Every year, since 1908, millions of Christians, including Anglicans, participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The “week,” in our part of the world, begins on January 18 with the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter, and ends on January 25 with the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The logic is simple: both men were foundations in the early Jesus community, but they didn’t always get on with each other. During this week, then, Christians of various denominations come together in prayer for the unity of the Church. It is marked by special services, ecumenical gatherings, and collaborative events aimed at fostering understanding and unity among Christian communities worldwide.
In the parish I serve, the St. Andrew Parish Church, we observe this week with a "Marian Service," a collaborative effort with the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church nearby. This joint service emphasizes our shared devotion to the Mother of our God.
Now, if you are aware of the history of the Anglican Church in Jamaica, you’d know that a “Marian Service” would have been impossible several centuries ago. When the English took Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655, they banned Roman Catholicism. Catholic churches were burnt and pillaged. This included the Church in St Jago de la Vega (now known as Spanish Town). It was replaced with an Anglican Church, now known as the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega. In 1791, a significant change occurred for Roman Catholics when the British Parliament passed an act that reversed the anti-Catholic penal laws that had been in force since 1558. This marked a positive shift in the legal landscape, allowing greater freedom for Catholics in Jamaica.
Anglicans were not so nice to Christian groups who weren’t Roman Catholics either! In colonial Jamaica, Anglicans held a certain suspicion towards Christian groups referred to as “nonconformists” (Moravians, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians). The established Anglican Church, as a symbol of British authority, viewed nonconformist sects with scepticism, often perceiving them as challenges to the established pro-slavery order. This suspicion reflected broader tensions between the dominant Anglican establishment and dissenting religious movements, contributing to a complex religious landscape in colonial Jamaica. After the Sam Sharpe-led rebellion of 1831/2, for example, Anglicans created a group called the “Colonial Church Union” which terrorized the leaders of non-conformist groups, including burning many of their churches. The Union was established by the Priest at the St. Ann Parish Church, Rev. George Bridges.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Anglicans in Jamaica are singing a very different tune! We are no longer part of the Church of England, though we are members of a group of churches that trace their history to the Church of England. (Originally, “Anglican” meant, “Church of England”; now it simply means that our roots can be traced to the Church of England.) We have moved away from the proslavery ideology of the old English Church, and we, along with the Roman Catholics and the non-conformists are now, to use a Jamaicanism, bati an bench (two peas in a pod.) Swiita dan wi yu kyahn fain!
Making room for religious diversity is one of the features I admire most about modern Anglicanism. This quest for inclusivity spans various spectra: among diverse "streams" within Anglicanism, encompassing the nuanced expressions of High/Low Church, Evangelical/Anglo-Catholic, and conservative/liberal perspectives; among the distinct autonomous churches constituting the global Anglican Communion, such as The Episcopal Church, The Church in the Province of the West Indies, and The Church of England; extending beyond denominational borders to include Methodists, Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, and others; and even transcending religious boundaries to embrace diverse faith traditions such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and beyond. The commitment to tangible unity among Anglicans across ideological and geographical boundaries finds embodiment in realities such as the Anglican Communion (along with its “instruments of unity”), and the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission. The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order (and its precursors), and the Anglican Inter Faith Commission give expression to the Anglican commitment to creating space across denomination and religious lines, respectively.
This remains true for us here in Jamaica. Believe it or not, the Jamaica Church exhibits remarkable diversity across various dimensions, including theological orientations and liturgical practices. One of the most evident examples of this distinction is the contrast between high and low church traditions. For instance, at the Cure where I am presently assigned, St. Andrew Parish Church, you will find practices traditionally associated with "high church" such as the use of incense, chanting, formal language in worship, choral music, etc. In contrast, you will find none of these in the Cure in St. Elizabeth where I was sent for my initial summer assignment.
There are several tangible expressions of Anglican unity across denominational lines. Our full-time clergy, for example, are trained at the United Theological College of the West Indies, an institution that provides theological education for six traditional denominations in the region. Additionally, the Jamaica Church has a unique and close relationship with the local Roman Catholic Archdiocese. An exceptional example of this collaboration is evident in The Church of Reconciliation in Portmore, a shared space, jointly owned and used by both denominations, making it, as far as I am aware, a unique and singular entity worldwide.
With respect to interreligious relations, the Jamaica Church does this primarily through its participation in the umbrella group, known as the Jamaica Council of Churches.
This year marks a significant milestone for our Church, the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, as we commemorate 200 years of existence. This span of time has unfolded within a unique cultural context that has given rise to two African-derived religious expressions, namely Revivalism and Rastafari. One way in which we can celebrate this milestone is to include these two entities in our list of “dialogue partners.”
What I failed to say at the beginning of this blog is that Anglicans were not nice to the religious practices and larger cultural traditions of the enslaved and their descendants either! The religious practices of our ancestors were viewed and treated with suspicion and disdain. These Afro-Jamaican religious practices were frequently marginalized and suppressed in the pre and post-emancipation era - by means of instruments of social control such as The Slave Code of 1816, and The Obeah Act of 1898.
Why are we not bati an bench with Roman Catholics, Methodists, Moravians, and Baptists and not with our African-derived religious groups? One wonders to what extent the apparent reluctance of Anglicanism in Jamaica to engage in intentional, open dialogue with indigenous religious groups can be traced back to its history of drinking excessively of the colonial rum. During the colonial era, religious institutions and other ways of being that were associated with the North Atlantic held privileged status, relative to those that emerged from the experience of people at the grassroots. Thus, our foreparents' religious practices were frequently denigrated and denied validity and value. Roman Catholic and non-conformist groups have gained more privilege, power, and status in society, equalling (rivaling, even) that of Anglicanism, while our African-based religious groups have remained at the bottom of the social pyramid.
I suspect that this historical and current power dynamic has influenced the prevailing attitudes and interactions with our Revival and Rastafari siblings. This colonial hangover is reflected in Bishop Neville deSouza 1983 synod charge. In it, he called into question the compatibility of the “purity of that religion which is the Christian religion” with what he labeled “ancestor worship,” a syncretic expression in which “the old African customs were given a kind of Christian veneer” (Gregory, 2019, pp. 85-86). The entire society drank of the colonial rum, and in this case, the Church is no more than a microcosm of the larger society.
Engaging in dialogue with our indigenous faith traditions holds immense value. First, it fosters a spirit of inclusivity, acknowledging the rich cultural and spiritual heritage embedded in these indigenous traditions. Being dialogue partners presents an opportunity for mutual understanding, dispelling misconceptions, dismantling (historical) biases, and nurturing harmonious coexistence. Furthermore, it allows the Diocese to broaden its perspective, gaining insights into unique spiritual practices and beliefs that have deep roots in local soil. In addition, it could enrich our church and help her indigenize. In essence, such a dialogue can contribute to a more comprehensive and representative religious discourse, fostering unity, shared respect, and collaborative work among diverse local faith traditions and our Diocese.
This isn't to imply that there hasn't been any interaction between Anglicanism and our indigenous religious forms. In a previous post, I offered an initial survey of how Rastafari has influenced Anglican worship. With regard to the influence of Revivalism, maybe the most clear example can be observed in what our Diocesan website refers to as the “Traditional Jamaican Revival Mass Setting” (TJRMS). A Mass Setting speaks to the constant elements of the Mass or Eucharistic Liturgy set to music, including the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus, the Eucharistic Acclamations, and the Agnus Dei. Almost all the elements of the TJRMS, except the Kyrie, are built on “Revival rhythm.” Composed by Rev. Darren Evans with assistance from Mr. Everton Clark, the TJRMS seeks to build on the Afro-centricity prevalent among the faithful in the Albert Town Cure, Trelawney. The Gospel Acclamation wasn't crafted by Rev. Evans but rather adopted. It was introduced into the Eucharistic liturgy by the Jamaican Folk Singers decades ago, under the leadership of Dr. Olive Lewin. It had entered the Singers’ repertoire via Revivalism. A senior member of the Singers, a practicing Anglican, told me on several occasions that the introduction of the Gospel Acclamation sparked dissent among some Anglicans, leading to walkouts during services. Today, the TJRMS is arguably the most popular Mass Setting in the Diocese, though it suffered some initial pushback. In endorsing the Setting (Arch)Bishop Howard Gregory said,
“The setting is written to the Traditional Jamaican or Revival rhythm and utilizes idioms from the Jamaican language. It provides a simple setting to an indigenous rhythm which can be performed by choirs and congregations which are not gifted with organists and the skills to perform more difficult arrangements. It offers an opportunity for congregations to return to sung Eucharistic Services in a context in which this is becoming a diminishing reality.
I commend it for use by those priests, choirs and congregations who would like to utilize a Eucharistic setting that is truly Jamaican, and which now joins the company of the Folk and Reggae settings which arise out of our cultural roots.”
The Archbishop’s statement is generally positive, acknowledging the value of the TJRMS - its cultural authenticity, simplicity, accessibility, contribution to liturgical diversity, and its facilitation of congregational participation. One wonders, however, what would be the recommendation in a context in which there are “choirs and congregations gifted with organists and the skills to perform more difficult arrangements”! The minimum that can be said here is that the Archbishop encourages a diverse musical environment in the Diocese, where different settings can coexist, and meet the liturgical needs of the faithful, irrespective of the resources at their disposal.
Archbishop Gregory’s endorsement may suggest our Diocese’s slow movement away from the posture toward our indigenous religious groups embodied in Bishop deSouza’s sermon some 40 years ago. It doesn’t appear to be simply a matter of individual preference on the part of the Archbishop, but a continuation of the efforts to make the church more authentically Jamaican. I am convinced that a purposeful and mindful engagement of Revivalism and Rastafari can significantly enrich this transformative journey. Such a step demands courage in a setting where these groups are often viewed as semi/anti-Christian. It also calls for humility in a historical context where Anglicans have, regrettably, undervalued these native, afro-centric religious traditions, dismissing their potential contributions to helping our tradition move from a position of “potted plant” to having “real roots.”
Revivalism and Rastafari have thrived and flourished in Jamaica despite Anglicanism. Perhaps engaging in dialogue could serve as an initial step in an overdue act of atonement, an effort to right the wrongs of over two centuries of neglect. After all, it would not be our first attempt at creating space for others within and outside our tradition. The Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, and Moravians are our witnesses. This could be another significant undertaking in that spirit.
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