The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Toronto, has long been known as a leading anglo-catholic parish in the Anglican Church of Canada, especially for its rich and influential liturgical and musical traditions. David Greig's history places the well known achievements in the broader context of a living Christian community responding in the fullness of time, both to its developing understanding of the Catholic faith and to the needs and demands of a wider world.
David Greig is a life-long and active member of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. He holds a Master's degree in History from York University, Toronto. To his work here he brings a sensitive appreciation of the life of the parish as well as the skills and insights of a trained historian.
"I commend this... as one of the best (parish histories) to come to my attention... does not gloss over differences, conflicts, or failures of vision, here, or achievement. There are even discreet references to scandals.... I wish that it had been available to me when I wrote books on national and provincial religious history." John Webster Grant, Professor Emeritus, Emmanuel College, Toronto
"I doubt that any Canadian parish has been better served by its historian... meticulous... more than a little in common with a 'Perils of Pauline' melodrama." Eugene Fairweather, Professor Emeritus of Divinity, Trinity College, Toronto; Honorary Assistant, Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (from his introduction)
(Originally published in 1990.)