"Am I My Brother's Keeper?": Some Roots of the Nineteenth Century Battle Between Evangelical and High Church Episcopalians.

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Authors

Saxton II, Carl M.

Issue Date

2024-12

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Thesis

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en_US

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School of Theology Thesis 2024 , University of the South , Battle , Evangelical Episcopalians , High church Episcopalians

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The Episcopal Church began with a compromise between disparate parties; one that supported the traditional office of bishop and its power, and one that wanted something entirely new and republican. The compromise led to fifty years of détente. In the middle of the nineteenth century the détente broke down, leading to an internecine war between Evangelical Episcopalians and their High Church brethren. This thesis explores the root causes of that war by examining the rise of Evangelical influence in the United States, the breakdown of that influence, and the effect of that loss on Evangelicals. The social, political, and religious pressures exerted by the loss of influence caused American Evangelicals to launch an anti- Catholic crusade of pamphlets, literature, and political machinations. Evangelical Episcopalians launched a similar crusade, but focused it internally at High Church Episcopalians rather than Roman Catholics. The public nature of that battle defined the antebellum Episcopal Church and has influenced the relationship between high and low church Episcopalians into the present.

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University of the South

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