description of the book here:
http://www.churchpublishing.org/products/index.cfm?fuseaction=productDetail&productID=3636

Funny, although she’s “a Christian and a Muslim,” that this book is calculated to draw people away from Christianity (and Judaism) towards Islam.

Funny? Is anyone forwarding these items to the Primatial Brain Trust and their fearless leader?

Perhaps you should do that.  Maybe Jefferts Schori just doesn’t know what’s happening in the Church, and needs you to keep her informed.

Bishop Wolf has been exceptionally generous in all this, but it sounds to me like it’s time to cut bait.

Bruce Robison

I would have thought her inhibition prohibited such things?  I guess news travels slowly from Rhode Island to Seattle…

Note that the Qu’ran gets top billing, while Jewish & Christian sources add a bit of filler.

I suppose the problem may be that the bishop in Seattle and the rector of the parish don’t regard an inhibition coming from Rhode Island.

I love the provocative title of the book (what, you were in darkness before discovering the Koran?) as well as the description from TEC’s publishing arm website.  Italicized emphasis is mine.

An introduction to the major themes and passages of the holy book of Islam, this book invites readers of any religion—or none—to meditate on verses of the Quran as support for spiritual practices and growth. It guides the reader through the rich tapestry of the Quran, weaving through a number of themes, including the mystery of God, surrender to the divine will, and provisions for the spiritual journey. Quranic verses are supplemented by sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the words of Rumi and other Sufi poets, and relevant quotations and insights from Jewish and Christian sources. The book also offers practical suggestions for expanding and strengthening one’s spiritual sinews.

If there are relevant quotations from Christian sources, I can only wonder what the irrelevant ones are.

The evening will also observe the 25th anniversary of Ann’s ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and her movement into the next phase of ministry as both Christian and Muslim. 

Setting aside the question of the validity of a ministry that is “both Christian and Muslim”, is this custom of celebrating the anniversary of an ordination a new thing, or has it always existed? My wife and I saw our first such anniversary service a few months ago. We were still church shopping and it was a deciding factor in rejecting that church. God was decisively sidelined for the entire service.  Doubtless the pastor deserved the honor and recognition, but this commemoration shouldn’t have displaced the regular service where we honor and recognize God. Not to take cheap shots, but it was just so boomer.

#5 and #6—what exactly do you think she’s doing here that her inhibition prohibits her from doing?  Is she “exercising the gifts and spiritual authority conferred on her by ordination”?  Is she engaging in “public ministry”?

This is a book release party; the evening is described as including “a talk, panel discussion, music, conversation, and more.”  It is, in other words, a secular affair; and unless you think that +Wolf required her to be locked in a dungeon as a condition of her inhibition, there’s not one thing here that even comes close to violating its terms.

Charming Billy, in black churches in the south, the celebration of the pastor’s anniversary has been a customary thing for awhile now. The occasion usually includes several nights of services, sometimes a week of services, with a concluding service on Sunday. Usually the services are led by guest pastors, with the guest church providing music, etc. I don’t know this, but I have wondered if the services are a means of collecting funds for the pastor, who may not have a regular salary. I don’t know how this translates in other areas or outside the black churches.

Celebrating the anniversary of her ordination, Ross?  Moving into the next phase of her ministry?  Sounds like someone in good standing.  I grant you it would be more serious if she were presiding at a Eucharist.

When a person accepts Islam, she rejects Jesus Christ the Lord and accepts the Muslim Jesus, who is quite a different guy.

BTW, this book, Out of Darkness etc., is published by Morehouse Publishing, and is one of several books featured in the Morehouse ad on the back cover of the March 1 issue of Living Church (the Lent Book issue). 

“Spiritual guidance from the Quran is uniquely presented in this new book for Christian spiritual directors, Western seekers, and students. A featured work of Spiritual Directors International, it provides an introduction into the holy book of Islam as a source for spiritual practice and direction.”  $30

I wonder if Ann Holmes Redding will also announce publicly and celebrate the anniversary of her inhibition by Bishop Wolf for exactly this kind of syncretism.

Interestingly, it appears that St. Mark’s Cathedral does not recognize Holmes-Redding’s inhibition by the Bishop of Rhode Island.

#11 Katherine says:

Celebrating the anniversary of her ordination, Ross?  Moving into the next phase of her ministry?  Sounds like someone in good standing.  I grant you it would be more serious if she were presiding at a Eucharist.

I fail to see anything in the inhibition that says she can’t mark any anniversary she likes, in a secular celebration at a secular location.

As for “new phase of her ministry,” I haven’t spoken to her so I don’t know exactly what she means by that; but according to this her inhibition automatically turns into a deposition at the end of this month; so it seems likely that that’s the “new phase” she’s referring to.

I repeat: what terms of her inhibition is she violating?

Ross, I haven’t followed the details of this, and if you say she’s not in violation technically, then I’ll accept that.  If the church where this is taking place cared about her leaving Christianity as she has, it wouldn’t have scheduled a celebration.

It’s not taking place in a church.  If you glance up at the part that Kendall quoted, you’ll see:

“...being made new…”
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Avenue (Seneca Street entrance)

The event was announced in the cathedral newsletter, and the cathedral shop is selling tickets.  That’s all.  Perhaps you consider even that to be an undue endorsement by the cathedral of an inhibited priest; but it does not violate her inhibition.

Yes, I would consider it an undue endorsement, since she has left Christianity.  I don’t hate Muslims, and certainly not this woman, since I don’t even know her, but I can’t agree with her conversion.  It does appear that this is an endorsement and encouragement of the step she has taken.

4. BMR+,

I feel compelled to register a slight disagreement with you Fr. Robison. I would think it is well past time to cut bait!

Blessings and regards,
Keith Toepfer

Hi Katherine, Randy, etc…. just a quick bit of history that may help you understand why this parish would be promoting AHR’s celebration of apostasy. 

The thing to remember is that AHR was a big figure in this parish (St. Mark’s Cathedral).  She was director of faith formation and renewal at St. Mark’s from 2001 to 2007.  (I know, the irony of that is remarkable.)  The point is that everyone there knows her really well and probably has really warm feelings toward her.  So even if they agreed with you and me that she is an apostate, it would still be hard for them to not let her post that ad in their newsletter.  They’d have conflicting feelings between their heart and their head.

Actually it’s unlikely that anyone at St. Mark’s does feel such a conflict—they probably see AHR’s identity as a Muslim as a good thing.  Just another kind of diversity.  But the point is that even if they were inclined to view it as a problem, their feelings for her as a person they know would make that hard.

We should be thankful to AHR for helping Bishop Wolf here.  AHR’s book event is helpful in giving increasing clarity to her actual position.  Bishop Wolf keeps extending AHR’s position in limbo (extensions that AHR never asks for).  Perhaps this is AHR’s way of helping Wolf do the thing that should have been done a while ago.

Nice try, Jon.  I imagine no one at St. mark’s feels any conflict at all, too.  It’s because they had someone like HER as faith formation director.  How *could* they?  There is nothing she believes that would stop her from resuming that post today.  Obviously the bishop and dean of St.Mark’s have no problem at all with her belief(S).  This isn’t a slippery slope sort of thing, with developing problems.  The bottom of the slope was reached long ago.  Now it’s just a nice level slippery place with a Zamboni coming by occasionally to smooth out any little bumps that arise in the surface.  No one will object at St. Mark’s.  What do they *have* to object TO?

I highly approve of the image conjured by the sentence:

“Now it’s just a nice level slippery place with a Zamboni coming by occasionally to smooth out any little bumps that arise in the surface.”

That will keep me cheerful for at least a decade…

Trenchant comments #7 Steven and #12 Dick Mitchell,

Makes me wonder, what is the official publishing house of the Episcopal Church doing publishing a book designed to take Christians “Out of Darkness” and to Islam for spiritual development?

And, Why is it that when the Episcopal Church heard about her apostasy that it felt inclined to give her a book deal?

Oh, and the St. Marks website has a collage slideshow at the top.  One of the collages has mandalas, sufis, buddhists, and an altar (with a band on it, so it’s not a service) with a cross flanked by Islamic and Jewish symbols. Nice!

Note that the Qu’ran gets top billing, while Jewish & Christian sources add a bit of filler —-Karen B. [#5]

And perhaps a bit of bait.