Called Out of Darkness Into Marvelous Light: A History of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh 1750-2006

In the conflicted world that is todays Episcopal Church the diocese of Pittsburgh stands both as a symbol of dissent and schism to the liberal majority within the American Church and as a beacon of light and hope to conservative Anglicans across the United States. Set in the unlikely surroundings of Americas Rust Belt Pittsburghs Episcopalians have over the past half century undergone a dramatic reordering of priorities to embrace a novel--though hardly unprecedented--vision of Anglican confessionalism. Called out of Darkness into Marvelous Light traces the development of an Anglican presence in western Pennsylvania from the missionary activity of the late eighteenth century through the triumphs of post-Civil War Anglo-Catholicism and the first stirrings of the Social Gospel to the unprecedented religious revival of the 1950s. Championed by such men as Bishop Austin Pardue and Samuel Moor Shoemaker the founder of the Pittsburgh Experiment a prayer-centered spirituality developed in the Pittsburgh diocese and brought a generation of active evangelicals to the region during the 1960s and 1970s. The founding of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in the mid-1970s consolidated the evangelical presence in the diocese and provoked a commitment to spiritual renewal that sat uneasily with many in the wider Episcopal Church. Grounded in local research this study seeks to explore the process by which Pittsburgh acquired its present evangelical identity and to reveal the increasingly intricate web of relationships that it now enjoys beyond Americas borders. Called Out of Darkness Into Marvelous Light is a scholarly accessible and timely history of one of the most important forces in the present Reformation of Anglicanism and in turn of contemporary Western Christianity. Dr. Bonner examines the factors contributing to the realization of Dr. Sam Shoemakers vision (that someday Pittsburgh would be as famous for God as for Steel) in the context of 250 years of Anglican witness in Western Pennsylvania. This book has relevance far beyond the ministry and mission of the particular Christian community it chronicles. --The Right Reverend Robert Duncan Bishop of Pittsburgh; Archbishop-Designate of the Anglican Church in North America. Jeremy Bonner presents a detailed thoughtful and even-handed account of the history of the Diocese of Pittsburgh now central to struggles over Anglican identity and authority. Bonners work combines the satisfying weight of local history with the thought-provoking breadth of national and global implications. This is a fascinating and rewarding read for those seeking to understand the history of the culture wars within the Episcopal Church. --The Reverend Miranda K. Hassett author of Anglican Communion in Crisis: How Episcopal Dissidents and Their Anglican Allies Are Reshaping Anglicanism In recent years when I have mentioned that I am from the Diocese of Pittsburgh some have responded by giving me a hug while others have (literally!) turned their backs and walked away. What has made even the mention of this diocese so polarizing? Jeremy Bonners detailed but readable study of the 250-year history of Anglicanism in western Pennsylvania sheds light on this surprisingly important epicenter in the modern story of Christianity in America and Anglicanism worldwide. Most local histories are relevant and interesting to those who call that place home. This volume should be read much more widely as this particular local place has become a focal point both for tremendous conflict and renewal. --Grant LeMarquand Trinity School for Ministry Jeremy Bonner is an independent scholar in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Road to Renewal: Victor Joseph Reed and Oklahoma Catholicism 1905-1971 (2008) and has published scholarly articles on Mormon and Anglican history.