<p>jjs123….
I really hate posting like this and only do so when someone has little understanding of a school but stating “St. Paul’s School is not religious in practice. Many of the Episcopal boarding schools simply treat Christianity as a dead relic of the past, at most as heritage.” doesn’t seem to be accurate. I am an alum and can assure you that religion is not treated as a “dead relic”. That being said, I am an atheist alum. Chapel and required courses in religion are integral parts of a SPS/Groton/SGS/SAS etc. education and are important parts of the experience but certainly, these schools are not “evangelical” and accept all types/beliefs with open arms. Your characterization of the SPS culture does not seem accurate from my perspective but if you’re a current student…I guess things have changed dramatically. </p>
<p>This quote, in particular, is wrong. “As a previous poster mentioned, SPS is as religious as Exeter, a longstanding non-religious, secular school.” </p>
<p>hola3…
I didn’t say all Episcopal boarding schools. Just to be clear, “Chapel” at SPS is a secular ritual held in a church…not a Christian religious service, not an Episcopal mass. Were you required to attend weekly Episcopal masses on Sunday when you attended SPS? </p>
<p>Do you consider required weekly attendance at an actual religious service evangelical? All of these Episcopal schools very likely required weekly Episcopal services at some point in their historical past. Some still do. Things changed at some schools, perhaps due to changed values and perhaps due to the pressure to be greatly marketable to the maximum cross section of students.</p>
<p>I think it is best to be clear so that candidates who are atheist, agnostic, non-Christian, or non-Episcopalian realize what a school is like and don’t dismiss or underrate a school just because it has the word Saint in the name.</p>