November 3

On this day in 1534, the English Parliament passed an act making Henry VIII the head of the Church of England, formally ending allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. This point in the Protestant Reformation was 16 years after Martin Luther’s famous 95 Theses, and although it was prompted by Henry’s desire to divorce, the Church of England’s theology and doctrine split from Roman Catholicism in important ways, not least of which was priests’ ability to marry. 

Today is the feast day in the Church of England of Richard Hooker, who died on November 2, 1600. He developed his theology to resist Calvinism and Roman Catholicism, and emphasized the “three-legged stool” of scripture, reason, and tradition. 

Today in 1868, John Willis Menard became the first African-American elected to congress, though entrenched white supremacy contested this Louisiana election and prevented him from ever being seated. 

Today marks the execution during the Reign of Terror, in 1793, of Olympe de Gouges, French women’s rights activist and abolitionist. She was a champion of progressive causes, including the French Revolution, but she condemned of Robespierre’s authoritarianism. 

Today marks the birthday, in 1877, of Rosalie Edge, environmentalist and suffragist. She founded the Emergency Conservation Committee, which began raising awareness about the threats of extinction. She was one the earliest voices which advocated protecting predators, and not just animals considered beautiful to humans.  

Reflection:

Rosalie Edge said:

Richard Hooker wrote: 

Olympe de Gouges wrote: 

Prayer: God of Justice, may our advocacy extend beyond our own tribe’s or species’ immediate self-interest, and beyond our own levels of comfort. Amen.