Low Church
Preserved but no longer current.
The popular name given to the evangelical party in the Church of England which maintains the essential Protestantism of that institution, adheres to the doctrinal and devotional formulas of the Book of Common Prayer, and regards the Bible as the ultimate rule of faith.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Low Church” mean?
The popular name given to the evangelical party in the Church of England which maintains the essential Protestantism of that institution, adheres to the doctrinal and devotional formulas of the Book of Common Prayer, and regards the Bible as the ultimate rule of faith.
Is “Low Church” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.