What Is the Episcopal Church? An Episcopal Priest Explains - Apologetics for the Masses #558

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Topic

Episcopal priest asks and answers the question: "What is the Episcopal church?" in an attempt to justify its existence.

General Comments

Hey folks,

Two things:

1) Just a reminder that I will be speaking on Friday night, October 9th, at the Totus Tuus Conference at Catholic Familyland in Ohio (just west of Steubenville). Other speakers at the conference will include Dr. Ralph Martin and Deacon Keith Fournier. Here's some more information on the conference and a link to register if you're in the general vicinity and interested in attending:

Totus Tuus Family Conference; October 9-11, 2026.  Sponsored by The Apostolate for Family Consecration/Catholic Familyland.
Where:  AFC's Catholic Familyland property in Bloomingdale, OH (20 minutes west of Steubenville, OH).
Who: The entire family with talks for mom and dad and breakout ministry sessions for ages 4-12, 13-14, 15-17, 18-21 and 22-30.
Keynote speakers: Catholic Apologist John Martignoni (Friday night), Theologian Dr. Ralph Martin, and Author Kevin Wells.
Break-out speakers: Deacon Keith Fournier, Katrina Zeno, and Mary and Christi Tripodi
Includes: Mass, Confession, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Candlelight Rosary Procession to the Holy family Prayer Site, great food, fellowship and MORE!

For more information and/or to register:  Totus Tuus | Apostolate for Family Consecration

(Note: If you have kids, and you've never been to Catholic Familyland, you need to definitely check out their summer retreats. My family loved it!)

2) The Coming Home Network has an opening for an Administrative Assistant in its office in Nashport, Ohio. If you live in that general area and are interested, you can get more information about the Coming Home Network here: Coming Home Network, and more information about the job here: https://www.catholicjobs.com/job/16191177057. You can also contact them at: info@chnetwork.org.

Introduction

I don't think I've ever done a newsletter on the Episcopal/Anglican church before, but a couple of weeks ago someone sent me a short video clip of an Episcopal priest and asked me for my comments on it. So, here ya go.

In the video, which I've transcribed below, the priest - Rev. Madeleine Hill (a.k.a. Mother Maddie) - asks, and then answers, the question: "What is the Episcopal church?" Mother Maddie is the "Priest in Charge" at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA. If you would like to watch the video yourself, you can view it on the Church of the Good Shepherd's Facebook page: "Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont PA". Scroll down to the August 18th post. It's only a couple of minutes long.

There's also another video that I came across on that church's Facebook page that I have transcribed below. In this 2nd video - posted on August 21st - Mother Maddie asks the question: "True or False: Henry VIII created Anglicanism?"

What I'm going to do is to first give you the transcripts of both of the videos, in their entirety (they're pretty short), and then repeat them, but with my comments interspersed. I'll respond to the first video in this newsletter and then to the 2nd video in the next newsletter. That way we'll have two relatively short newsletters rather than one long one. In the next newsletter I'll also be adding in some material about Anglicanism from the Church of the Good Shepherd's website, and give my comments on that material, as well.

Challenge/Response/Strategy

Video #1
Rev. Madeleine Hill - Episcopal Priest
What is the Episcopal Church? What is the Episcopal church?

The Episcopal Church is the American incarnation of the world-wide Anglican Communion. Anglicanism is the English expression of the Catholic Faith.

Catholic just means “universal”. So, we are the English expression of the universal faith. We developed, interestingly, in England, alongside the Celts, who gave us a deep appreciation for mystery. We believe that God is at work in the world through His Sacraments, through His bride, the church, and through His gathered people.

Now, the English expression of the Catholic Faith is both Catholic and Reformed...both Catholic and Protestant.

In one of my favorite collects [one of the short prayers of the Mass], for the Feast of Richard Hooker, we pray, and therefore we believe, that "the middle way is not a compromise for the sake of peace, but comprehension for the sake of truth." That when we comprehend both Catholic and Protestant ideals, when we comprehend both rich and poor, both black and white, both liberal and conservative, that we come closer to the truth.

That is the very heart of Anglicanism. Coming to know God in the Sacraments, and in one another. Refusing to assert that we have a monopoly on the truth. Instead, we invite you to come and use your brain, to come and ask questions, and to come and enjoy the mystery and the awe which is Christ at work in His church.

But the best way to understand Anglicanism, is to come and see. So I would love to see you here at the Church of the Good Shepherd.

-----------------------------------------------

Video #2
Rev. Madeleine Hill - Episcopal Priest |
True or False: Henry VIII created Anglicanism? It’s actually...false.

Although we don’t know exactly how or when Christianity arrived in the British Isles, we do know that in the 6th century, when Augustine of Canterbury was sent to ‘evangelize the heathen’ on the British Isles, he arrived to find that there were already Christians present. And not just Christians, but bishops, priests, and deacons. The church was alive on those British Isles. And over the next several hundred years, that particular expression of Christianity develops uniquely with the influence of saints like Hilda of Whitby, and the Venerable Bede and Thomas a’Becket.

And in that long season, there are chapters in which the church in England accepts the authority of the Pope and there are seasons in which we reject the authority of the Pope. The church goes into and out of the authority of the Pope in Rome. And, so, when Henry VIII rejects the Pope, and makes himself the head of the church, he’s not exactly doing anything novel. Rather, he’s participating in the long ecclesial discussions which have preceded him.

But, if we want to give thanks to a British monarch for their impact on Anglicanism, it is Elizabeth I to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for her clear articulation of Anglicanism as the Middle Way, which is both Catholic and Protestant.  Now, one of the most beautiful things about Anglicanism, is that ours is a living tradition about which we continue to learn and which continues to be made better by the saints which bring it to life, which includes you.

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Video #1
Rev. Madeleine Hill - Episcopal Priest
What is the Episcopal Church?The Episcopal Church is the American incarnation of the world-wide Anglican Communion. Anglicanism is the English expression of the Catholic Faith.

My Comments
Exactly what does that mean: "The English expression of the Catholic Faith"? It sounds nice, doesn't it? It seems reasonable and sensible enough on the surface, but when you stop to actually think about it, what does it actually mean? Is there, for example, a Spanish "expression" of the Catholic Faith? A Bulgarian "expression" of the Catholic Faith? A Brazilian "expression" of the Catholic Faith? A Nigerian "expression" of the Catholic Faith? What does it mean to be an "expression" of the Catholic Faith?

Well, what the Anglicans will say, is that there are, essentially, 3 "expressions" of the Catholic Faith - the English "expression" (a.k.a. Anglicanism), the Roman "expression" (a.k.a. Catholicism), and the Greek/Russian "expression" (a.k.a. Orthodoxy). Well, that's all well and good, and, again, it sounds nice and everything, but it seems to me that the phrase, "the English expression of the Catholic Faith" is a bit of an oxymoron, as I'll get into below.

Mother Maddie
Catholic just means “universal”. So, we are the English expression of the universal faith. We developed, interestingly, in England, alongside the Celts, who gave us a deep appreciation for mystery. We believe that God is at work in the world through His Sacraments, through His bride, the church, and through His gathered people.

My Comments
Okay, Catholic means "universal". Check. Universal, as in, believed by all, everywhere, in all times. But, therein, lies the problem. Mother Maddie seems to be saying that there is, apparently, something somewhat different and unique about the English "expression" of the Catholic Faith that sets it apart from any other "expression" of the Catholic, or universal, Faith. Well, I have to ask: How can the English "expression" of a universal faith be different, or in any way "unique," from any other "expression" of that same "universal" faith? I mean, if it's a "universal" faith, then there is only one "expression" of it and there can be no differences...no deviations...nothing in it that is unique to one place, or time, or people vs. another place or time or people, right? The "expression" of it should be the same for all peoples in all places in all times.

And I'm not talking about differences of liturgy or canon law or various disciplines within the church, I'm talking about differences in the "Faith" - the "one" faith of Ephesians 4:5...the faith that was delivered "once for all" to the saints (Jude 1:3). I'm talking about differences in doctrinal and moral beliefs. How can there be an English "expression" of a universal faith? That is an oxymoron. The Anglicans do not believe - from a doctrinal and/or moral perspective - in all the same things that the Catholics do, nor do they believe in all the same things that the Orthodox do.

For one thing, their Bible has 7 fewer books than the Catholic Bible. For another, they believe homosexuality is a perfectly normal and legitimate expression of love and they are just fine with same sex "marriages," so-called. Contraception? The Anglicans were the 1st Christian tradition to give it the okay at their 1930 Lambeth Conference. Women's ordination. "Trans" ideology. All good. And I could go on. How, then, can they claim to hold to a "universal" faith when their "expression" of that faith is so different from the other "expressions" of that same, supposedly universal, faith? How can it be both "universal" and a unique "expression" at the same time?

Which means this contrived edifice of a faith that is "universal;" yet, it has 3 separate and unique "expressions," is, in essence, nothing more than a nice sounding myth. It is a story being told in order to justify division.

And this other thing she says, about how Anglicanism developed in England "alongside the Celts". Sorry, but that, too, is nothing but a myth - sort of how some Baptists claim that the Baptist church was started by John the Baptist. No, this is a myth that the Anglicans invented in order to try and justify their existence by claiming that theirs is an ancient faith that has existed since the early days of Christianity. Sorry, but...no, it hasn't. I'll expand on this in my comments on the 2nd video in the next newsletter.

Mother Maddie
Now, the English expression of the Catholic Faith is both Catholic and Reformed...both Catholic and Protestant.  In one of my favorite collects [one of the short prayers of the Mass], for the Feast of Richard Hooker, we pray, and therefore we believe, that "the middle way is not a compromise for the sake of peace, but comprehension for the sake of truth." That when we comprehend both Catholic and Protestant ideals, when we comprehend both rich and poor, both black and white, both liberal and conservative, that we come closer to the truth.

My Comments
Uhhmm...what?! This sounds to me like a faith tradition with an identity problem. Are we Catholic? No. Are we Protestant? No. Well, then, what are we? We're the "middle way". We're neither Catholic nor Protestant; yet, we are both Catholic and Protestant. Huh? And they still want to claim to be an expression of a "universal" faith? You can't be both a "universal" way and a "middle" way at the same time. You know, I think she would make a good Jesuit.

The "middle way" is "comprehension for the sake of truth"? Say what? Again, nice sounding, high falutin' words, but what do they actually mean down where the rubber hits the road? Who knows?! When we "comprehend both Catholic and Protestant ideals...we come closer to the truth?" Really?! How so? Sounds rather Hegelian (for those of you who have had some philosophy courses). Catholicism is the thesis. Protestantism is the antithesis. And, of course, Anglicanism is the synthesis. The problem is, though, that Jesus and His Church - and the truths taught by His Church - came way before Hegel. And way before Anglicanism - and Protestantism - ever existed. The early Christians did not talk about the "middle way," they only talked about "the Way". Jesus did not say, "I am the middle way, and the truth, and the life."

Mother Maddie
That is the very heart of Anglicanism. Coming to know God in the Sacraments, and in one another. Refusing to assert that we have a monopoly on the truth. Instead, we invite you to come and use your brain, to come and ask questions, and to come and enjoy the mystery and the awe which is Christ at work in His church.  But the best way to understand Anglicanism, is to come and see. So I would love to see you here at the Church of the Good Shepherd.

My Comments
The "very heart of Anglicanism" is manifested by, "Refusing to assert that we have a monopoly on the truth." That, right there, more than anything else, tells me that the Anglican church is not the church founded by Jesus Christ. Jesus insisted that He is the truth (John 14:6). He tells us that the truth will make us free (John 8:32). He tells us that we need to know the truth in order to hear His voice (John 18:37). Scripture tells us that His body, the Church, is the fullness of Him (Eph 1:23). Which means, then, that the Church, the Body of Christ, is the fullness of the truth. Paul tells us that the church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

Yet, here is Mother Maddie saying that Anglicanism makes no claim as to having a monopoly on the truth. Jesus' church is all about the truth. Jesus' church teaches the truth...nothing more, nothing less. If your church cannot claim that its teachings are the truth and that anything and everything contrary to its teachings is not the truth...then your church isn't the church founded by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit.

"Instead, we invite you to come and use your brain." In other words, you can come and decide for yourselves what is and is not truth. You don't have to submit to the teachings of the church; after all, we don't have a monopoly on the truth. Mother Maddie seems to be saying that doctrinal and moral truths are, essentially, human constructs. They apparently are not the unchanging teachings of the Truth Himself that have been passed down through His Holy Spirit-guided church over the centuries. No,no...you "use your brain" to decide the truth. You decide. Don't let us tell you what is true and authentic Christian teaching. After all, we don't have a monopoly on the truth. Which is why the Anglican/Episcopal church has changed its teachings - particularly its moral teachings - so many times in the last hundred years or so. They're using their brains.

Based on the description of it in this video, the Episcopal church strikes me as being somewhat along the lines of what a liturgical Unitarian church might look like. "Hey, we've got some beliefs that we put out there, but we aren't really trying to tie anyone in any kind of a rigid way to those beliefs and we don't claim to have a monopoly on the truth. Instead, we want you to come and use your brain to decide for yourself. And, hey, we've got this really cool liturgy."

Summary
Mother Maddie, who seems to be an intelligent and rather pleasant person is, nonetheless, trying to sell a bill of goods. Now, I am not saying she is being in any way underhanded or deceptive or any such thing - she seems, in good faith, to genuinely believe all of what she is saying. But, the fact is, the logic of her claims just doesn't work. The theology of her claims just doesn't work. Furthermore, her claims are not supported by the historical facts, as I'll show in the next newsletter when talking about her attempt to get around the fact that Anglicanism came into being because Henry VIII wanted an annulment and the Pope refused to grant it.

Closing Comments

Next week: "True or False: Henry VIII Created Anglicanism?

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