metropolis” (p. 11). Due to Canada's vast range, denominations were driven to merge in order to share scant resources and effectively minister to far-flung communities (nowhere is this more in evidence than the formation of the United Church of Canada in 1925, comprising most of Canada's Presbyterians and Canadian Methodists and Congregationalists). The denominations’ own inability to provide adequate pastoral care resulted in such roles being taken over by religious enthusiasts who lacked church backing (p. 12). Churches, particularly in the West, adopted a pragmatic strategy, relinquishing religious accoutrements that the rugged settlers did not appreciate and providing social networks in areas that lacked such social infrastructure, though these churches faced their own challenges (p. 13, 48-52).
Grant narrates the early days of Canada and its churches, which sought to Christianize the nation and sent missionaries westwards into the frontier. Figures such as the Roman Catholic priest Albert Lacombe, the Methodist George McDougall, and (the delightfully named) Anglican William Bompas were active in ministering to First Nations and settlers in Canada’s west (p. 33-35). These missionaries played an invaluable role as they conducted negotiations not only between the First Nations and the government but among First Nations tribes themselves, encouraged the First Nations to adopt a settled, sedentary lifestyle and provided services such as education (p. 35). In light of the recent scandals at residential schools, Grant reminds readers that the churches played a major role in the integration of First Nations into Western culture.
Although he notes the impact of such movements such as the social gospel and neo-orthodoxy Grant's history is lighter on theological issues. Part of the reason is that controversies such as biblical criticism and Darwinism had little impact on the early days of Canada’s churches, although Queen’s University became a bastion of new intellectual ideas as its professors imported and disseminated German ideas and theories among Canadian students (p. 10-11, 61). He is also attentive to the changing character of Canadian culture, such as urbanization and the waves of immigration and how these created both opportunities and challenges as the churches, especially the United Church, sought to become the institutions that would provide cohesion in a pluralizing culture. Much of Canadian Protestantism in the early part of the 20th century was committed to moral and social reform, such as advocating for prohibition (p. 79). The post-war period provided its own tumult and struggles, often leading the churches into wacky liturgical experiments and eager embrace of philosophical and theological fads such as “death of God” and “process” theology (p. 196-9, 200-1). The churches began serving as therapeutic institutions as battle-scarred veterans tried to adjust to normal family life after the trenches of the Second World War (p. 174). Grant’s discussion of the churches’ role as places of therapy is important. To this day, psychology is often incorporated into Christian teaching, but whereas evangelicals may value the insights of figures such as Larry Crabb and David Benner, those who ultimately rejected religion may have sought their salvation on the psychiatrist’s couch rather than the church pew.
Grant notes that the formation of the United Church, while an achievement in and of itself, came at a time when social involvement and experience were valued over theological orthodoxy (p. 102). This focus on social reform allowed the uniqueness of Christian tenets to disintegrate in the United Church; the practice of good works can be carried out regardless of religious conviction and as the liberal wing swung against fundamentalist attacks it forced evangelicals out of the church. Today the United Church continues to carry out beneficial work, such as offering ESL classes in its churches, but one wonders how tied these are to evangelism? Grant astutely emphasizes a pervading sense of optimism present in Canada about the country’s future (and predicted ascendancy) in the twentieth century, though this seems to be significantly more humble than the American vision of Manifest Destiny. This optimism may remain in the Canadian character as Canadians are popularly depicted as tolerant, inclusive, peaceful and responsible. Yet at the same time, this optimism could seldom accept the reality of sin and corruption and this may account for the United Church’s liberal views regarding ethics and theology.
One downside is that Grant spends most of his time focusing on traditional denominations, particularly the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians; less attention is given to denominations that emerged in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, such as the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Church of the Nazarene and Pentecostals. Additionally, because this history is not limited to one denomination, Grant goes back and forth between regions and churches at a sometimes frenetic pace (save for the province's rapid secularization in the 1960s, Quebec is the most static as Roman Catholicism was easily the dominant Christian tradition, providing its people with guidance in education, economics and community activity). More focus is played on eastern Canada as these regions were the first to be settled. The first edition of "The Church in the Canadian Era" was published in 1972 and moves little beyond the events of the Second Vatican Council; the 1988 edition narrates the slight recovery the churches enjoyed from 1975-onwards following a period of doubt and uncertainty between the 1960s-1974 (Canada had actually had a startling religious boom from 1945-60). As such, the book is becoming dated as subsequent developments in Canadian church history, such as the Toronto Blessing and the fracturing of Canadian Anglicanism are not accounted for. Grant also, unfortunately, relies on some archaic terms such as "Eskimos" instead of "Inuit." I would like to have seen a better analysis on the role of politics and religion (Tommy Douglas, one of the most beloved Canadians of all time and a Baptist minister and party leader is only mentioned in passing once); as Grant himself notes, the usurpation of education, healthcare and ethical direction allowed Canadians to neglect the church by limiting it to a purely spiritual role and so how this played out should have received further discussion (this should also give pause to those believers who laud the crumbling of cultural Christendom; removing Christianity from places of influence in the public sphere helped make Christianity seem irrelevant to Canadians because they never engaged with the faith unless they voluntarily attended a religious service). Abortion, one of the most contentious issues dividing Canadians to this day, does not receive the attention it warrants.
Still, this is a classic and is an essential text for the study Canadian Christianity as it presents a very broad and inclusive narrative of the churches of Canada. Of particular use for readers and those involved in ministry is Grant’s discussion of the effects of urbanization. The city provided Canadians with more leisure activities and opportunities than those found in rural towns. These recreational activities rivaled regular Sunday worship and potentially threatened an individual’s faith entirely. The situation is much the same today in Canada’s cities as Saturday nightlife can ebb into the early hours of Sunday morning, most stores are open for shopping on Sundays and it takes relatively little time to escape the city for a nature excursion like kayaking or hiking. This array of activity accounts for one of the reasons why cities tend to be less religious than rural areas. Grant chronicles the growing irrelevancy that the churches had in the minds of Canadians as the churches’ influence was curbed by increased government activity, their failure in responding effectively to social change and their embrace of theological and liturgical novelty. All these culminated in the church losing its role as the conscience of Canada (p. 204).
Grant narrates the early days of Canada and its churches, which sought to Christianize the nation and sent missionaries westwards into the frontier. Figures such as the Roman Catholic priest Albert Lacombe, the Methodist George McDougall, and (the delightfully named) Anglican William Bompas were active in ministering to First Nations and settlers in Canada’s west (p. 33-35). These missionaries played an invaluable role as they conducted negotiations not only between the First Nations and the government but among First Nations tribes themselves, encouraged the First Nations to adopt a settled, sedentary lifestyle and provided services such as education (p. 35). In light of the recent scandals at residential schools, Grant reminds readers that the churches played a major role in the integration of First Nations into Western culture.
Although he notes the impact of such movements such as the social gospel and neo-orthodoxy Grant's history is lighter on theological issues. Part of the reason is that controversies such as biblical criticism and Darwinism had little impact on the early days of Canada’s churches, although Queen’s University became a bastion of new intellectual ideas as its professors imported and disseminated German ideas and theories among Canadian students (p. 10-11, 61). He is also attentive to the changing character of Canadian culture, such as urbanization and the waves of immigration and how these created both opportunities and challenges as the churches, especially the United Church, sought to become the institutions that would provide cohesion in a pluralizing culture. Much of Canadian Protestantism in the early part of the 20th century was committed to moral and social reform, such as advocating for prohibition (p. 79). The post-war period provided its own tumult and struggles, often leading the churches into wacky liturgical experiments and eager embrace of philosophical and theological fads such as “death of God” and “process” theology (p. 196-9, 200-1). The churches began serving as therapeutic institutions as battle-scarred veterans tried to adjust to normal family life after the trenches of the Second World War (p. 174). Grant’s discussion of the churches’ role as places of therapy is important. To this day, psychology is often incorporated into Christian teaching, but whereas evangelicals may value the insights of figures such as Larry Crabb and David Benner, those who ultimately rejected religion may have sought their salvation on the psychiatrist’s couch rather than the church pew.
Grant notes that the formation of the United Church, while an achievement in and of itself, came at a time when social involvement and experience were valued over theological orthodoxy (p. 102). This focus on social reform allowed the uniqueness of Christian tenets to disintegrate in the United Church; the practice of good works can be carried out regardless of religious conviction and as the liberal wing swung against fundamentalist attacks it forced evangelicals out of the church. Today the United Church continues to carry out beneficial work, such as offering ESL classes in its churches, but one wonders how tied these are to evangelism? Grant astutely emphasizes a pervading sense of optimism present in Canada about the country’s future (and predicted ascendancy) in the twentieth century, though this seems to be significantly more humble than the American vision of Manifest Destiny. This optimism may remain in the Canadian character as Canadians are popularly depicted as tolerant, inclusive, peaceful and responsible. Yet at the same time, this optimism could seldom accept the reality of sin and corruption and this may account for the United Church’s liberal views regarding ethics and theology.
One downside is that Grant spends most of his time focusing on traditional denominations, particularly the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians; less attention is given to denominations that emerged in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, such as the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Church of the Nazarene and Pentecostals. Additionally, because this history is not limited to one denomination, Grant goes back and forth between regions and churches at a sometimes frenetic pace (save for the province's rapid secularization in the 1960s, Quebec is the most static as Roman Catholicism was easily the dominant Christian tradition, providing its people with guidance in education, economics and community activity). More focus is played on eastern Canada as these regions were the first to be settled. The first edition of "The Church in the Canadian Era" was published in 1972 and moves little beyond the events of the Second Vatican Council; the 1988 edition narrates the slight recovery the churches enjoyed from 1975-onwards following a period of doubt and uncertainty between the 1960s-1974 (Canada had actually had a startling religious boom from 1945-60). As such, the book is becoming dated as subsequent developments in Canadian church history, such as the Toronto Blessing and the fracturing of Canadian Anglicanism are not accounted for. Grant also, unfortunately, relies on some archaic terms such as "Eskimos" instead of "Inuit." I would like to have seen a better analysis on the role of politics and religion (Tommy Douglas, one of the most beloved Canadians of all time and a Baptist minister and party leader is only mentioned in passing once); as Grant himself notes, the usurpation of education, healthcare and ethical direction allowed Canadians to neglect the church by limiting it to a purely spiritual role and so how this played out should have received further discussion (this should also give pause to those believers who laud the crumbling of cultural Christendom; removing Christianity from places of influence in the public sphere helped make Christianity seem irrelevant to Canadians because they never engaged with the faith unless they voluntarily attended a religious service). Abortion, one of the most contentious issues dividing Canadians to this day, does not receive the attention it warrants.
Still, this is a classic and is an essential text for the study Canadian Christianity as it presents a very broad and inclusive narrative of the churches of Canada. Of particular use for readers and those involved in ministry is Grant’s discussion of the effects of urbanization. The city provided Canadians with more leisure activities and opportunities than those found in rural towns. These recreational activities rivaled regular Sunday worship and potentially threatened an individual’s faith entirely. The situation is much the same today in Canada’s cities as Saturday nightlife can ebb into the early hours of Sunday morning, most stores are open for shopping on Sundays and it takes relatively little time to escape the city for a nature excursion like kayaking or hiking. This array of activity accounts for one of the reasons why cities tend to be less religious than rural areas. Grant chronicles the growing irrelevancy that the churches had in the minds of Canadians as the churches’ influence was curbed by increased government activity, their failure in responding effectively to social change and their embrace of theological and liturgical novelty. All these culminated in the church losing its role as the conscience of Canada (p. 204).
January 8, 2017
An interesting read! I thought it would be interesting to read about the Church in Canada, since I have studied much about the Church in the United States. Grant did a good job of giving a concise history of Canada. I really got a feel for the environment of the times from beginning to end. I could tell how Canadian culture shaped the way they did church there.
As I continued to read, I could tell he had a bias toward liberal churches, specifically his denomination, but it did not mar the book. One of his predictions near the end of the book did turn out to be wrong. He encouraged conservative churches to put more energy into marketing their church like a product to consumers. Our consumer mentality of church has overwhelmed the message we preach in some ways today. Grant could not see it in his time, so his prediction, along with other church historians of his day, is understandable. But now we see mostly passive, middle class churches looking to take and not give to the church. In many ways we have lost our missionary zeal to a consumer attitude, but that is a subject for another day.
I do wish this book would be updated to reflect the church in Canada after the 80s. This was a good read!
As I continued to read, I could tell he had a bias toward liberal churches, specifically his denomination, but it did not mar the book. One of his predictions near the end of the book did turn out to be wrong. He encouraged conservative churches to put more energy into marketing their church like a product to consumers. Our consumer mentality of church has overwhelmed the message we preach in some ways today. Grant could not see it in his time, so his prediction, along with other church historians of his day, is understandable. But now we see mostly passive, middle class churches looking to take and not give to the church. In many ways we have lost our missionary zeal to a consumer attitude, but that is a subject for another day.
I do wish this book would be updated to reflect the church in Canada after the 80s. This was a good read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews