Customer Reviews:
Welcome to the Episcopal Church.......2007-04-16
Being an Episcopalian for over 50 years, this author provides a very comprehensive overview from the founding to almost current day, very well written for a newcomer or for a refresher.
Easy read, fairly good representation........2007-01-09
Welcome to the Episcopal Church, is a very easy read and a fairly good representation of the Episcopal Churh of the USA as it is today. It describes well the 'middle way' of Anglicans in general, and does artfully skip around the specific political issues currently being discussed within the Church. The reader should be cautioned that there is wide variety within the ECUSA regarding some of the doctrines outlined and, depending on your diocese, actual experiences will be either more protestant or more catholic. For a more scholarly history of the ECUSA and the Anglican Communion, I would recommend Ye Are the Body, by Bonnell Spencer or the writings of Charles Chapman Grafton. Of course, if you really want to learn more about the ECUSA, pick up a copy of The Book of Common Prayer.
A lightweight summary.......2005-09-08
The Rector at the church where I recently have taken a position allowed as how there are really no good summaries of Episcopalian beliefs. I read this book first and am now delving into Hatchett's Commentary on the American Prayer Book. This book is really Episcopalianism lite. It is, however, possessed of an annotated bibliography that would perhaps be more useful if the author's other works took up less of it. It is not necessarily an easy read because of the weightiness of the subject matter but it is interesting and might be handy as a gift to someone making a general inquiry into what it means to be an American Anglican.
Restored My Faith in Christianity.......2004-04-29
Christopher Webber's book "Welcome to the Episcopal Church: An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship" should really be read by all Christians not just Episcopalians or those actively seeking to convert. Before reading the book, although nominally Catholic, I had lost faith in institutional Christianity. I couldn't help but see all the major branches as doctrinaire and contradictory to the spirit of Christ's teaching on earth.
However, the Episcopal Faith (within the larger Anglican Communion) demonstrates a way that a faith can be practiced communally while still helping people. The other beauty of the book is that it is honest with the humanity and the shortcomings of the Episcopal Church.
Ultimately, it did not just give me faith in the Episcopal Church (I am seriously and prayerfully considering practicing my faith in the Episcopal Church), but let me see the essential unity of the entire Christian Church (believing basically the same thing). The Body of Christ does exist on earth, even if it needs to recover from illnesses from time to time. I would like to just send a thank you Christopher L. Webber, you truly have fulfilled your faith's obligation to ministry.
Welcome!.......2004-02-19
Christopher Webber's book, 'Welcome to the Episcopal Church', is a very good, brief introduction to the Episcopal Church in history, worship and overall faith. Often used as a study guide or textbook during confirmation and new member classes, this book provides a clear, basic, accessible and interesting narrative that is easy to follow and easy to learn.
The Episcopal Church is the official version of the Anglican Church (Church of England) in the United States. For historical reasons, after the American Revolution the Church of England in America could no longer remain the Church of England -- the tendency toward national autonomy among Anglican church structures generally holds true as a pattern today. Webber's book does not go into the complexities of general church history -- the history of the church prior to the Reformation is a shared history, and can be learned elsewhere. The Church of England proper grew out of the Reformation, and the American pattern of the church derives from this. Webber continues his history by looking at colonial period, the revolutionary period, the growth period in the early nineteenth century, and the continuing developments in the church up to the present.
Webber's chapter on worship looks not just at the traditional liturgy (often considered the centre of the worship life), but also the architecture, music, and various other aspects. The Episcopal church is one of sacramental life with a Eucharistic centre (although this has not always been true in performance), and the Book of Common Prayer is more formative of the community than any set of dogmas or doctrines. Webber makes a claim for the Episcopal church which is generally true for most churches -- worship defines community, it defines the church.
The lionshare of the book is concerned with what one might call 'faith matters'. There are chapters on the Bible, church teaching (partly tradition, partly catechism), general spirituality, ecclesiology and evangelism. At each point, the Book of Common Prayer and the liturgy of worship come into play as informative and linked to the topics. The Anglican triad of Scripture, Reason and Tradition, in a flexible relationship with each other, none of the three completely dominant, pervades these chapters.
Each chapter ends with a series of questions for further thought and discussion, which makes this a useful text for use in small groups and classrooms as well as personal instruction. There is a useful guide at the end of the book for further reading in the topics of Anglicanism, church history, worship, and others.
There is a foreword by Frank Griswold, the current presiding bishop for the Episcopal church, who sees this book as part of the welcome that Episcopalians typically hope to extend to all newcomers and visitors to the church. This book is welcome indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Welcome to Sunday.......2006-08-08
I am a life long Episcopalian and found this book full of useful information. I highly recommend this book for every
Episcopalian or for someone wanting to learn about the Episcopal Church.
Clear Concise, Informative.......2005-09-03
My wife and I are former Methodists who have attended an Episcopal church for the past 18 months. We are attracted by the Eucharistic service but don't wish to "check our brains at the door", as would be required by the Bishop of Rome. I bought this book because I wanted basic information on the background and meaning of the service we so recently found. The book didn't disappoint me. The author explains the traditional architectural styles and floor plans, the roles of the Ministry and the Laity, and the Christian year as it is observed in the Episcopal church. The author systematically works his way through a typical service, explaining in adequate depth for all but the budding theologian, the origins and meanings of each part. He also discusses trends within the church, for example, to include more elements of the Eastern Orthodox service. Each chapter ends with questions for thought and further discussion. This would make it a great book for an adolescent or adult discussion group. If you want a book to explain the Episcopal (Rites I and II) service in a methodical and easily understood fashion, this is a great start.
It happens every Sunday..........2004-02-19
Christopher Webber's book, 'Welcome to Sunday', is an excellent companion to the volume 'Welcome to the Episcopal Church'. Together, these books often form a curriculum of sorts for inquirers' classes, confirmation classes and new member conversations. This particular volume, as the title suggests, concentrates on the Sunday worship experience, the centre of most every church.
The Episcopal Church is the official version of the Anglican Church (Church of England) in the United States. For historical reasons, after the American Revolution the Church of England in America could no longer remain the Church of England -- the tendency toward national autonomy among Anglican church structures generally holds true as a pattern today.
Webber's first chapter looks at architecture and space considerations. Most Americans are familiar with basic differences in church design depending upon denomination. The Episcopal church actually has a wide variety of architectural styles incorporated into their many churches, but there are some patterns that generally hold true (with exceptions, of course). Most Episcopal churches can be noted by a red door -- red draws attention to the entrance. Episcopal churches will almost always have the altar as the centre element, with a pulpit raised but to the side. The baptismal font is always somewhere, but again design can locate it almost anywhere.
The chapter on ministry talks not only about the three-fold ordained ministry of bishops, priests and deacons as well as the ministry of the laity. The Episcopal church has been in a mode of recovering the importance of lay ministry, but there is still a long way to go in that regard. Webber compares the ministry definitions of the four orders as laid out in the catechism of the Book of Common Prayer and as they appear in the New Testament scriptures -- alas, a visit to any Episcopal church on any Sunday, however, will show the sharp contrast and division of types of ministry.
Webber's chapter on how to worship looks at practical pieces such as posture, prayer positions, silences, vestments and clothing, and other physical aspects. One of the more confusing aspects for newcomers to Episcopal churches is knowing what to do and when, and sometimes following the congregation does not quite work out well. There is a lot of ceremony, and a lot of 'doing' in the church, which reflects the incarnational aspect as well as the sacramental aspect of the church.
Webber's final three chapters look at the liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. The church year discusses the differences in the seasons (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost) as well as saint's days and ordinary time. The final two chapters look at the structure of the liturgy in its two primary pieces -- ministry of Word and ministry of sacrament. Both follow patterns adapted from ancient sources that involve the reading aloud scripture, singing (congregational, choir and celebrant), recitation of faith contained in creeds, and the performance of the Eucharist. Webber's descriptions here are precise without being overly technical, and are useful as descriptions in instructed Eucharists.
Each chapter ends with a series of questions for further thought and discussion, which makes this a useful text for use in small groups and classrooms as well as personal instruction. Worship is the heart of the church, and as Webber states, it is where the church begins. God does not need us to worship (indeed, God does not need anything from us), but we worship and praise nonetheless to God's glory. This book tells how this special group of Christians called Episcopalians set about the task with reverence and care.
Great Introduction to Sunday.......2004-02-13
This book serves as a short introduction to the Episcopal Church's Sunday service. As a newcomer to the church, this book helped me understand "what was happening" during Sunday Eucharist (communion). The author writes with sensitivity and openness. I'd also recommend "Welcome to the Episcopal Church" (same author) as an excellent more general introduction to the church's history, beliefs, and practices.
Book Description
From birthday cakes and anniversary dinners to summer vacations at the beach, each family has its own ways of marking the days and seasons of its life. For the Christian family—especially Episcopalians—it's no different. With an array of colors and an assortment of rich traditions, Episcopalians move through the Church year, marking the days and seasons that tell the story of Christ in our lives—in history and today.
This book—written for newcomers to the Episcopal Church as well as lifelong members—takes readers by the hand and leads them through the Church year, from the first Sunday of Advent through the last Sunday of Pentecost, answering questions like "Why do we use purple in Lent?" and "What does Maundy Thursday mean?" In an easy-to-read conversational style, Welcome to the Church Year introduces readers to the traditions of the Church seasons and explains why we do what we do. But it does more than offer interesting trivia about church vestments and pageantry. Its insights can help readers participate in the liturgies of the Church year in a deeper, more meaningful way.
Customer Reviews:
Time after time..........2006-03-24
Time is a tricky thing to deal with theologically. There are elements of repetition, and elements of once-only. In our church experience, we look back on the once-only kinds of events (both historical and revelatory) through a cyclical pattern that has varying spans; perhaps the most significant is that of the church year, which follows the progress of the seasons, allowing for variation, but also adding stability to the way in which we as a community approach God and the narratives surrounding God's action in the world.
As Vicki Black states, there are two primary cycles in the church year. The first is the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle, and the second is the Lent-Easter-Pentecost cycle. Traditionally, the church year is said to begin at the first Sunday of Advent. This day is always the fourth Sunday before Christmas; while Christmas is always December 25, the variability in the calendar means that the actual date for the beginning of Advent changes from year to year. This cycle continues through the Epiphany, after which 'ordinary' time takes place until the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. ('Ordinary' time refers to the fact that these weeks are numbered with ordinal numbers - second Sunday after Epiphany, etc., and not to the fact that they are outside any of the greater seasons of the church.)
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on different dates in different years, dependent upon the date of Easter. Unlike Christmas, which is fixed on the calendar (which is the Roman solar calendar still in primary use in the world), Easter shifts from year to year, as it is pegged to the Jewish celebration of the Passover, which is governed by a lunar calendar. Lent lasts for 40 days (exclusive of Sundays) until Easter. Holy Week is technically a part of Lent, but has different colours and aspects as things go up to Easter; the Easter season continues until the feast of the Pentecost 50 days later, at which time the church goes into the second, longer period of 'ordinary' time, until the advent of the next Advent season.
Black discusses each of these six elements (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter-Pentecost) in separate chapters, along with a special chapter on Holy Week, and an introductory chapter. Black's development is personal, in that she discusses how she incorporates this into her family with her husband and son; she also allows for variations of practice in different parishes and dioceses. There is a minimum of technical language here - the text is very accessible, yet doesn't 'talk down' to the reader. It is both engaging and inviting.
The book can be used by a discussion group at the church - despite the division into eight chapters, it could easily be used as a Lenten discussion book or for an inquirer's class to learn aspects of the church year. There are potential discussion questions listed at the back of each chapter. The book itself is rather short and easily read in a short time, but can be useful as a reference throughout the year, too.
This is part of a series by Morehouse Press, which also includes 'Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer' (also by Vicki Black), 'Welcome to Sunday' and 'Welcome to the Episcopal Church' (both by Christopher Webber). All of these books are great as introductions to the ways (sometimes mysterious) Episcopalians do things in church - useful for newcomers as well as life-long members who might never have learned the 'why' behind what the church does.
The Mystery of Christ in Time.......2006-01-01
This book is a wonderful introduction to the ways that Episcopalians/Anglicans both celebrate and remember the redemptive work of God in Jesus and then in the Holy Spirit. It is a short work that is easy to read, and includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter, making it idea for small-group discussions inside and outside of church.
Vicki Black is a deaconess in the Episcopal Church, USA. She writes as a fellow Christian on the way, as well as someone who has truly lived the Church Year and pondered its meaning deeply in her heart. One of the most personal elements of the book, however, is that she also writes as the mother of two young boys. Throughout the book she discusses different ways that she and her husband have sought to make the different feasts and fasts intelligible to her elder son (who was 5 years old at the time this book was written) so that, rather than being diverted by Santa Clause and the Easter bunny, he might see Christ more clearly.
There are seven seasons in the Church Year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter to Pentecost, and Pentecost/Trinity. At the heart of it all is the belief that Christmas did not simply happens 2,000 years ago, but happens now, "in the mystery of God choosing to dwell within humankind, a mystery that transcends all time" (p. 5). While discussing the seasons, Black discusses the development of both universal and local traditions, the history behind the seasons, the current liturgy in the Episcopal Church, USA, as well the Biblical readings and themes that permeate each season. A truly holistic worldview emerges.
I began reading this book shortly before Christmas Eve (so, while still in the season of Epiphany), and just finished it today, December 31, 2005. While America as a secular nation will celebrate tomorrow as "New Year's Day", I learned that in the Western Church, we celebrate tomorrow as the "Feast of the Holy Name". While in the secular arena, Christmas is just one day, I learned that for Christians, Christmas is a season that lasts for 12 days: from Christmas day to Epiphany (Jan. 6).
What has been opened up for me in reading this book is a sense that regardless of whatever national days or natural seasons are going on around me, there is a "higher" time that constantly is turning to God's own redemptive activity. It both fills the heart and the mind.
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat dated, but useful nonetheless..........2004-06-16
In many ways, this book is of a different age. While it will provide insight into the Episcopal Church, it is probably not the best introduction to the current state of affairs of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Originally published in 1935, it has various writing conventions that have been dropped (always calling the apostle Paul `St. Paul', for example) by many academic writers. This is very much a book of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer mindset; in that regard, many can find use for this book as a counter to more modern trends in the church.
The book is fairly brief, consisting of ten chapters on the following topics: History, Government, Bible, Prayer Book, Lore, Prayer Life, Moral Law, Doctrine, Sacraments, and Requirements. This was intended in many ways as a study guide for Confirmation candidates; to this end, there are several sections at the conclusion dealing with Preparation for Confirmation, a guide to Self-Evaluation, some Prayers, and a short Bibliography of Christian Classics Bernardin identifies as significant in general Christian history, such as writings by Augustine.
The book is a very practical guide in many ways - it explains various practices and liturgical pieces well. It deals with basic theological propositions such as the meaning and development of creeds, particular regular worship pieces, and general moral and governance issues in the church. It does not get bogged down too much in great detail, but doesn't skimp on the information either - rather, Bernardin set out essentially to explain the practice and the belief of the typical church for newcomers and interested but uneducated regular attenders alike.
Bernardin touches briefly on the issues of history, going back to the early church in New Testament times, following through to the Reformation, up to the present time. The development of Prayer Books over time is also briefly covered, but primarily as a means to illustrate why the current Book of Common Prayer has the shape it does.
While this would not be my first choice for an introduction to the church for the average Episcopalian or non-Episcopalian interested in learning more, it is certainly a useful guide, tending toward the more conservative side; for those for whom this orientation is important, this book will be especially welcome.
An Easy Read.......2002-09-17
This book is an easy read - one to two hours max. Huge print! However basic info on Episcopalian doctrine/ belief. Just as the title suggests.
An Informative Overview.......2001-07-17
I used this book in addition to the Confirmation classes I took at our Cathedral. It gave me the opportunity to study more in-depth the history and doctrines of the denomination I was becoming a part of. The book is clear, and laid out well for reference purposes. Recommended for anyone seeking to learn more about the Episcopal Church.
A CLASSIC.......1998-09-28
THIS IS MUST READING FOR EVERY SERIOUS EPISCOPALIAN. I THINK IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR CONFIRMATION. IT IS SO REFRESHING TO READ SOMETHING RELIGIOUS BY SOMEONE WHO IS TERRIBLY WELL EDUCATED. SO DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE RUBBISH YOU SEE UNDER THE GUISE OF "RELIGION" NOWADAYS.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Thorough Introduction to Hooker's Laws Available.......2005-05-14
Richard Hooker was, unarguably, the greatest theologian of Elizabethan England and his Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity are his greatest and most well-renowned work. This two-volume set, however, is not a translation of Richard Hooker's Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity but is, instead, a complete commentary on it. The first volume contains over 400 pages of essays (one on each book of Hooker's Laws), followed by a commentary on books I - IV. The second volume contains a commentary on books V - VIII, a list of Scriptural passages cited and a lengthy bibliography.
For those that are looking to get their hands on a commentary to Hooker's Laws, this is your one-stop shop. This set is part of the Folger Library of the Complete Works of Richard Hooker, which is edited by some of the greatest living historians and theologians in the English-speaking Anglican Communion. Therefore, if you are looking for a commentary, quite a lot of information on Hooker's theologya and on the early Church of England, this is your best place to start. Hooker is portrayed in the essays and commentary as part of the reformed English Catholicism that begins, in many ways, with Thomas Cranmer and his arguments with Calvinists and Roman Catholics are discussed in minute detail throughout the commentary (as one might expect!). In reading volume one alone, the average person (such as myself) is likely to learn as much about Hooker and company as s/he is ever likely to need to know.
Sadly, if you are looking to purchase Hooker's Laws, you need to keep looking. Besides the Complete Works available here on Amazon, there is a selection of the Laws in the series "Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought" and a modernized "translation" by Philip Secor of the most important section of the Laws (Book V) under the title "On Anglican Faith and Worship". But, this two-volume set will certainly complement any library of Anglican thought, and is the most thorough introduction to Hooker's Laws that you are likely to find.
Average customer rating:
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This Bread, This Cup: An Introduction to the Eucharist
Anna D. Gulick
Manufacturer: Morehouse Pub Co
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ASIN: 0819215910 |
Books:
- Would You Rather : Over 200 Absolutely Absurd Dilemmas to Ponder
- You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition)
- A History of Pagan Europe
- A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
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- All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7)
- An Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi`ism
- Born O'Hurley (The Last Honest Woman / Dance to the Piper)
- Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living
Books Index
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