This Week in Christian History: Amazing Grace, Birth Control, and Antidisestablishmentarianism

Church of Ireland Disestablished – July 26, 1869

This week marks the anniversary of when British Parliament passed a law disestablishing the Church of Ireland and in the process gave the English language one of its longest words.

On July 26, 1869, Parliament passed the "Irish Church Act," which called for the end of state support for the regional Anglican denomination the Church of Ireland.

"... it is expedient that the union created by Act of Parliament between the Churches of England and Ireland, as by law established, should be dissolved, and that the Church of Ireland, as so separated, should cease to be established by law," read the Act in part.

"On and after the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one the said union created by Act of Parliament between the Churches of England and Ireland shall be dissolved, and the said Church of Ireland, herein-after referred to as 'the said Church,' shall cease to be established by law."

Some credit the debate over the Act with giving us the amusingly long word "antidisestablishmentarianism," which was the word used to describe those who opposed legislation meant to disestablish Anglican churches.