The Episcopal Church is a blend of Catholic and Protestant traditions that formed during the birth of America. It has over 2 million members, is characterized by its liberal social justice leanings, and has a non-fundamentalist approach to interpreting Scripture. Episcopal theology emphasizes the meaning of scriptural passages rather than literal details. The church has maintained approximately 7,000 churches in the United States alone and at least 1,000,000 members since 1925. It was the first to ordain a woman as a priest and is led by a woman, primate Katharine Schori. It was also among the first to ordain African-American or openly gay priests and to allow priests to perform gay marriages.
The Episcopal Church, a blend of Catholic and Protestant traditions, was one of several major Protestant movements that formed during the birth of America. During this period, Anglican Christian settlers formed their own Reformed versions of Lutheran theology which did not require them to bow to the British monarchy. Episcopal theology shapes the faith and beliefs of over 2,000,000 members in the early 21st century, making it the fourth major denomination after Methodist, Evangelical, and Presbyterian sects. It is largely characterized by its liberal social justice leanings and non-fundamentalist approach to interpreting Scripture.
The attraction for many faithful is the interpretive approach of episcopal theology of the Old and New Testaments, particularly when it recounts the life and times of Jesus Christ. The leaders, called bishops and priests just like in the Catholic faith, preach to accentuate the meaning of scriptural passages as much as, if not more, by emphasizing literal details. For example, a survey of Episcopal Church members conducted by the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA) found that proponents of Episcopal theology agreed 68 percent that evolution was responsible for the rise of human civilization.
This lack of fundamentalism is further illustrated by other dichotomies found in the ARDA findings. Congregation members agreed 96.5 percent that there is a universal spirit, or God, and 92 percent that religion could lead to eternal life. Only 40 percent of those same believers, however, believed in the existence of an actual place called hell. Furthermore, while 71 percent agree that there are official standards by which to lead a moral life, only 27 percent would consider themselves conservative.
Episcopal theology began in 1789 and reached its greatest popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. The church had up to 3,500,000 worshipers in 1966, at the height of the Vietnam War and civil rights movement. Since 1925, the church has maintained approximately 7,000 churches in the United States alone and at least 1,000,000 members. Church theology has also taken root abroad, in places like Nigeria. For decades, Episcopal congregations have been largely antiwar, democratic, registered to vote, and community service oriented.
Widely known for a series of “firsts” in major Protestant organizations, Episcopal theology was the first to spur an Anglican religious body to ordain a woman as a priest, in 1976; in 2011, the church is led by a woman, primate Katharine Schori. He was also among the first to ordain African-American or openly gay priests and to allow priests to perform gay marriages.
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