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cover of episode Martyn Percy, "The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England" (Hurst, 2025)

Martyn Percy, "The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England" (Hurst, 2025)

2025/2/21
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Martyn Percy
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Miranda Melcher
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Miranda Melcher: 本书探讨了英国帝国和英格兰圣公会这两个庞大机构之间的相互纠缠，以及它们在过去几个世纪中各自经历的事件，并揭示了它们之间比我们目前讨论中所承认的更为紧密的联系。本书关注的是关于英国国教和英国帝国的神话、故事和信仰，以及这些机构在社会中的作用和政治在其间发挥的作用。 Martyn Percy: 我是一名在多个国家工作的学术界人士，我的研究兴趣在于文化理论、神学和教会。我长期以来对权力、权威和身份认同的问题很感兴趣，这促使我研究了美国原教旨主义，并将其研究模式应用于主流教会，如卫理公会、圣公会和天主教。本书旨在解释英格兰教会在帝国、奴隶制和反抗的背景下，是如何在20世纪末和21世纪初失去方向的。英格兰圣公会无意识地将其君主专制思想输出到殖民地，这种思想认为存在等级制度和处理事务的方式。要理解英格兰教会，就必须理解它与亨利八世及其后继者追求的英国扩张主义之间的联系。早期对北美大陆的殖民扩张主要由宗教驱动，导致了不同宗教信仰之间的竞争，英格兰圣公会并非在所有殖民地都占据主导地位。在英国帝国鼎盛时期，英格兰教会参与了殖民扩张，并在奴隶贸易问题上表现出矛盾的态度。鉴于其历史遗产，英格兰教会需要认真对待其历史遗产，并对奴隶制造成的损害进行赔偿。查尔斯三世的加冕礼反映了英国社会对君主制、神性和教会学之间关系的看法，并引发了关于其未来走向的疑问。英格兰教会需要进行彻底的改革，回归地方化，减少对等级制度的依赖，更加关注教区层面的工作。我目前正在研究世俗化，并对英国各地教会出席人数的统计数据进行分析。

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This chapter explores the historical relationship between the Church of England and the British Empire, tracing its origins back to Henry VIII and the English Reformation. It examines how the Church's expansion mirrored England's colonial ambitions, highlighting the intertwining of religious and political power.
  • The Church of England's origins are tied to Henry VIII's break with Rome and his ambition for power.
  • Early colonial expansion saw Church of England chaplains accompanying naval expeditions and establishing presences in new colonies.
  • The Church's expansion was driven by England's ambition to become a global power, reflecting a geographic rather than theological Catholicity.

Shownotes Transcript

The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England) (Hurst, 2025) by Dr. Martyn Percy offers a bold and unsettling truth: the British Empire and Great Britain are primarily English constructions, and the Church of England benefited from English enterprise and exploitation, serving as the spiritual arm of the imperial project. English Anglicanism has cast itself as the lead character in its own ‘serious fiction’—the main religious player in a drama of Church and Empire.

Yet, in collusion with colonialism, it is now trapped by historical amnesia. Dr. Percy examines the English interests concealed in appeals to Britishness, showing how slavery, exploitation, classism and racism upheld elitist and hierarchical worldviews that bolstered both Empire and Church. By viewing the rest of the world as lesser, both institutions have declined in global standing, now reduced to minor national players on the world stage.

Religious, social and political imperialism thrived on deprecating others, but those once marginalised have fought for equality and independence. Today, the worldwide Anglican Communion faces a new era of moral reckoning.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose* new book*)* focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.*

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