Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Historical
Historical details
Founded1855
Heritage statusNational Register of Historic Places listed place
Inherited from denomination
What The Episcopal Church teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Confessional standard: Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion
Affirms
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardHistoric episcopate — tactile line of consecration from the apostles.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsweakSame-sex marriage authorization implies moral affirmation.
- Infant BaptismstandardWestminster XXVIII; Book of Concord SC IV; Council of Trent Session VII; Wesleyan Articles Art. XVII
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriageweakMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeweakVarious denominational actions (TEC 1976, ELCA 1970s, PC(USA) 1956, AG 1935, CofE 1994 priests / 2014 bishops, etc.)
Denies
- Assumption of MaryweakUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Immaculate ConceptionstandardUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Marriage as one man and one womanweakPC(USA) 2015; ELCA 2009; TEC 2015; UMC 2024. Same-sex marriage authorized in polity.
- TransubstantiationstandardOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Believer's BaptismweakPaedobaptist bodies practice adult baptism on credible profession where infant baptism was omitted, but do not consider it normative.
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
- Perpetual Virginity of MaryweakHistorically held by Luther, Calvin, Zwingli; retained as pious opinion (not binding) by confessional Lutherans and traditional Anglicans.
- Real PresenceweakCalvin's spiritual presence (genuinely present but not physically) is neither strong affirm nor deny; Anglican/Methodist typically hold a receptionist view.
- TheotokosweakConfessionally valid title (Ephesus is a received council) but not used devotionally; retained in liturgy where liturgy is retained.
In their own words
Statements
wikipedia_intro
Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, located at 38th and Ludlow Streets in West Philadelphia, is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. The cathedral reported 200 members in 2023; no membership statistics were reported in 2024 parochial reports. Plate and pledge income for the congregation in 2024 was $330,307 with average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 103.Source ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> About | Cathedral Skip to main content Giving Give Main navigation About worship news Events Visioning About the Cathedral Whatever brings you here, you are most welcome! Welcome to the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral! Whatever brings you here, you are most welcome! We are all on a journey, and we look forward to learning more about yours. There is a place for you in this diverse, loving community. Get to Know Us Dean and Leadership Music and Arts Serving our Community A seat for the Bishop, a home for the Diocese, an open door for all At the heart of our catSource ↗
mission
<!DOCTYPE html> Leading with Love | Cathedral Skip to main content Giving Give Main navigation About worship news Events Visioning Leading with Love We have embarked on an intentionally inclusive strategic planning process in order to live most effectively into God's call for us. I invite and strongly encourage everyone’s participation during this exciting time full of possibility. What a gift it is to engage in this ministry with all of you. The Very Reverend Abigail Crozier Nestlehutt, Dean Thank you for participating in our Core Values Workshop and the Online Survey. Your particSource ↗
about
About | Cathedral Skip to main content Giving Give Main navigation About worship news Events Visioning About the Cathedral Whatever brings you here, you are most welcome! Welcome to the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral! Whatever brings you here, you are most welcome! We are all on a journey, and we look forward to learning more about yours. There is a place for you in this diverse, loving community. Get to Know Us Dean and Leadership Music and Arts Serving our Community A seat for the Bishop, a home for the Diocese, an open door for all At the heart of our cathedral's identity is the ministrySource ↗
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