Thursday, June 21, 2007

'WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH JESUS?'
Episcopal Priest Is Both Muslim and Christian

Ann Holmes Redding, an Episcopal priest for 20 years, has now also embraced Islam:
Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill.

On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest.

She does both, she says, because she's Christian and Muslim.

Redding, who until recently was director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, has been a priest for more than 20 years. Now she's ready to tell people that, for the last 15 months, she's also been a Muslim — drawn to the faith after an introduction to Islamic prayers left her profoundly moved.

Well, it's a bit hard to know where to start in unraveling such a mess, but to stay on point we have this observation:
"There are tenets of the faiths that are very, very different," said Kurt Fredrickson, director of the doctor of ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. "The most basic would be: What do you do with Jesus?"

Christianity has historically regarded Jesus as the son of God and God incarnate, both fully human and fully divine. Muslims, though they regard Jesus as a great prophet, do not see him as divine and do not consider him the son of God.

Indeed. The role of Jesus is impossible to reconcile. What could possess someone to do this? Well, Ms. Redding explained it best:
"It wasn't about intellect," she said.
Just so!

[Thanks to Jeff at Truth-In-Love for the link]

2 comments:

Unknown said...

"It wasn't about intellect"

Or the Spirit.

Or Faith.

Or Truth.

Or Revelation.

Or Love.

Or . . . shall I go on?

Mark said...

Alan,
Thanks for a great blog idea. I gave you a hat tip on my pleonast blog.

This woman is so open-minded her brains have fallen out!

I really enjoy your take on things!

Mark