THE POWER OF THEIR GLORY: America's Ruling Class - The Episcopalians

Oct 13, 2026

A literary review anthology centered on Episcopalism and American elite identity, contrasting inherited privilege with broader social change. It discusses how English and Anglican heritage shaped Episcopal impulses in the United States, framing the church as a durable institution for status and social cohesion. The text also moves through related cultural and literary notes, including commentary on writers, anniversaries, sermons, and popular fiction references, reflecting on authorship, public influence, and tradition.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time14 min

AccessFree to download

THE POWER OF THEIR GLORY: America’s Ruling Class - The Episcopalians

Walker Percy: An American Search

Free and Faithful in Christ

Moral Theology for Clergy and Laity

On Human Nature

# THE POWER OF THEIR GLORY: LETTERS America's Ruling Class:The Episcopalians TO OTTO # WALKER PERCY:An American Search FURBINDER, # FREE AND FAITHFUL IN CHRIST: edited by # Moral Theology for Clergy and LaityON HUMAN NATURE Hugh Spite -… OPunch36.58"Not only does he know what he's going to be—he'swritten his autobiography in advance."1979 MAY-Ⅱ | Kit and Frederica Konolige
THE POWER
OF THEIR GLORY
America's Ruling Class:
The Episcopalians
Wyden,$12.95 | New York City's fashionable Grace Church was
a strand of upper crust or stale crust
people who have inherited privilege in a
society that bulges in its.broad middle
class but still has a sort of establish-
ment.Now it happens that in their
genes or heritage is the English_and
Anglican and almost accidentally Epis-
copal churchly impulse.Before Amer-
ica was founded,promoters were an-
notating their books with lines like
these:"We of England are the saved
people.”Or:“God is so much Eng- | the scene of william Randolph Hearst's wedding.
lish.”The promoted gentlefolk who
started arriving in Virginia in 1607,
because they were firstest with the most-
est,soon learned how to hang on to
status.If being members of a church
helped define them,let it.Every society
has such a caste,be it the old class of
aristocracy or the new class of bureau-
cratic Marxist societies on the left.
America was generally fortunate in its
choice of an elite,and they held on to a
church that served them well. | | --- | --- | --- | | Reviewed by MARTIN E.MARTY,
who,despite his Episcocratic title—the
Fairfax M.Cone Distinguished Service
Professorat the University of Chicago一
is of Swiss peasant stock and writes for
a poor journal named The Christian
Century.
THIS is a dumb book about the smart
set.It is dumb because it is a miscon-
ceived and mumbling book about mem-
bers of the church of the inarticulate
construction,the Episcopal faith.This
set is not jet,nor are its people beauti-
ful,as in Beautiful People,since those
celebrity enclaves are made up_of
people who,having it,flaunt it.The
folks whom the Konoliges less than re-
lentlessly pursue are gifted at not
flaunting it.They are of old learning,
old wealth,old status.They can and do
relax.So little do they strain that their
thinkings and workings are quite elu-
sive,far too vague for plodders to track.
The subject is a worthy one.There is | | | | IF you have ever suffered through a
rendition of“The Harp That Once
Through Tara's Halls”or,even worse,
"Believe Me If All Those Endearing
Young Charms,"you may not care to
learn that their creator,Irish poet and
lyricist Thomas Moore,was born 200
years ago,May 28th.We are told that
his singing was "ineffably sweet and
touching,"that "he was worshipped by
women and was a trifle vain,"and that
"he was somewhat high-strung and on
one occasion burst into a fit of hyster-
ics in the middle of a song."As a poet
he wasn't much and his crime of burn-
ing Byron's memoirs which had been
entrusted to him is not easily forgiven.
And that may well be more than you
wanted to know about Thomas Moore.
Speaking of anniversaries,Ellery
Queen is celebrating 50 years of crime
solving.As you know,Ellery Queen is a | STOP
PISHING!
BY DAN HERR
pseudonym for two writers,Frederick
Dannay and Manfred Lee.The latter
died eight years ago but Mr.Dannay,at
73,continues the Queen saga.He ex-
plains:“You shouldn't retire because
you'll either die or fade on the vine.I
intend to keep on going."...Let us be
grateful to English journalist Patrick | O'Donovan for remembering these wise
words from

FAQs

How does the text explain the Episcopal Church’s role in American elite identity?

It argues that English and Anglican heritage translated into an Episcopal “churchly impulse,” helping an upper-status group define itself and maintain status over time.

What does the review emphasize about the Konoliges’ approach and subject matter?

It criticizes the book as “dumb” and “misconceived,” suggesting the authors present the Episcopal faith in a vague, hard-to-track manner rather than with engaging detail.

What other literary or cultural topics appear alongside the main Episcopal discussion?

The document includes segments referencing Walker Percy, Thomas Moore’s anniversary, Ellery Queen, and various quotations connected to sermons and public literary culture.

Oct 13, 2026

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