"The Episcopal Church is a secret too well kept, " says compiler Louie Crew. "Many are starved for what we experience daily and too easily take for granted." With these words, Crew invited thousands of people online to participate in creating a list of reasons to be Episcopalian. Portions of that list, and many additional contributions, fill this charming, pocket-sized celebration of the Episcopal Church. These 101 thoughtful, poignant, and sometimes humorous responses not only entertain but also teach about the Church's gifts.
From the beauty of its prayer and liturgy, to its inclusiveness, and its reliance on Scripture, tradition, and reason in balance with one another, there is much to celebrate in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition. 101 Reasons To Be Episcopalian makes the perfect gift for confirmands, newcomers, and anyone interested in dialogue about why we are Episcopalians.
Louie Clay (né Louie Crew), PhD, who took his husband's surname upon their legal marriage in 2013, was born in Anniston, Alabama, in 1936. In 1971 he founded Integrity, a group that has taken leadership in transforming The Episcopal Church's stance towards LGBT people, and has remained an active campaigner for this and other causes. He earned a PhD in English literature from the University of Alabama (1971), and is professor emeritus of English at Rutgers University.
He is the author of four published volumes of poetry. Louie and his husband live in East Orange, New Jersey. Louie Crew Clay has served as a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church (2000-2006), an Episcopal Communicator, and the manager of several large e-mail lists for the Church