Divided We Stand: A History of the Continuing Anglican Movement

by Douglas Bess

The Continuing Anglican Movement is made up of those who strive to "continue" in the way of traditional Anglicanism, which many feel the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have abandoned in their Prayer Book reforms, policies regarding the ordination of women, the full inclusion of gays and lesbians, and other issues. This is the only full-length history of the Continuing Anglican movement in the United States and Canada, an engaging, fascinating, and often painful ecclesial saga-available once again in a new edition from the Apocryphile Press.

Genres: History

292 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2006

Reviews

[John]

Divided We Stand: A History of the Continuing Anglican Movement is the only book-length work of any use to students or scholars interested in the history of Continuing Anglicanism in the United States. As such, despite its flaws, it will probably be a necessary stop for anyone investigating this segment of American Christianity. The book really could have used an editor--grating errors of usage ("principle" for "principal" in several places, and "irregardless" in at least one) aside, the middle chapters are just too long and get bogged down in seemingly endless lists of names. An Amazon reviewer correctly notes the lack of an index, which greatly reduces its utility for research (though the Kindle edition is, of course, searchable). The opening chapters, which detail the transformation of the Episcopal Church during the 1950s and 60s that led to the formation of Continuing Anglicanism, are probably the best part of the book. The closing chapter is now dated, as the Anglican Mission in America is no longer the new kid on the block here (that role is now being taken by the Anglican Church in North America). It's not clear what the author's credentials are (he mentions being a doctoral student in the Introduction); Divided We Stand is not a scholarly source per se, but Bess has definitely done his homework, and his is the best available until other scholars are willing to put in the effort to create a truly academic and scholarly history of this colorful movement.