High, Low, and Broad

Periodically parishioners will hear someone refer to a church as 'high',
'low', or 'broad' and have wondered what does that mean. Whether you grew
up in the Episcopal Church or came to it as an adult, you may be puzzled
by this strange nomenclature, especially since its use is less common
these days.

As with so many other things in Anglicanism, these terms are grounded in
theology with liturgical implications (many people think these refer
primarily or solely to liturgical styles, but they are mistaken). The
expressions 'high', 'low', and 'broad' date back to the 17th, 18th, and
19th centuries, respectively; however, the theological issues implied in
these terms date back to the emergence of the Church of England in the
turmoil of the 16th century. Essentially they are about ecclesiology, the
theology of the church, and in particular with its understanding of
authority, the role and necessity of the episcopacy, and the nature of the
sacraments.

The Protestant Reformation unleashed tremendous conflict, affecting both
church and state for more than a century. Within the Church of England
were those who wished to reform the church and return it to what they
considered through scripture to be its more pure origins (hence the name
Puritan); the late mediaeval church, with its elaborate liturgies and
powerful hierarchy, bore little to no resemblance to the church depicted
in the New Testament. They most passionately objected to the role and
authority of bishops and a theology of transubstantiation in the sacrament
of the Eucharist as well as the use of the Book of Common Prayer.
Consequently they also objected to the outward signs of these abuses: the
use of vestments, candles on the altar, ornaments, ceremonial gestures,
etc. were all deemed to be unscriptural and reeked of superstition.

Others within the church agreed that it was in need for reforming but
disagreed with the extent to which the Puritans wished to pursue it. Was
scripture the only source of authority for the church? Was not God active
in the historical development of the church? In the eyes of these
reformers, there was no sense of separation from the rest of the catholic
church; the Church in England, while it had repudiated papal jurisdiction,
was still part of the catholic church in its fundamental doctrines and
constitution. Richard Hooker, the most famous Anglican apologist, refuted
the puritan argument that scripture is the only authority of what is
correct and defended the church's right to make laws provided they were
not contrary to scripture. Thus, while Anglicanism has taken the 'via
media', it has retained much of its catholic ecclesiology. (Now, granted,
this is a very simplified explanation of its history, but do you really
want me to get into the divine right of kings, the English civil war, the
Test Act, and the Oxford Movement?)

So, what does this bit of history have to do with church nomenclature and
liturgical styles? Late in the 17th century, after the restoration of the
monarchy as well as bishops and the prayer book, the term 'high churchmen'
was coined to describe those members who emphasized the Church of
England's historical continuity as a branch of the catholic church and
upheld 'high' conceptions of the authority of the church, the authority of
bishops, and the nature of sacraments as outward and visible signs of
inward and spiritual grace. In response to the influence of Protestant
Evangelicalism in the 18th and early 19th centuries, high churchmanship
experienced a renewal in the mid-19th century. While originally concerned
with the theological doctrines named above, high church advocates or
Anglo-Catholics came to be regarded as preoccupied with the externals of
worship: elaborate vestments and ceremonial (such as bowing and making the
sign of the cross), the use of incense, chanting the service, etc. all of
which accentuated the mystery of the sacraments.

'Low churchmen' dates from the early 18th century and was used in contrast
with 'high churchmen'. People with 'low churchmanship' have tended to give
a relatively unimportant or 'low' place to the claims of the episcopate,
the priesthood, and the sacraments and generally stressed the more
Protestant beliefs of the church. (An example of this today is that in
many low churches in the South, a male priest is often referred to as
'Mr.' while in high parishes the priest is still called 'Father'.) As with
the term 'high', 'low' went out of use but was revived in the 19th century
when it was applied to Evangelicals. Low church advocates have tended to
emphasize the reading of scripture, preaching, and minimal externals in
worship: simple vestments, few or no candles. Low churches tended to
celebrate the Eucharist very infrequently, choosing instead to pray
Morning Prayer as its primary worship.

However, because Anglicanism generally avoids extremes and positive
definitions in theology, the term 'broad church' arose in the 19th century
to describe those in the church who sought to interpret Anglicanism in a
broad and liberal sense. While the expression was originally used
lightheartedly, it gained weight as a response to the more high and low
extremes. Most Episcopal churches today could be categorized as broad in
their understanding of the church's authority, the interpretation of
scripture, and in their liturgical practices (broad liturgical practices
would include the weekly celebration of the Eucharist, wearing vestments,
having a minimal amount of ceremonial, and the like). As a result, the
terms are not used so often although the differences in some outward
liturgical styles remain. In our polarized climate today, we have drifted
to referring to churches as 'conservative' and 'liberal', which really do
not express the differences between high and low. However, when we examine
a number of controversies in the recent life of the church - the
ordination of women, the ordination of gays and lesbians, church
architectural design, the need for confirmation - we can detect many of
the same theological arguments and positions that shaped our church
centuries ago.