The latest on the Ann Holmes Redding story, in response to yesterday’s news from Bishop Wolf of Rhode Island. Thanks to one of our commenters for the hat tip on this. We hadn’t yet gotten a chance to check the latest news. Trying to work and blog at the same time is hard!
Priest drawn to Islam loses her collar for year
By Janet I. Tu
Seattle Times religion reporter
The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, a local Episcopal priest who announced she is both Muslim and Christian, will not be able to serve as a priest for a year, according to her bishop.
During that year, Redding is expected to “reflect on the doctrines of the Christian faith, her vocation as a priest, and what I see as the conflicts inherent in professing both Christianity and Islam,” the Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, wrote in an e-mail to Episcopal Church leaders.
Redding was ordained more than 20 years ago by the then-bishop of Rhode Island, and it is that diocese that has disciplinary authority over her.
During the next year, Redding “is not to exercise any of the responsibilities and privileges of an Episcopal priest or deacon,” Wolf wrote in her e-mail. Wolf could not be reached for immediate comment.
“I’m deeply saddened, but I’ve always said I would abide by the rulings of my bishop,” said Redding, who met with Wolf last week. Redding, who characterized their conversation as amicable, said the two would continue to communicate throughout the year.
During the meeting, Redding said she took off her priest’s collar and accepted Wolf’s invitation to hold it for the year.
“I understand she’s holding it as an indication that we’re both in this together,” Redding said.
At the end of the year, the two will revisit the issue.
“I understand that one of my options would be to voluntarily leave the priesthood,” Redding said.
At this moment, though, she is not willing to do that. “The church is going to have to divorce me if it comes to that,” she said. “I’m not going to go willingly.”
But she also doesn’t completely rule it out, saying: “God will guide me over this year.”
Redding’s bishop in Seattle, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner of the Diocese of Olympia, who accepts Redding as an Episcopal priest and a Muslim, said Wolf’s decision is a good compromise.
It’s sad that a Jesuit college accepts this spiritually confused person in a teaching position. Presumably, the mission of Seattle University is to proclaim the Christian faith, but then who knows these days.
Discipline. Thought that had been lost in the ECUSA/TEC except over the issue and whipping nonliberals into line with the proper belief system. Nice to know someone thinks otherwise. And acts on it. Of course, the church will have to divorce her, says Redding. Note the proper use of the walking apart formulations of the ECUSA/
TEC on the individual level. Top down confusiology.
[i]”The church is going to have to divorce me if it comes to that,” she said. “I’m not going to go willingly.”[/i]
That’s like a husband refusing to give up his mistress at the wife’s request. Going after another religion/god after one has pledged oneself to one religion/God is nothing short of spiritual adultery. Divorce may indeed be the proper metaphor.
“Redding’s bishop in Seattle, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner of the Diocese of Olympia, who accepts Redding as an Episcopal priest and a Muslim, said Wolf’s decision is a good compromise.”
A good compromise? Did Vince read the same statement I did? +Wolf said it is unacceptable and wrong for Redding to be a priest and be a Muslim. That is not a compromise from “it is ok to be both.” The only “compromise” is that she hasn’t been defrocked, but that hasn’t been eliminated. It would seem to me she has a year to renounce one or the other or I don’t know that she’ll be getting that collar back. That’s kind of like saying a church that leaves its property behind has reached a “compromise” with its diocese. Agreement on a particular principle, but not a compromise per se.
This is really only a HINT at possible discipline….and +Wolfs’ actions will be used to calm down the few people out there who got their cages rattled over the initial article. Cheers to +Wolf for taking the initial steps, but will she follow through to the bitter end when/if this heretic refuses to turn over her collar a year from now? I sincerely doubt it.
#1 Jeff Thimsen says
I know somewhat of SU, since I’m currently working through their M. Div. program (and will in fact be taking a class from Ann Holmes Redding in the fall.) It does indeed “proclaim the Christian faith,” but it does so from what you would call a solidly reappraiser perspective. (Sometimes even more so than I do… 🙂 ) I daresay that most reasserters would be unhappy with a lot of what goes on here.
M. Div. from SU – must be Master of Diversity, or Master of Division, or Master of Divot?
Ross, I’m not sure, but I think you just made my point.
RE: “Presumably, the mission of Seattle University is to proclaim the Christian faith, . . . ”
According to Ross, it seems not.
Seattle University is a rigorous institution, like other Jesuit institutions. It might not share the same flat-earth biases of some who have a … Koranic … I mean absolutist … interpretation of scripture’s prohibitions.
Redding does know scripture well, although she might not be a great theologian. I was taught about the Old Testament, with five rabbis, by a former Catholic Priest. This is a good pastoral compromise that notes Redding’s need for spiritual discernment.
#8 and #9:
Only if you assume that “reappraiser” means “not Christian.”
“Loses her Collar for a Year”
Far better for her to lose her colalr for at least a year, than to lose what holds it permanently, I would think.
I am not sure her will has anything to do with the application of Shari’ia law in this type of case.
Serious Catholics often refer to schools like SU as being “in the Catholic (or Jesuit) tradition”. I believe one of these schools (Georgetown? BU?) actually has one of those forms in its mission statements.
Utterly unrepentant, still utterly apostate. Still receiving communion, if it doesn’t somehow conflict with Islam?? And this *impresses* some Episcopalians as hardball discipline by her bishop?
Still predict this will get her a pen$ion in the end for some medical condition.
Which of her gods will she look to guide her?
RE: “Seattle University is a rigorous institution, like other Jesuit institutions. It might not share the same flat-earth biases of some who have a … Koranic … I mean absolutist … interpretation of scripture’s prohibitions.”
LOL. Ooooohhh . . . devastating argument there. Quite “rigorous” . . .
We’re so hurt you think so! ; > )
Lots of non Christian institutions are rigorous.
My two cents worth:
Although some above think this is not enough… I am personally encouraged that for ONCE some sort of discipline is happening within the Church. Thank you Bishop Wolf. Perhaps a years reflection may make all the difference.
Peace to all,
John Riebe+
Sarah, I’m glad you were amused. Blogging doesn’t generally lend itself to rigor, does it? I suppose, as we are two different religions, we might have different understandings of “rigor” or its value. It doesn’t matter much to me.
#14 – I’m not sure how a priest would determine if she merited communion. If she believes in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, then that settles it.
I don’t think she is a particularly consistent thinker. But for now, I’ll live in charity and assume God will decide, the God who is slow to anger, of great kindness.
IMO, today, MOST liberal arts universities in the west are very rigerous ….
Rigerous that is, in enforcing PC correctness, liberal mantras, global warming hysteria, secular humanism etc.
Whenever you see a so-called Catholic university who announces that they are of the Catholic Tradition, you can bet your bottom dollar that they matriculate humanists, not Catholics, and that by choice.
I wanted my daughter to go to Steubenville, or Thomas More, but she chose Mount St Mary’s College, a place that quotes the *tradition* statement in their propaganda. It’s just a come-on, for even though there are some few religious teaching there, most of the faculty are typically leftist secularists found all over the academy. The beautiful chapel on campus was almost never used for services and there was almost no evangelistic outreach.
Last year, upon her graduation, she had come to the conclusion that religion was foolishness and superstitious claptrap.
Personally, I want my 100K back, as they are all frauds.
It sounds like the institution in question is very comfortable with Koranic interpretations of things. Otherwise, they would not likely hire this Muslim to teach.
John Wilkins said
[blockquote] Redding does know scripture well, although she might not be a great theologian [/blockquote]
I think we can all agree with that.
But that make it all the more of a wonder that she director of faith formation at Seattle’s St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. Do the diocese not think those joining the faith should be an adequate theologian teaching them?
I am interested to know John if you thought it was appropriate.
If she believes in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, then that settles it.
John Wilkins, perhaps it matters a little, too, who she believes Christ is?
How can she believe Christ is in an real way present in the Sacrament, if she denies his deity? Which she must, if she is a Muslim who saw Jesus as someone who blocked her from God.
Redding makes hash of scripture. I certainly wouldn’t agree that she knows it well.
Off-Topic
Ross [#6]: Having taken up your invitation to visit your web page, I see you’re evidently a huge hit with nieces and other small persons.
RE: “Blogging doesn’t generally lend itself to rigor, does it?”
Only when the blogger has a rational, consistent, and rigorous mind himself, John Wilkins, which would explain things. ; > )
No, you just wanted to get a chance to burst forth some of your malice and anger towards reasserters and get a chance to use some words like “flat-earth”, “biases”, “Koranic”, and “absolutist” — which for me, coming from you, are words of compliment, as any negative words from you about reasserters turn out to be.
RE: “I suppose, as we are two different religions, we might have different understandings of “rigor†or its value.”
Well, obviously we don’t have two different understandings of the value of rigor — you like it for Seattle University, but you don’t like it for John Wilkins! ; > )
RE: “It doesn’t matter much to me.”
Now see, I knew we would find something we could agree on eventually.
Unity at last.
[blockquoteDuring the meeting, Redding said she took off her priest’s collar and accepted Wolf’s invitation to hold it for the year.[/blockquote]
Interesting symbolism. Perhaps we’ve seen too much on TV and film where the suspended cop hands over his badge and gun. (Which has me wondering about her other collars and, if she has her own, stoles/chasubles…)
Well, now that she is sort of half-Episcopalian, half-Moslem, maybe she can start agitating for gay polygamous marriages.
#26:
Yeah, the rugrats and I generally get along pretty well 🙂
#28’s analogy of Redding+ handing in her collar and the cop shows where the cop hands in his badge and gun is making me think that there’s a TV show in here somewhere. “Inhibited — They took her collar. They should have checked for spares. Now she prowls the streets where other clergy dare not go, absolving, blessing, and consecrating those whom the Church has forgotten. If you have a problem, if you can’t go to the Church, and if you can find her… maybe you can hire the Priest.”
I think it is brave for people to interpret the mind of Professor Redding and make judgments about her intellect.
Sarah, I didn’t mention the word “reasserter” in my initial comment. It may have hit close to home, but in any case I’m glad you took it as a compliment. As a liberal, I think all sorts of perspectives should be at the table. Including the Koranic – a view I did not ascribe to you, personally.
I have observed that blogging invites a different sort of rhetoric than the academic, as you prove in your comment. You could cite counter examples of rigorous thinking on the web, and there would surely be such. My argument was simply that that the insinuation by other bloggers that Seattle U is a mediocre university ONLY because it is (by hearsay no less!) “leftist” is a poor example of an argument. It is a variation of the ad hominem fallacy. Such fallacies are common in the blogosphere.
RE: “Sarah, I didn’t mention the word “reasserter†in my initial comment.”
Indeed you didn’t, as you were responding to reasserters about reasserters’ comments and that would have been an extra word.
; > )
RE: “I’m glad you took it as a compliment.”
Of course — it was a progressive attempting to be insulting. So it became a compliment. Generally works that way.
RE: ” It is a variation of the ad hominem fallacy. Such fallacies are common in the blogosphere.”
Yes — the evidence of which you supplied in your comment when you applied your “rigorous” complimentary attempts at ad hominems to those to whom you were responding.
Cute! ; > )
I find it ironic that the bishop in Seattle was initially very supportive of her ‘compromise ministry,’ suggesting that both faith groups could learn something. Now, when +Wolfe steps in and inhibits Reading+, +Warner thinks that +Wolfe’s actions are a good compromise. Compromise with what? If it was a good idea a week ago, shouldn’t +Warner have the guts (and other body parts) to stand up to a fellow bishop? +Warner is gutless and has more faces than a clock shop.
#33 RevK:
Criticize my bishop if you must, but can you please do it just a smidge less rudely?
she prowls the streets where other clergy dare not go, absolving, blessing, and consecrating those whom the Church has forgotten.
Having actually worked with homeless people, I can attest to the fact the homeless area is crawling with church folk. The shelters in our city are Union Gospel Mission, Presbyterian Night Shelter, and the Salvation Army. Feeding centers were started by Catholics and various fundamentalist (HORRORS!) preachers. The larger ministries partner with parishes financially and as a source of volunteers, ad I’m pretty certain some Episcopalian ministers are involved, and maybe even parishes. This being Fort Worth, though, they are undoubtedly the Wrong Sort, you know. 😉 Heck, I know of Episcopalians who go and minister to the Samaritan House, a nursing center and apartment complex for folks with AIDS, but they are definitely the Wrong Sort. Not a Muslim in the bunch.
#34 Ross,
I didn’t think that I was being rude as much as angry — angry at another example of bad leadership in our denomination. But even so, do you think +Warner merits any slack at all? If I were Anne Reading, I think that I would have a very strong conversation with him. By initially praising her publicly and at great length, +Warner added predictable fuel to what might have been a small fire. But because it became so public, +Wolfe had to act decisively, rather than in a more low-key way. In other words, Reading+ bi-religion might have gone unnoticed by +Wolfe or she might have been able to deal with Reading+ in a less public way. +Warner forced the situation. In the military, we had a lot of terms (yes, these terms were rude) for ‘leaders’ who sent their troops into harm’s way and then withdrew support. Ross, if my angry attempts at droll humor offended you, then please accept my apology, but the spirit behind my comments remains.
#36:
Thank you. It wasn’t the sentiment as such I was taking issue with — this is, after all, a venue for people to express their opinions on such matters. I was objecting to what struck me as name-calling; as opposed to, for instance, your comment #36 which explains lucidly but without venom what you find objectionable in +Warner’s actions and why.
Whatever +Vincent’s virtues or faults might be, though, he’s retiring soon and we’ll have a new bishop in this diocese.