A History of the Episcopal Church Schism in South Carolina

In 2012, the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina declared its independence from the Episcopal Church. It was the fifth of the 111 dioceses of the Church to do so since 2007. A History of the Episcopal Church Schism in South Carolina is the sweeping story of how one diocese moved from the mainstream of the Episcopal Church to separate from the church. It examines the underlying issues, the immediate causes, and the initiating events as well as the nature and results of the schism. The book traces the escalating conflict between the diocese and the church that led up to the schism. It also examines the legal war between the two post-schism dioceses, the majority in the independent Diocese of South Carolina and the minority in the Episcopal Church in South Carolina. This is the first scholarly history of a diocesan schism from the Episcopal Church. It is extensively researched from original and secondary sources and documented in over 2,000 notes citing nearly 900 works. This story stands as a cautionary tale of what happens in a major Christian denomination when majority and minority factions increasingly differentiate themselves and what impact that can have for both parties.


""Dr. Caldwell has given us a deep and wide account of a church conflict where the time-honored Episcopal 'middle way' was sacrificed on the altar of ideology. It is a tortuous story, but leads one fervently to hope that such truth-seeking will pave the way for eventual reconciliation.
--Henry N. Parsley, Jr., Bishop of Alabama (ret.)

""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, Archivist, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh

""The genius of Caldwell's thorough treatment of the South Carolina schism is that he possesses a thorough understanding of how such issues as homosexuality, race, Prayer Book revision, the ministries of women--and the courts' rulings on matters of church and state--affected the overall situation. He also demonstrates profound insight into how each diocesan bishop influenced this important period of church history.""
--Harold T. Lewis, rector emeritus, Calvary Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, author of The Recent Unpleasantness

""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. . . . 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.""
--Andrew Waldo, Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Ronald James Caldwell is a professor of history, emeritus, at Jacksonville State University, in Jacksonville, Alabama. He is the author of numerous works on church history and modern European history. From 2000 to 2003, he was librarian and assistant head of the South Carolina Room of the Charleston County Public Library.