Richard Hale's religious dilemma

[swissmiss]

I would like to better understand Rev. Hale's religious dilemma- that issue he has with Church of England which causes him to renounce his position and move w/family to Milton. From his conversation + explanation with Margaret, I cannot grasp why he does not want to reaffirm his vows. Can someone assist me?

[Schokokeks]

It's been some time that I read the book, and I don't have it with me at the moment, but I'll try to recollect as best as I can:
To me, his "dilemma" never seemed to be a truely religious crisis, but rather one "rebelling" against the church as an institution. He was very upset with the new bishop's order to reaffirm his vows because that bishop liked to dictate everything "down" to his (even senior) clergymen (though I'm not sure whether Hale mentions this in his first conversation with Margaret on the subject or whether it comes up while they are staying in Milton).

[Nightshade]

The first time I read the book I thought it was a proper crisis of faith , but now IM more inclinede to think he had a problem with a 'policy' of the church.. perhaps something he was swearing to up hold... its actually an itresting question to look at, what is it the vows say exactly, GAskells views of the church? All bit of a dip into the history of Cof E at the time...

[caroljkinne]

I did a bit of research on what I've seen in other literature of the period, and from what I remember in a book entitled Church History in Plain Language (Bruce Shelley). There was a group of Oxford-trained, Church of England clergy who promoted a return to some of the more liturgical and symbolic elements of the Roman Catholic Church. One even went so far as to show that the tenets of the Church of Rome were in complete agreement with the famous protests of Luther, from which the Protestant Church was launched. The group from Oxford were called Tractarians because they published tracts attempting to lure the intellectual leaders of the C of E to their side. Several of the Tractarians eventually left C of E altogether and became Catholic priests. The fallout was that the C of E began to adopt more of the liturgical ways, using more austere vestments, elevating the position of the eucharist, etc., in an attempt to get the pendulum to stop. It landed on an uncomfortably "Roman" side for some ministers, who, out of conscience and possibly a fear of reverting to the Papal state, left the C of E. They were called Schismatics - having voiced their desire to go back to old ways, but without any success. The only way to protest was to NOT sign any more employment contracts with a governing body that ascribed to those nuances of practice during worship service that a clergyman found he could not reconcile to his personal view of salvation by grace, and not by works.
This should make you better understand Margaret's father - a kindly and principled man, even a pure conservative Protestant. And it explains Margaret's faithfulness to her parents, but continued grief in having to leave her beloved home at Helstone. I don't think she ever understood either the greatness of her father's inner struggle, or the strength of his convictions.

[ROTFL]

Mr. Hale Left the Church of England because he did not agree with what the Church did in 1662 on St. Bartholomew's Day. They ejected many ministers who held livings under the church because they refused the Act of Uniformity which basically says that they consent to everything that is written and prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. Mr. Hale did not believe that the Church of England had the right to tell men what to believe. This parallels Gaskell's own life and upbringing in a "dissenter" family that was strongly Unitarian. Good Luck!

[Niamh]

Rev. Hales withdrawl from the church had more to do with moral beliefs than loss of fate. The new bishop, who requested the clergy to renew their vows was a firm believer in an older form of preaching which did not particularly educate the church goers more or less bringing them back to ignorance so to speak. Hale was inclined towards Unitarianism and Dissenting which had a lot to do with educating the minds of church goers, philosophising passages of the bible during congragation. This did not agree with Mr Hale, and played on his mind. In one hand he was devoted to his faith but in the other he could not go against his beliefs and practices by renewing his vows and the only option he truely believed in was to quit the church.

[kev67]

Dixon said Mr Hale had turned Dissenter, which I think means either Baptist, Methodist, Quaker or Unitarian. Gaskell was the daughter and wife of Unitarian ministers. Unitarians doubted the Holy Trinity, that is God being one in three, and three in one. Rev Hale's doubts seem theological rather than pacifist or anti-alcohol, so my bet would be that. To be honest, I do not know many of the points of difference between the Anglican church and the Baptists, Methodists, Quakers and Unitarians. Another possibility is that the Church of England is a state religion, in which the monarch appoints the archbishops, or at least approves their nomination. This power was one of those that is exercised by the Prime Minister on his or her behalf. I think Cardinal Newman, an Eminent Victorian, left the Church of England for the Catholic Church for this reason.

[kev67]

Around chapter 31, Margaret thinks that the reason her brother never seemed put out about his father's change in faith was that he was also in the process of converting to Roman Catholicism. She reflects that their shifts in faith were in opposite directions. I suppose that hints at Baptism or Unitarianism for Rev Hale. That is if he limits himself to the denominations that were common in England. He still has Christian faith, but perhaps he no longer belongs to any denomination. Methodism is too close to Anglicanism to be worthwhile leaving the Church of England for. Previously in the book, Margaret remarked that her Aunt Shaw seemed to have got all her ideas about Dissenters from the Quakers, which implies that they have not become Quakers.