|
 To most
Episcopalians most of the time, The Episcopal Church extends only to
the edge of the parking lot. To be sure, Episcopalians are not a part of a
monolithic hierarchy like that of the Roman Catholic Church, but neither do we
have the Congregationalist independence of the Baptists. The local bishop
matters, and, increasingly, the Presiding Bishop, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and even primates of other Anglican provinces seem to matter. Certainly what takes place at
the church’s General Convention affects the life of
every local Episcopal church.
The Internet, and particularly the World Wide Web, has made it easier to get
news of the wider church, tap into resources useful at the parish level, and
even participate in the often lively discussion of contemporary issues that will
influence the direction of Anglicanism in America. On the other hand, the
Internet has increased tensions within the Anglican Communion by communicating
news of events quickly and by acting as an echo chamber for the cries of the
dissatisfied.
For the benefit of Episcopalians new to the cyberspace domain of The
Episcopal Church, I have compiled a brief annotated collection of interesting
and useful links. Other valuable sites can be reached from those listed here.
Suggestions for improving this list are invited.
I have included links of interest to Episcopalians—to me, anyway—in the Pittsburgh area.
Since these are likely of limited interest to those outside the area, they are
listed separately.
Repeat visitors may find this list useful, but cumbersome. Try clicking on quick
links, above, for a more concise listing. If you like the format, bookmark that page in your browser.
I have avoided two kinds of Web sites: institutional sites of partisans in
the current church wars and blogs that regularly provide information and
commentary on the same. At some point, I may post an list of sites in these
categories, but that list will necessarily be more controversial, which the list
below is meant not to be.
— LED, 12/6/2007
Scroll down to a category or click on a category name below.
The Anglican Communion
| The
Anglican Domain |
This unofficial site is operated by The
Society of Archbishop Justus, a group of Internet-era scribes devoted
to advancing the church via electronic communications. The name of the
site comes from the fact that the Society is responsible for the Internet
domain anglican.org, which is used by many Anglican entities. (For
example, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh can be found at
http://www.pgh.anglican.org.)
The site contains information about the Anglican Communion (what it is and
how it developed), a glossary of church terms, and links to sites of
national churches within the Communion. |
| Anglicans
Online |
Another project of The Society of Archbishop
Justus. Whereas The
Anglican Domain is updated infrequently, this site is updated each
Sunday. It carries news and commentary, and, from it, many useful resources
can be reached. The site includes a very extensive listing of dioceses and
parishes throughout the world. |
| The
Anglican
Communion |
This is the official Anglican Communion Web
site. There is a good deal of news here, particularly about important
meetings (especially useful if you are a bishop). There is also
information here about individual provinces (national or regional
churches). |
| Anglican
Communion News Service |
News from throughout the Anglican Communion.
You can sign up here to receive news releases via e-mail. |
| Church of England |
It seems proper to single out the Church of England Web site
for special mention. This site contains much you would expect, including links
to individual parishes and news items. It also carries the complete Daily
Office (including readings) for the current and next day, although the
language may be tough on Americans accustomed to Rite II. |
| World
Council of Churches |
This is not an Anglican site, of course, but Anglicans may
be interested in the activities of this ecumenical body. |
| Worldwide
Faith News |
Another news service, but not limited only to the Anglican
Communion. You can sign up here to receive news releases via e-mail. |
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The Episcopal Church
| The
Episcopal Church |
This is the official site of The Episcopal Church. You can
find information and documents relating to the General Convention here, as
well as links to just about every Episcopal organization with a Web site. |
|
Episcopal
News Service |
Episcopal News Service is the official
publicity organ of The
Episcopal Church. The primary commodity here is, of course, news. You can
sign up
here to receive news via e-mail. In March 2006, the ENS
Web site was combined with that of Episcopal Life. Be aware that ENS separates diocesan and foreign news
stories (albeit by rules that are not totally transparent) from other
domestic stories. |
| Archives
of the Episcopal Church |
Historical information about The Episcopal
Church can be found in The Archives of the Episcopal Church, established
in 1845. Recent records, including acts of General Convention and the
Executive Committee are available on-line. |
| National
Episcopal Cursillo |
Many organizations are associated with The
Episcopal Church without being a formal part of it. Cursillo is a movement
aimed at developing church leaders. (My own association with Cursillo is my
excuse for singling it out here.) |
|
The General
Convention |
This is the home page of the General Convention
of The Episcopal Church. Information is available here about past and future
General Conventions. Information is also to be found here on the Executive
Council, officers (including the Presiding Bishop) and staff, etc. |
|
Constitution
and Canons |
The official rules that govern The Episcopal
Church can be found here, as PDF files, which require the free Adobe
Reader for viewing. A single PDF file of the churches rule book
can be found
here. |
| Louie
Crew’s General Convention Page |
Dr. Louie Crew is an prominent gay activist within
The Episcopal Church and a former member of its Executive Council. He is a collector of information about the
church, and his information about the General Convention and those who
participate in its deliberations is both notable and reliable. Links to
other pages of information and advocacy can also be found here. |
| Episcopal
Relief and Development |
This is the site of the Episcopal world relief
agency, formerly known as The Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief. |
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Resources for Episcopalians
| Church
Publishing Incorporated |
Church Publishing is the current name for the
former Church Hymnal Corporation, publisher of the Book of Common
Prayer, Hymnal 1982, and other worship resources. The site has an on-line bookstore and
clergy directory. It also contains copies of documents related to General
Convention. |
|
Cowley
Publications |
Cowley Publications, formerly the press of the Society
of St. John the Evangelist (the “Cowley Fathers”), an Anglican
religious order, is now an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield. Among the publications available here is a John Wall’s excellent resource,
A
Dictionary for Episcopalians, which defines all those funny terms
Episcopalians use. |
| Forward
Movement Publications |
Forward Movement has an extensive catalog of
pamphlets, booklets, electronic resources, and the magazine Forward Day
by Day. |
| LeaderResources |
LeaderResources provides program resources and
consulting services to congregations. This Web site will be of more
interest to parishes than to individuals, though a small but interesting
selection of books is available for sale.
Journey to
Adulthood materials can be found here. |
| The
Online Daily Office |
The Mission of St. Clare has made it easy to
read and sing the daily office right at your computer. This works well for
individuals, though its usefulness for corporate worship may be limited. |
| Online
Anglican Resources at SoAJ |
Another Society of Archbishop Justus site. This
is a good place to look for Anglican texts on the Web. Especially
interesting is an extensive listing of biographies of famous Christians
and versions of the various editions of the Book of Common Prayer,
including the 1979 American Prayer Book. Formats available include ASCII
text, RTF, PDF, Microsoft Word, and Word Perfect. |
| The
Lectionary Page |
This site makes it easy to find the lectionary
readings for a particular day. Simply select the day from the calendar.
This site now has readings both from the prayer book lectionary and the new
Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). |
| When
Will It Be Read? |
A fascinating “reverse lectionary.” Look up
a verse and find when it is scheduled to be read. Although Revised Common
Lectionary readings are not included on the Web site proper, visitors can
download an Excel workbook that does include the RCL readings. |
| Oremus Hymnal |
Texts and music (MIDI versions) of many hymns
from various hymnals. |
| The
Cyber Hymnal |
A similar hymn collection to that of the Anglican
Online Hymnal, but not limited to Anglican hymns. |
| Oremus
Bible Browser |
This site allows visitors to display Bible
passages or search particular translations for words or phrases. The King
James Version and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), which is the version of choice in
many Episcopal churches for public readings, are available here. Several alternative
versions of Psalms are also provided. The NRSV text is complete with
footnotes, implemented in an especially convenient manner. |
| The
Bible Gateway |
This is another Bible Web site with some
interesting features, including the ability to display the same passage
from multiple translations. If desired, passages can heard, as well as
read. The site provides access to a large number of Bible translations,
although it
includes the text neither of the Revised Standard Version nor that of the
New Revised Standard Version. |
| ECanon |
This site
currently includes the text of the King James Version, Revised Standard
Version, New Revised Standard Version, and the Westcott and Hort Greek New
Testament (unaccented). Additional religious texts are promised in the
future. |
| ECDplus
Online |
The on-line version of the Episcopal
Clerical Directory from Church
Publishing. A good place to find information about Episcopal churches
and clergy. |
|
The
Episcopal Church Annual |
An on-line source for information about
Episcopal churches and church leaders. The Episcopal Church Annual (usually referred
to as The Red Book) has been published by Morehouse
Publishing since 1885. Morehouse was purchased by Church Publishing in
2005. |
|
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church |
Both liturgical and non-liturgical terms of
interest to Episcopalians can be found here. The listings are based on a
book from Church Publishing. |
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Episcopal Periodicals
|
Episcopal
Life |
The connection of many Episcopalians to the
wider church has been through the official church publication Episcopal
Life. In the latest remake of the church’s Web site, “Episcopal Life
Online” has also become the home of Episcopal News Service. |
| The
Living Church |
The Living Church is a magazine that has
been covering The Episcopal Church since 1878. It is a weekly magazine of
news, resources, and opinion. Although its viewpoint is decidedly right of
center, it is one of the best general news sources about the church. Its
“Reader’s Viewpoint” column gives voice to a variety of views, including, on
occasion, my own. |
|
The Witness |
Whereas Episcopalian “orthodox” are quick
to accuse most Episcopalians of being “liberal,” this Web site of a
venerable Episcopal journal, The Witness, is the real thing. This
publication began as a magazine in 1917 and, for a time, was both a
print and Internet publication. In 2003, it became an Internet-only
operation, and, in December 2006, it ceased publication, acknowledging
increased opportunity for dialogue afforded by the Internet. Old material is
still available on-line, but the future of The Witness does not seem
bright. |
| The
Anglican Digest |
This small, bimonthly publication is a product
of the Anglo-Catholic tradition, but it describes itself as “traditional,
but not reactionary.” It is a mix of opinion, inspirational pieces, and
information intended to have a broad appeal. Not much of the magazine is
actually posted on the Web, but one can subscribe for the asking. The
publication is supported by contributions and a modest amount of
advertising. |
|
There are other Episcopalian periodicals, of course. Suggestions to modify the above list are
welcome. |
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Local (Pittsburgh) Interest
| Episcopal
Diocese of Pittsburgh |
The diocesan Web site contains a complete
listing of Episcopal churches, schools, and other organizations in the
Pittsburgh area. |
| Trinity
Cathedral |
Trinity became the cathedral for the diocese in
1928, but its congregation traces its history back to the late eighteenth
century. The current nineteenth-century English Gothic structure in
downtown Pittsburgh is Trinity’s third. |
|
St.
Paul’s, Mt. Lebanon |
Large, broad-church parish in the Pittsburgh
South Hills suburb of Mt. Lebanon. My parish. |
| Old
St. Luke’s |
Old St. Luke’s, in Scott Township, began as a
stockade church in 1765. Critical events of the
Whiskey
Rebellion occurred near the church, which was divided over this
conflict. Occasional services are held in the present nineteenth-century
building, which is a popular venue for weddings. Old St. Luke’s
also teaches American history to adult tour groups and school groups. |
| Trinity
Episcopal School for Ministry |
This conservative, Evangelical, and nominally
Episcopal seminary was founded in 1975. The Ambridge, Pa., school has grown
in size and influence during its brief history. |
| Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary |
This is actually a Presbyterian seminary, but
it is an important local resource for the Episcopal community. |
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