What
Makes Us Episcopalians?
John E. Booty
Quotation from “Burnt Norton” in FOUR QUARTETS by T.S. Eliot; copyright © 1943 by T.S. Eliot, renewed 1971 by Esme Valerie Eliot. Reprinted by permission of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Copyright © 1982 John E. Booty
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
Cover design by Annika Baumgardner
Morehouse Publishing, 4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
Morehouse Publishing, 445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Morehouse Publishing is an imprint of Church Publishing Incorporated
ISBN: 978-0-8192-1302-0
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
1. Roots in England; Testing in America
2. Scripture Unfolds God's Sacred Drama
3. Tradition Illuminates the Mind of the Church
4. Faith Needs Reason and Reason Needs Grace
5. Active Charity Bolsters Faith
6. Knowing and Doing the Truth
Preface
This small book reprints for wider use a series of articles commissioned by and printed in The Episcopalian. The subject matter was dictated in a large part by the conviction that over against distorting voices and tendencies there was need to explore our identity as Episcopalians and as members of world-wide Anglicanism. Our identity consists of many things, not the least being the comprehensive nature of our tradition and the way in which people of great diversity are united by a common recognition of Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience as authoritative in all that we think, say and do. The comprehensiveness of the Episcopal Church is not placid and sterile, as some believe. It is characterized by a creative tension constituted by the dynamic interaction of the four poles of authority. This creative tension at times strains and threatens to break the bonds of charity as divers people emphasize one or another of the poles to the exclusion of the others. The threat of schism recurs time and again in the midst of discussions, controversies and confusion, the inevitable consequences of a living church pursuing its mission in a constantly changing society. As Episcopalians we strive to hold to and justly honor the authority of Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience in the right proportion, giving full weight to each, acknowledging the proper authority due to each one in their relation one to another. We acknowledge, as we do this, the tension between them and recognize in that tension a creative dynamism. The tension is at times disturbing and sometimes verges upon the intolerable, but it provides to us a lively dynamism and makes it possible for us to adapt to the new without denying the values of the old. That we don't always succeed, that the interactions and tensions are complex and beyond the ken of many, and that being an Episcopalian can be hard work is admitted and I hope illuminated in the following pages. It is this very creative tension that appeals to many questing people in our complex and dangerous era as not only viable but necessary.
Continuous education, through the entire stretch of life, is obviously of vital importance to Episcopalians as they make day-to-day decisions in relation to Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience. It is hoped that this little book may serve as a tool in such education. There has already been some use made of the articles as a basis for study and discussion. There are six chapters, the first is introductory and presents some historical background, introducing the main themes, the next four are given over to separate considerations of Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience, and the last is a conclusion and reflects on where we have been in the course of our study and on the meaning or meanings of it all. The book could be the basis for a six week study course, during Lent or at some other convenient time. The study leader might want to draw up questions for discussion and assign different members of the study group to begin discussion when the group meets by means of a brief consideration of the question or questions. The study leader might take that responsibility, summarizing the chapter very briefly and initiating discussion. The book could be used in various other ways, in connection with an inquirers class, or it could be put in the hands of individuals who express concern for the matter with which it is concerned. My additional hope is that this small study of great subjects may inspire further adult education projects. In particular, as I remark in the conclusion, I am concerned to see basic Christian education in the Episcopal Church “structured and conducted in terms of the creative interplay of the four vital elements”—Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience.
I am indebted to Janette Pierce of The Episcopalian who came to me with the idea for this book and to Judy Mathe Foley, of the same publication, who patiently and expertly edited my typescript. I am grateful to the Rev. Theodore A. McConnell for suggesting that the articles be reprinted in this form and to Anne Doherty for her editorial assistance. Lastly, I am thankful for having been born in and sustained by the Episcopal Church with its appreciation of Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience and of the creative tension which their interaction inspires.
John E. Booty
Chapter 1. Roots in England;
Testing in America
We use four strands
of authority to search
for truth: Scripture, Tradition,
Reason, Experience.
How do Episcopalians in the twentieth century know what is true? How do we choose a course of action? How do we make wise decisions? Who are we? How did we become this way?
To answer these questions, Episcopalians look to Holy Scripture. We interpret what we read there in the tradition not only of the Church of the first five or six centuries, but also of the Church of England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Then we try to understand, using reason—that rational, critical capability which is a significant part of what it means to be created in the image of God—and experience—that which we learn through living, working, loving and dying in the present.
Scripture, tradition, reason and experience all contribute to our quest as members of the Church to know the truth and do it.
Interwoven and interdependent, these four strands or elements of authority sometimes seem to fly apart as, given the human condition and the power of God's grace, individuals and groups emphasize one or discount another.
In the Church great effort is expended to maintain all groups with their differing views in dialogue with each other. When this fails, the bond of love dies, and