Christ Church, Philadelphia: The Nation's Church in a Changing City

Deborah Mathias Gough

ene 1995 · DIANE Publishing Inc.

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Marking the tercentenary of "the Nation's church" and one of Philadelphia's most treasured colonial institutions, Christ Church, Philadelphia chronicles the church's history from its founding in 1695 through three centuries of change. The fascinating story of Christ Church is intertwined with that of the development of Philadelphia as a major city, emphasizing the bond forged between the church and the neighborhood surrounding it. From its panoramic perspective, Christ Church, Philadelphia unfolds events as both religious and local history. Established as the church of the English crown in a decidedly Quaker colony, Christ Church dealt from its inception with issues of religious freedom. Demonstrating as much political as religious daring, Philadelphia Anglicans emerged from the Revolution with positions of power and influence that earned them the leading role in forming the nation's Protestant Episcopal Church. Gough's superbly researched, richly illustrated history details how the Christ Church congregation faced numerous religious and secular challenges over the next two hundred years - including evangelical religion, antebellum reforms, the Anglo-Catholic movement, the Social Gospel movement, liberal social reforms, and a rapidly shifting population within Philadelphia's center city. Bold leadership kept the "old city" church viable until the Society Hill restorations of the 1950s ensured its preservation. Today, the church continues to play a vital role in the life of one of the nation's most cosmopolitan, diverse cities. Christ Church, Philadelphia offers general readers and scholars alike a privileged view into the past and present of a city and of a national landmark.