Skeptic in the House of God
192 pages, 6 x 9
Hardcover
Release Date:01 Apr 1997
ISBN:9780813524276
James L.Kelley, a skeptic about religion, writes with insight and humor of his journey through St. Mark's, an Episcopal church that welcomes doubters without pressuring them to compromise their intellectual integrity. When Kelley first visited the church well into his forties, he was searching for a respite from urban malaise and found himself filled with disquieting questions: How could he reconcile his convictions with the central purpose of the church-to worship a God he didn't believe in? Could he say the prayers and sing the hymns while remaining an honest skeptic?
After fifteen years of full participation in a church that is open not only to skeptics but also to gay men and lesbians, blacks and Jews, where members are invited to critique Sunday sermons, and where hymns are rewritten to reflect feminist concerns, Kelley found that his agnosticism remained but his skepticism about church participation had disappeared. Modern urban life can be a sterile, isolating experience. Yet in St. Mark's Kelley discovered a place of vibrant community, honest inquiry, and support over the hard places in life.
Skeptic in the House of God presents the Christian world with a new vision of what it can mean to be the body of Christ. James Kelley relates his rare ecclesiastical experience in which love and acceptance take precedence over doctrine and dogma. It is a compelling story that made me weep that there are so few Christian churches that are, in fact, signs of the Kingdom of God where all are invited to æcome as you are.Æ.
This is a delightful and compelling accountùboth a personal story and a finely crafted account of the life of a remarkable congregation. This book movingly demonstrates that congregational life is about a great deal more than the business of instilling orthodox beliefs.
James L. Kelley became an openly skeptical member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., in 1982. He worked as a lawyer for thirty years and turned to full-time writing in 1993. His first book, Psychiatric Malpractice: Stories of Patients, Psychiatrists, and the Law was published by Rutgers University Press in 1996.
Acknowledgments
Preface
Chapter 1 Skeptic on the Edge
Chapter 2 First Sunday
Chapter 3 A Good Catholic Boy Goes Wrong
Chapter 4 First Year
Chapter 5 People
Chapter 6 Liturgy--The Words and the Music
Chapter 7 A Spectrum of Beliefs
Chapter 8 The Gospel According to St. Mark's
Chapter 9 Who's in Charge Here?
Chapter 10 Christian Education Student
Chapter 11 Christian Education Teacher
Chapter 12 Women at St. Mark's
Chapter 13 Gays and Lesbians at St. Mark's
Chapter 14 Community Life
Chapter 15 Spirituality
Chapter 16 My Brother's Keeper
Chapter 17 Divorce
Chapter 18 Aging and Dying
Afterword Finding an Open Church
Suggested Reading
Preface
Chapter 1 Skeptic on the Edge
Chapter 2 First Sunday
Chapter 3 A Good Catholic Boy Goes Wrong
Chapter 4 First Year
Chapter 5 People
Chapter 6 Liturgy--The Words and the Music
Chapter 7 A Spectrum of Beliefs
Chapter 8 The Gospel According to St. Mark's
Chapter 9 Who's in Charge Here?
Chapter 10 Christian Education Student
Chapter 11 Christian Education Teacher
Chapter 12 Women at St. Mark's
Chapter 13 Gays and Lesbians at St. Mark's
Chapter 14 Community Life
Chapter 15 Spirituality
Chapter 16 My Brother's Keeper
Chapter 17 Divorce
Chapter 18 Aging and Dying
Afterword Finding an Open Church
Suggested Reading
