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More alike than not

Re your front page musings about what it means to be an Anglican, I've just finished reading Diarmaid McCullough's "A History of Christianity" I think the answer to 'Who is an Anglican?' and 'Who is a Christian?' would probably be much the same from an earthly point of view (no doubt God has his own criteria).

You are a Christian if you say you are and can point to some sort of historical connection, however tenuous, with the Christian church at some point in its history. You are an Anglican if you say you are and can point to some sort of historical connection, however tenuous, with the post-Henry VIII Church of England.

If you are looking for common characteristics between Anglicans (or Christans), I suspect you should be looking for overlapping groups of characteristics rather than particular characteristics that all Anglicans share.

Robert W. M. Greaves
All Saints Anglican Church, Jakarta
Jakarta, INDONESIA
robert.w.m.greaves@gmail.com
8 August 2011

And no need ever to clean the ceiling

Re: your editorial on Cathedrals.... There's a place called Half-Moon Bay in the 1000 Islands in the St. Lawrence River in eastern Ontario that advertises worship under the tallest cathedral ceiling in the world, cute conceit.... worship is quite wonderful there.

Dave Robinson
Diocese of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
8 August 2011

There is a chapel in the cathedral

In the Cathedral of Learning of the University of Pittsburgh there are beautiful Nationality Rooms. The St. David's Society of Pittsburgh has recently donated and built one of the newest Rooms - a Welsh capel (chapel). Pitt is delighted because it is the only part of the Cathedral that has a religious theme. Heinz Chapel is elsewhere on the campus. (I am the only clergyman on the Board of the Welsh Society, and as an Episcopalian, it was my privilege to press for the iconic and non-conformist chapel theme, and not an English castle or manor house theme.)

The Rev. Canon Richard Davies
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
8 August 2011

Gothic by intent, cathedral by accident

Re: Cathedrals, and Pittsburgh's "Cathedral of Learning": While I can imagine some think the information designation of the University's main building is somehow sacreligious, the fact seems to be that it was meant primarily to be Gothic, and somehow the cathedral idea got added on.

The Wikipedia page for the Cathedral of Learning has a lot of interesting info about this famous building, and considering its history and development, I would think it something to be admired.

Indeed, it was the tallest building in the city before an oil company built a taller one, so I guess that means education can always take the hindmost when compared to commerce. Or something.

Peter Winterble
Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
peter@winterble.com
8 August 2011

(Editor: we do very much admire Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning, and have spent many a happy hour there being warmed by the huge fires lit now and then).

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