THE 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence fell at a time when the stories of the nation’s government and the Episcopal Church were “most sharply diverging”, the Presiding Bishop, Dr Sean Rowe, has said.
“We’re having laid before us this idea of Christian nationalism — this sense that we’re a chosen nation, that it’s a special relationship with God, and somehow Christianity is aligned with that.”
Speaking last week in the run up to Independence Day celebrations, he called on the Church to to take “a hard look at the systemic work that still has to be done . . . to make lives different, to bring people closer into relationship with God, to show love in the world”.
The Revd Dr Kelly Brown Douglas, canon theologian at Washington National Cathedral, told ENS: “There’s no time better than this time for the Church to claim who it is as Church, and to be that voice that holds the nation accountable to its lofty vision of appreciating the equality and dignity of every human being.
“We are functioning in a time when the Church feels at risk because of the current regime. [Jesus] was crucified because he stood up for the values of God’s just future, and that put him at risk in relationship to both the ecclesiastical and political powers of the day.
“The Episcopal Church has to decide whether it is going to be a social institution that happens to be religious, or if it’s going to be Church. And if it decides to be Church, it will be that force that pulls the country forward into its more lofty vision.”
The freedoms set out in the Declaration were “built upon the exploitation — and that is an understatement — of enslaved African bodies”, she said. “Just as the nation’s wealth was built upon the chattel labor of the Black enslaved, so is the Episcopal Church’s wealth.”
The anniversary on Saturday marked the proclamation of independence following the signing of a resolution at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Of the 56 signatories, 34 were members of the Church of England, the ENS story — drawing on church archives and A History of the Episcopal Church by Robert W. Prichard — recounts.
Vigil at St John the Divine Cathedral, New York
In 1789, after the American revolutionary war, the Episcopal Church approved its Constitution, setting in place the organisational framework that marked its formal split from the Church of England. Well into the 20th century, Dr Rowe told the ENS, “it was our goal and part of our mission strategy to be the national Church.
“Our idea was that we would sort of represent the Christian ideals of the nation, we would be the faith wing of the nation. . . But it became clear that, when you make a deal with that level of power, you often have to give on matters of faith. That relationship got to be more and more complicated, and one that we finally chose to abandon.”
On 2 July, St John the Divine Cathedral, in New York, hosted a vigil — titled “Truth Is a Common Good: A Vigil for Our Unfinished Democracy” — to “consider the ideals that have shaped our nation and the ongoing work of building a more just and inclusive society”.
On 3 July, Washington National Cathedral, authorised by Congress in 1893, held an interfaith service, seeking to honour “individuals who have shown extraordinary courage and bravery in service to our shared life together, affirming that the work of a more perfect union is never finished and never done alone”.
The anniversary has been marked by other Churches.
On 11 June, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the United States consecrated the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Parishes were encouraged to contribute to a collective 250 hours of adoration and 250 works of mercy.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops also published a national prayer service, “A path towards justice”, designed to “honor the many diverse communities that have journeyed to the United States in search of hope, safety, and opportunity, while also recognizing the voices, sufferings, and enduring contributions of those who were forcibly brought to this land”.
Immigrants, “whose hopes, sacrifices, and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning”, were also honoured in a letter from the Pope: “Congratulations on this extraordinary national anniversary,” he wrote. “May the spirit of 1776 continue to inspire hope and unity as the United States of America moves into the future.”
The Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution last month calling on its members to “commit ourselves anew to the Great Commission, recognizing that the ultimate hope for America and all nations is in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, whose kingdom will never end”.
A statement from President Trump gave thanks to God “for his abundant blessings upon our land, praising Him without ceasing for the grace that has guided us through every trial and triumph”.
He pledged: “In this new era of American greatness, we will continue to reclaim our sovereignty, restore our territorial integrity, defend the God-given liberty proclaimed at our founding, and guard the proud heritage, history, and culture that have made our Nation a wonder for the ages.”