Friday, October 19, 2007



Who was McIlvaine?


Why a Society named after and for him?




What do I propose?





DomWalk said...

Princeton, eh? Was it common for Anglicans to study in orthodox (at the time) Calvinist/Presbyterian seminaries back then?

Jason Wells said...

If it was then, it isn't now. I'm an Episcopal priest who graduated from Princeton, so you can argue that it still goes on. The student body of about 400 had about 6 Episcopalians in it around 2001.

Of course, there are a number who would slur the differences between ECUSA and PCUSA as 'mainline merger into mush.' But, Princeton still clearly teaches Reformed theology and has a stellar Biblical studies program, to which I am seriously indebted and thankful.

Jason Wells said...

That said, the concept of a Bishop McIlvaine Society sounds intriguing to me. I very much like the idea, but wonder about how practical it would be.

Sooner rather than later, I'm hoping to read Diana Butler Bass's book _Standing against the whirlwind_ which details the fall of the Episcopalian evangelical party through the biography of Bishop McIlvaine.

The Bishop I know protested against consecrating any church that contained an Altar rather than a table. Are these stands that we ought to be making today? What part of his legacy is it that needs to live? Would we be setting ourselves up to 'stand against a whirlwind' all over again?

I like the idea and I'm going to keep thinking and praying about it.