“Temperament refers to a tradition’s characteristic ways of thinking and behaving. For Episcopalians, this is comprehensive, ambiguous, open-minded, intuitive, aesthetic, moderate, naturalistic, and political.”
- Comprehensive – The Episcopal Church affirms both the sacred and the secular
- Ambiguous – The Episcopal Church affirms an openness to all experience and are willing to live with trial and error as a means toward establishing truth”
- Open-minded – The Episcopal Church encourages a searching, questioning, reasonable mind always open to new insights and change”
- Intuitive – “The Episcopal Church affirms the intellectual way of thinking and knowing”
- Aesthetic – “Stained glass windows found in many Episcopal churches, as well a many other church furnishings, remind us that the presence of beautiful objects can open our eyes to the wonders of God”
- Moderate – “We are a people of moderation and restraint who strive to model a temperate, balanced, reasonable approach to life”
- Naturalistic – “At our best we have been committed to the protection of the environment an preserving the sanctity of creation”
- Political – “We believe the church has an obligation to attempt to influence social, political, and economic life as a matter of justice and equality for all of God’s people”
Reference
Westerhoff, J.H., & Pearson, S. E. (2014). A people called episcopalians: A brief introduction to our way of life. New York, NY: Morehouse Publishing