A Tale of Four Clerics: A Reflection on the National Cathedral Debacle

From my friend Mark Marshall:

 "Now I could foam at the mouth about these two episodes — you know I can — but instead I want to put this question out there: what conditions help bring about such debacles?

My answer might surprise you. I do think a libchurch cleric can be one ingredient. Libchurch clerics tend to make an idol out of their politics, some to the extent that they would make such outrageous statements during sermons of import. Yes, some conservative clergy also put too much weight on politics but almost all conservatives prioritize the preaching of God’s word more than libchurchers. That vital priority makes them less prone to obnoxious political sermonizing. . . .

Both Budde and Adams are fanatics. So much so that they either lack the internal guidance that warns them of boundaries or they just don’t care about boundaries if they get in the way of their spoutings. Dr. Shaw and Dr. Longfellow have never come across to me as fanatics, and I’ve had pleasant interactions with both.

If there were any external boundaries in the cases of Budde and Adams, they were not sturdy enough obviously. In Budde’s case, there may be virtually no boundaries as she is the Bishop of Washington in The Episcopal Church. So she presides over the National Cathedral in a denomination where there are not many boundaries other than the woke variety. In Adams’ case, I doubt the authorities at Christ Church were pleased with her sermon, but that is a guess on my part, and I have little idea of what the understandings were there.

So although I much and rightly prefer male clerics of orthodox churchmanship and wise discretion, more than churchmanship was at play yesterday. There was a lack of decent common sense boundaries."