How high was he?: the religious thought and activity of Edward Feild, second Church of England Bishop of Newfoundland (1844-1876)

Sanderson, Sherri (2007) How high was he?: the religious thought and activity of Edward Feild, second Church of England Bishop of Newfoundland (1844-1876). Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

For over thirty years, in the middle of the nineteenth century, Edward Feild served as second bishop of the Church of England diocese of Newfoundland, which included the Archdeaconry of Bermuda. His episcopate lasted from 1844-1876, years of great turmoil in the colony and in the church. Although he was in the midst of it all, he is barely remembered today. Feild is best known today for his educational and political activities, but his religiosity was at the core of his being and motivated his thought and actions. Feild was not simply a High Churchman, he was a Tractarian, and his Tractarianism had great consequences for his episcopacy and pastoral leadership. Not only was he a follower of the Oxford Movement, he also followed the tenets of the Cambridge Camden Society, the Cambridge Movement, in order to bring concrete expression to his Tractarian sacramentalism in church architecture and design. Feild's Tractarianism can be found in all of his writings, most especially, the seven published Charges to the clergy of Newfoundland and Bermuda. These texts are crucial to an understanding of Feild's religious views since the bishop's charge expressed what was of greatest concern at the time of its deliverance. Feild's Tractarianism in his Charges was intimately related to his Church of England ecclesiology as well as his views on worship and liturgy, the sacraments, and church architecture. Feild's Tractarian ecclesiology is shown by his world from its governance. Concerning the worship of the church, Field's Tractarianism insisted upon following established authorities and the rules of the Church of England as found within the Book of Common Prayer. Through the immense importance that he gave to the sacraments and their administration, Feild exemplified his Tractarian sacramentalism. In his ever-abiding concern for church architecture, as shown through his interest in church design and construction throughout the diocese, Feild concretely expressed his Tractarianism and his belief in the architectural ideals of the Cambridge Movement. This thesis involves both historical criticism and interpretation in order to determine Bishop Feild's religious thought and actions through an analysis of seven of his key ecclesiastical texts and the recreation of the historical context in which he can be situated.

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