An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Glossary of Terms


Hart, Samuel

(June 4, 1845-Feb. 25, 1917). Secretary of the House of Bishops and dean of the Berkeley Divinity School. He was born in Saybrook, Connecticut. Hart received his B.A. from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, in 1866, and his B.D. from the Berkeley Divinity School in 1869. He was ordained deacon on June 2, 1869, and priest […]

Hatchett, Marion Josiah

(b. July 19, 1927). A leading liturgical scholar of the twentieth century. He was born in Monroe, South Carolina. His father was a Methodist pastor. Hatchett was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in Dec. 1946 while a student at Wofford College, where he received his B.A. in 1947. He received his B.D. in 1951 from […]

Haven, Emily Bradley Neal

(Sept. 13, 1827-Aug. 23, 1863). One of the best known popular Episcopal writers of morally instructive novellas in the nineteenth century. She was born in Hudson, New York. She married Joseph C. Neal of Philadelphia on Dec. 12, 1846. He was editor of Neal's Saturday Gazette and Lady's Literary Museum. He published her stories in […]

Hawaii, Diocese of

The 1901 General Convention formed the Missionary District of Honolulu, and on Mar. 9, 1902, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu, was consecrated. On Sept. 4, 1969, the General Convention voted to reconstitute the Missionary District of Honolulu as the Diocese of Hawaii. The primary convention of the Diocese of Hawaii met at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Honolulu, […]

Hawks, Francis Lister

(June 10, 1798-Sept. 27, 1866). Early historian of the Episcopal Church, and a popular preacher. He was born in New Bern, North Carolina. Hawks graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1815, and then studied law. After practicing law for a while, he studied under William Mercer Green. Hawks was ordained deacon on Nov. […]

Haywood Collection of Negro Spirituals, The

A collection of seventeen Negro spirituals collected by Carl W. Haywood (b. 1949). It was published in 1992. These Negro spirituals were all included in Lift Every Voice and Sing II, An African American Hymnal (1993). The Haywood Collection of Negro Spirituals was a continuation of the work of musicians such as R. Nathaniel Dett […]

Heathcote, Caleb

(Mar. 6, 1666-Mar. 1, 1720). Leading churchman in New York. He was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. Heathcote came to New York in 1691 and soon became a wealthy merchant and a councilor of the province. In 1692 he became a colonel in the militia. He was the leading layman in the establishment of Trinity […]

Heaven

Eternal life in our enjoyment of God (BCP, p. 862). The unending fulfillment of salvation and happiness in relationship with God. Heaven has been equated with the beatific vision, and described in terms of perfect bliss and union with God. Many Christians emphasize heaven as a state of completed and eternal relationship with God, rather […]

Heber, Reginald

(Apr. 21, 1783-Apr. 3, 1826). British bishop and hymn writer. He was born in Malpas, Cheshire, England. He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, and a Fellow of All Souls. After his ordination in 1807, Heber served in parishes in England. In 1815 he delivered the noted Bampton Lectures. In 1823 he became Bishop of […]

Hell

Eternal death in our rejection of God (BCP, p. 862). This state or place of separation from God is closely related to the concept of human free will. We may choose to accept or reject God. We will not be forced by God to receive God's love. Hell is a permanent state of separation from […]

Henderson, Jacob

(1681-Aug. 27, 1751). Commissary to Maryland. He was born in Ireland. Henderson was ordained by the Bishop of London in 1710 and appointed to a mission in Dover, Kent County, Maryland. He returned to England in 1711 and was appointed in 1712 to the mission on the western shore of Maryland in Queen Anne Parish, […]

Henrico College, Virginia

In 1618 the London Company ratified a former grant whereby a suitable place at Henrico, Virginia, was set aside to establish a university. Ten thousand acres were allotted for endowing the university. George Thorpe was sent from England to supervise the construction. The Rev. Thomas Bargrave (d. 1621), rector of the Henrico parish, donated his […]

Heraldry, Ecclesiastical

Heraldry is the science of devising appropriate "bearings" (emblems) for military armor and determining the right of persons to certain arms or bearings through genealogical study. Heraldry has also been applied to the seals and coats-of-arms of religious organizations. In 1307 religious houses in England were ordered to have a common seal. The miter, the […]

Herbert, George

(Apr. 3, 1593-Mar. 1, 1633). A priest considered to be one of the chief devotional poets of the Anglican Communion. Herbert was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was public orator at Cambridge in 1620. This position could have led to high public office. However, he subsequently studied divinity and was ordained […]

Heresy

The term is derived from the Greek hairesis, which means “choice” or “thing chosen.” Traditionally, heresy was the sin of a baptized and professing Christian who denied a defined doctrine of the faith. Heresy is distinguished from apostasy, the abandonment of the church by one who denies the church's teaching; and from schism, the fracturing […]

Hermann von Wied of Cologne

(1477-1552). He was Archbishop-elector of Cologne, and he called a provincial council in 1536 to institute reforms. The canons enacted there were published in 1538 with an Encheridion (handbook or manual) based on the Apostles' Creed, the seven sacraments, the Lord's Prayer, and the decalogue. Martin Bucer, who had worked on various German church orders, […]

Hermit, Hermitess

A person who lives alone for religious reasons. The term is from the Greek for “wilderness” or “uninhabited regions.” Hermits often live in a place that is remote from others. They may be distinguished from anchorites who live in a cell near a community. Hermits typically live contemplative lives devoted to meditation, prayer, manual work, […]

Hesychasm

A style of piety associated with the eastern church and ascribed to the monks of Mt. Athos in the fourteenth century. The word means “quiet.” The monks of Mt. Athos developed a method of prayer and contemplation which included a continuous repetition of the “Jesus Prayer” while controlling the breath, resting the chin upon the […]

Heuss, John

(July 30, 1908-Mar. 20, 1966). Leader in the post-World War II development of Christian education in the Episcopal Church. He was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and received his B.A. from St. Stephen's College (Bard) in 1929 and his B.D. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1931. He was ordained deacon on Sept. 13, 1931, and […]

Higgins, John Seville

(Apr. 14, 1904-Dec. 28, 1992). Bishop and ecumenist. He was born in London, England. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1928 and Western Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1931. He was ordained deacon on May 1, 1931, and priest on Nov. 1, 1931. Higgins served parishes in Nevada, Illinois, and Minnesota before becoming rector of […]

2647 records

Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.