Glossary of Terms

Perry, William Stevens

(Jan. 22, 1832-May 13, 1898). Bishop and church historian. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Perry graduated from Harvard College in 1854 and then studied for a while at the Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon on Mar. 29, 1857, and priest on Apr. 7, 1858. From 1858 until 1861 Perry was rector […]

Personal Profile

See CDO Personal Profile.

Peter, Saint

(d. c. 64). Apostle and leader of the early church. He was first named Simon, but Jesus named him Cephas, or Peter, which means “rock.” He was also known as Simon Peter. Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus invited them to follow him and fish for people (Mt […]

Peters, John Punnet

(Dec. 16, 1852-Nov. 10, 1921). Leading biblical and archeological scholar. He was born in New York City. He received his B.A. from Yale in 1873 and his Ph.D. from Yale in 1876. He was ordained deacon on Nov. 24, 1876, and priest on Dec. 23, 1878. From 1876 to 1879 he was a tutor at […]

Petition

The form of prayer in which one asks God for divine grace or assistance. Petition addresses God as divine Providence who lovingly watches over the needs of human creatures. It is an elementary form of prayer, but it should not be discouraged as long as it is not prompted by selfish motives. It expresses the […]

Pettigrew, Charles

(Mar. 20, 1744-Apr. 8, 1807). First priest elected to serve as Bishop of North Carolina and a leading eighteenth-century evangelical. He was born near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Pettigrew moved to Virginia and then in 1760 to North Carolina. Around 1773 he joined the Church of England. He became a lay reader at St. Paul's Church, Edenton, […]

Pew

A long bench, typically with a back, for congregational seating in church. Seats were not provided for the congregation in the early church, and this practice continues today in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The use of pews in the naves of churches has been dated from the thirteenth century. Some pews have been elaborately carved, […]

Pew Rents

The renting of pews was the primary way that churches in many denominations collected funds prior to the twentieth century. Most of the time families were seated in separate pews. The closer a family sat to the altar or pulpit, the higher its social or economic position. See Free Pew.

Ph D.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree. A Ph.D. in theology does not necessarily presuppose a first theological degree and is to equip persons for teaching and research in theological seminaries, colleges, and universities.

Philadelphia Divinity School

This school was founded in 1857 by Bishop Alonzo Potter of Pennsylvania. On June 6, 1974, it merged with the Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge, Massachusetts, to create the Episcopal Divinity School.

Philadelphia Eleven, The

The eleven women who were ordained priests at the Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, on the feast of St. Mary and St. Martha, July 29, 1974, two years before General Convention authorized the ordination of women. The women ordained were Merrill Bittner, Alla Bozarth-Campbell, Alison Cheek, Emily Hewitt, Carter Heyward, Suzanne Hiatt, Marie Moorefield, Jeanette […]

Philadelphia Recorder

See Episcopal Recorder, The.

Philip, Saint

One of the twelve apostles. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee. He seems to have belonged to a small group who were under the influence of John the Baptist. In the synoptic gospels there is no mention of Philip except in the list of apostles. In the Gospel According to John he is mentioned several […]

Philippine Independent Church

At the end of the Spanish-American War in 1901, a number of Roman Catholic clergy in the Philippines wanted to be independent of the Roman Catholic bishops of Spain. On Aug. 3, 1902, they established an independent Catholic Church and elected Gregorio Aglipay their first Supreme Bishop. On Apr. 7, 1948, three bishops of the […]

Philippines, Diocese of the

The 1901 General Convention established the Missionary District of the Philippines, sometimes called the Philippine Islands. In 1972 it became the Missionary Diocese of the Philippines. The Cathedral Church of St. Mary and St. John was consecrated in 1902. In July 1988 the House of Bishops voted to release the Philippine Episcopal Church to form […]

Phos hilaron

The traditional candle-lighting hymn, which begins “O gracious Light, pure brightness of the ever living Father in heaven.” It appears in the BCP at Evening Prayer before the selection from the Psalter and in the Order of Worship for the Evening after the candle lighting (BCP, pp. 64, 112, 118). It was an ancient hymn […]

Phyletism

The principle of autonomy for national churches in Eastern Orthodoxy. It arose after the destruction of Constantinople in 1453 and gave autonomy to the various churches of the Byzantine Rite. Each national church was to be independent of the ecclesiastical control of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. See Byzantine Rite.

Piccard, Jeanette Ridlon

(Jan. 5, 1895-May 17, 1981). First woman ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. She was born in Chicago. Piccard received her B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from Bryn Mawr College in 1918, her M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1919, and her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Minnesota in […]

Pike, James Albert

(Feb. 14, 1913-c. Sept. 3-7, 1969). Controversial theologian and bishop. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Pike received his B.A. in 1934 and his LL.B. in 1936, both from the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1938 he received his J.S.D. from Yale University. After a law career in Washington, D. C., and […]

Pilgrim

A pilgrim is one who goes on a pilgrimage or journey with a religious or devotional intention. See Pilgrimage.

An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Glossary of Terms