https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_church http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/80491/Broad-Church http://www.victorianweb.org/religion/broadchurch.html
Celtic1... Thanks for the links. The britannica link contained another link to TEC dictionary, which I quote here. Broad Church Movement Some of the features of the broad church attitude were a desire that the church should contribute to the welfare of the life of the English nation, as opposed to the individualism of the low church party and the ecclesiastical emphasis of the high churchmen; an openness to reason as a mediator of religious truth, as opposed to the exclusive reliance on scripture and tradition in the other parties, with particular interest in the new teaching of the German idealist philosophers; and a passion for rigorous morality and social justice. The broad church movement desired the Church of England to be comprehensive rather than exclusive. Those identified with the broad church movement in its early years considered it to be above parties-hence "broad." Within a generation, the impossibility of such a view was commonly discerned. The broad church movement was ranked as a third party, the heir of the Elizabethan settlement and the latitudinarians. Episcopal Dictionary of the Church Two interesting sentences in the TEC definition are the following. Those identified with the broad church movement in its early years considered it to be above parties-hence "broad." Within a generation, the impossibility of such a view was commonly discerned. I see the impossibility of "inclusiveness" in a recent discussion at my local TEC parish regarding the King James Bible, which is not on the "inclusive" list. Issues related to classical Anglicanism, 1662 and 1928 BCP, outreach to excluded groups within our community, and literal interpretation of Scripture; all have a tough time making the "inclusive" list. Does your parish have an "inclusive" list?