FORTHCOMING:

A HISTORY OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH SCHISM IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Wipf and Stock Publishers have informed me that our work, A History of the Episcopal Church Schism in South Carolina, is to be published next month, August 2017. It should be in hand within about a month.

This book is the result of four and one half years research and writing. I examined 2,500 original and secondary sources, what I believe to be all of the publicly available evidence of the schism. I cited 900 of these items, as often as possible in the original words. There are 2,200 footnotes.

The book is 527 pages not counting the front matter, as table of contents and preface. The publisher now plans to print it as one (hefty) paperback volume. A hardback book will be issued a few weeks later. In time, it will also be released as an e-book.

My blog entry "Notes---June 30," provides the first pages of the chapters and the index. This gives one an idea of the scope and depth of the book. 

I am posting here the first four pages of the Preface. This should give one a better idea of the purpose, aim, and method of the book. Forgive the poor quality of these images, they were made on my smart phone:

  

Here are two of the readers' "endorsements" that will appear on the cover of the book:

"A thorough and balanced study of the events that led not only to the schism among Episcopalians in South Carolina, but in four other dioceses as well. There is something of interest for anyone interested in the history of American religion, the Episcopal Church, or contemporary reactions to the liberalism in mainstream denominations." Joan R. Gundersen, Professor Emerita of History, California State University San Marcos and Archivist, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

"Dr. Caldwell's narrative of this critical moment in Episcopal Church history is fast-paced and compelling, a rare achievement in such a comprehensive effort. His description of the penultimate years building to the schism itself returned me inexorably to a time freighted with the paradoxes of humanity: a potent stew of truth and deception, grace and law, faith and fear, loyalty and betrayal, persistence and impatience, and above all, hope for reconciliation met face to face with determined---and planned---separation. I couldn't help thinking of David M. Potter's classic work, The Impending Crisis: 1848-1861, on the events, politics and personalities that led our nation to war over whether we would stay together or go our separate ways." The Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo, The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina.

A soon as I have the information, I will post on this blog how this book may be ordered. One may always check the Wipf and Stock website. In time, it will be available there and on other sites, as Amazon. Of course, I will announce to all the moment the book is in hand. We are almost there.