the Guild of Scholars of the Episcopal Church
About
The guild
who we are
officers of the guild
President – Mark Brown
Vice-President – John Singleton
Recording Secretary – John Gatta
Corresponding Secretary – Ed Hansen
Treasurer – Alec Valentine
a short history of the guild
The Guild of Scholars of the Episcopal Church is an autonomous organization affiliated with the national church. It was founded as an informal group of established scholars, lay Episcopalians who wished through their expertise to be of service to the church as well as to each other, after several months of informal conversations among the presidents of Episcopal Church-related colleges and other church leaders. An organizing meeting was held in February 1940 in which fifteen scholars discussed the disconnect between intellectual and spiritual life in academia and created a statement of Basic Objectives; and additional members were added at a second meeting later that year, after which the group met annually and continued to grow.
Included among the early members of the Guild were poet W. H. Auden; philosophers Howard Roelofs, Henry Veatch, and Richard Hocking; Stringfellow Barr and Ursula Niebuhr in theology; and Cleanth Brooks, Frederick Pottle, and Hoxie Fairchild in literary studies. In those early years the membership was concentrated in the Northeast. Today the Guild has a nationwide enrollment of scholars, representing a wide range of academic and artistic disciplines. The members gathered annually for brief multidisciplinary presentations and seminar discussions.
The annual meeting is held in October or November. For many years the Guild enjoyed the hospitality of the General Theological Seminary in New York City. At the present time, locations vary from year to year. Recent venues include the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the retreat center at the Community of the Transfiguration in Cincinnati, Ohio. Activities at the annual meeting include talks by members presenting aspects of their work in various disciplines that are relevant to the broad interests of the Guild, followed by ample discussion; worship; and abundant conversation and fellowship. Details on some recent programs may be found here. For information on sites scheduled or under consideration for future meetings, please click on “Meetings” in the navigation bar.
The Guild’s records are preserved in the national church’s archives at the Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas.
membership and joining
Membership in the Guild of Scholars of the Episcopal Church is open to lay Episcopalians who are active contributors in their academic field (including creative activity). Being an Episcopalian means regularly attending an Episcopal church or, for those living in places where there is no accessible Episcopal church, considering oneself an Episcopalian though attending another church. Being an active contributor in one’s field could include publishing scholarly articles or books, writing novels, plays or music, performing concerts, or showing art works. While the Guild is a lay organization, membership is open to Episcopalians who are scholars, whether lay persons or permanent deacons, and whether active, independent, or retired. Anyone interested in membership should contact Mark Brown, President of the Guild (mlbrown45@gmail.com)
roster of members
Get more information by email
meetings of
the guild
The 2024 Annual Meeting be held on October 5-27 in Cincinnati at the Transfiguration Sprituality Center in the suburb of Glendale. The Center is a ministry of the Community of the Transfiguration, a religious community for women in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition, founded in 1898 by Mother Eva Mary Matthews and Sister Beatrice Martha Henderson. The excellent accommodations, food services, and meeting facilities along with the beautiful chapel of the Transfiguration (designed by Ralph Adams Cram in 1927) as well as the proximity to Cincinnati all promise a wonderful meeting for the Guild.
Details of the meeting will appear in future issues of the Vox Scholarium, in email messages to the membership and will be posted here as they become available.
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