Womanpriest: A Personal Odyssey

Alla Bozarth-Campbell was one of the first women to be ordained priest in the Episcopal church. She was one of Philadelphia eleven: eleven women deacons ordained "underground" by a retired bishop of the church, the canons of which declare "a priest is a priest forever." The Church National Conference laity had several times voted to accept women as priests, but the bishops continually blocked the ordinations by very slim minorities. Young male candidates for ordination were "striking," refusing ordination, until the Church at large allowed women priests. These eleven women pushed the matter from hypothesis into reality, and forced the Church to deal with it.To be one of these eleven required courage, and faith, but also a sureness of vocation. How Bozarth-Campbell came to have these qualities makes a remarkable biography. Bozarth-Campbell is a gentle writer: she is neither a braggart, nor cloyingly modest. Her writing suggests that she is soft-spoken, but nonetheless certain of herself. She is also never at a loss for just the right word; altogether, this story is gripping. Even though we know how things turn out, there is suspense; we don't know the details, and I, myself was on the edge of my chair waiting for them.Anyone interested in women's spirituality, or church history must read this book; people who enjoy biography in general will not be disappointed either. And those who just enjoy good writing should like this book.

Alla Bozarth-Campbell is writing in this book about her own journey to become one of the first female Episcopal priests - in particular one of the Philedelphia 11 - the first eleven women ordained in the Episcopal Church, before the House of Bishops and House of Deputies had changed the interpretation of rules to allow such a thing. Alla herself is an interesting person with an interesting personal history and tales to tell. However for me the more fascinating part of the book is the actual tale of how the Church came to be forced to face the fact of women priests, and why the women and the bishops who ordained them felt impelled to take their drastic action. The last part of the book I found less attention grabbing, partially because I don't empathize well with the group oppression mind-set, being far too strong an individualist. This is more my failing than the author's, but it constitutes a weakness in the book at least as far as I'm concerned. I suppose I wanted more of the facts and less of the personal ruminating, but since this is intended as autobiographical I can't actually say that ruminating by the author is either out of place or off topic.Overall, well worth the read.