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It's little known that the Church of England came close to accepting the reality of Spiritualist claims to communicate with the dead just before WW2. A majority report commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury supported Spiritualist claims, but was suppressed
The War then intervened, and people had other things to think about; Spiritualist mediums were also perceived as a threat to secrecy during the War (cf. the case of Helen Duncan). By the end of the War the CofE had other priorities
But it's easy to forget how mainstream Spiritualism was by the 1930s. Many devout Anglicans (and even a number of clergy) attended séances, and few perceived a conflict with the Christian faith
Even after the War, the influence of Spiritualism lingered in the CofE; some of the diocesan exorcists appointed by CofE bishops in the 1970s claimed to rely on their mediumistic powers, or on advice received from the spirits of deceased friends
It's interesting to speculate whether Spiritualism would actually have become part of the doctrine and practice of the CofE if WW2 hadn't happened. At the very least, it seems likely the church would have adopted a more tolerant attitude to it
For more on the CofE's complicated relationship with Spiritualism, read my book 'A History of Anglican Exorcism' amazon.co.uk/History-Anglic…
