Christa

Nude Female “Christa” Back at Episcopal Cathedral

on October 6, 2016

Beginning today, a controversial sculpture depicting a nude female Christ on the cross is returning to New York’s Episcopal Cathedral, displayed on a chapel altar.

“Christa”, the bronze sculpture by artist Edwina Sandys, will appear alongside the work of 21 other contemporary artists according to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine web site: “all exploring the language, symbolism, art, and ritual associated with the historic concept of the Christ image and the divine as manifested in every person—across all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and abilities.”

Sandys’ work was previously exhibited in the cathedral in 1984 as part of an exhibition on the feminine divine, but was removed after significant backlash. Then-Suffragan Bishop of New York Walter Dennis criticized the sculpture as ”theologically and historically indefensible” leading to its removal from the 124-year-old gothic revival church in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood.

The New York Times reports that Christa is being installed on the altar in the Chapel of St. Saviour, one of seven chapels radiating from the ambulatory behind the choir. In marking the return of the sculpture, Sandys is joined by cathedral and diocesan officials in assessing that “Times have changed”:

The current dean of the cathedral, the Very Rev. James A. Kowalski, saw the return of the statue as “an opportunity to reframe the conversation and, frankly, do a better job than the first time.”

And this time, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, Andrew M. L. Dietsche, wrote an article for the cathedral’s booklet — an approving article. “In an evolving, growing, learning church,” he wrote, “we may be ready to see ‘Christa’ not only as a work of art but as an object of devotion, over our altar, with all of the challenges that may come with that for many visitors to the cathedral, or indeed, perhaps for all of us.”

Looking back, Dean Kowalski noted that the statue’s first appearance at the cathedral was long before national debates over such topics as transgender people’s right to use the bathroom of their choice.

Readers of this blog may recall Kowalski as the previous chair of the Board of Trustees for Episcopal Divinity School, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based progressive Episcopal Church seminary which recently voted to cease issuing academic degrees. The school sold much of its property in the past decade and is burning through six million dollars a year from its endowment, an unsustainable level of spending.

Episcopalians in New York State have been hard-hit by membership and attendance decline, with the Diocese of New York reporting significant losses in the past decade.

Between 2005 and 2015, the Episcopal Diocese of New York declined from 64,027 members to 53,353 members, a loss of 10,674 members (-17%). During the same time period, average Sunday attendance dropped from 21,723 in 2005 to 16,878 in 2015, a loss of 4,845 attendees (-22%). Baptisms in the diocese declined from 1,612 in 2005 to 904 in 2015 (-56%) and marriages performed decreased from 579 in 2005 to 290 in 2015 (-50%).

The exhibit will run from October 6 to March 12.

  1. Comment by Been_There_Done_That on October 6, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    The Cathedral of St. John the Divine has long been a sinister shrine of these Episcopagans. If you really want to see heresy in action check out their Night of the Ghouls Halloween Extravaganza or Solstice “Mother Earth” Feast Night. The Episcopal Church is totally apostate and is being run by a bunch of satanic weirdos. There are carvings of the twin towers exploding on the archway to the Church and a pyramid with an all seeing eye at the top. Don’t visit this place unless you want to be totally creeped out.

  2. Comment by Alan Towson on October 9, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    …I went reflexively to the word ‘satanic’ when I saw the photo.

  3. Comment by Patrick98 on October 7, 2016 at 12:42 am

    It is interesting to me that over the centuries Jesus has been portrayed by artists as many different ethnicities in addition to Middle Eastern Jewish.

  4. Comment by Namyriah on October 7, 2016 at 8:22 am

    The phenomenal growth of the progressive churches is due to incidents like this. As soon as unbelievers hear that the Episcopalians have struck another blow for feminism and/or sexual deviance, they immediately stampede into the pews.

  5. Comment by MarcoPolo on October 19, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    I’m not sure how sexual deviance has anything to do with this sculpture/crucifix?
    And leave it to the testosterone-rich gender to make mention of her breast size…Sheesh! Grow up guys! It’s just symbolic Art!

  6. Comment by Grandpa Dino on October 20, 2016 at 7:04 am

    Symbolic of something which does not exist.

  7. Comment by AndRebecca on October 19, 2016 at 8:54 pm

    Right…

  8. Comment by Robbins Mitchell on October 8, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    “The poor you have with you always….but I can only stay a minute”

    ~Christa~

  9. Comment by johndubose on October 8, 2016 at 3:52 pm

    She has pretty big breasts. Never saw a Jesus statue with a package.

  10. Comment by Sequoia Edwards on September 22, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    Actually, her breasts aren’t all that large.

  11. Comment by Alan Towson on October 9, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock…” Satan doesn’t knock, and he doesn’t announce himself…he sneaks in via the keyhole, windows left open, and minds left open.

  12. Comment by Pudentiana on October 11, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1A55-_7mMkY/TNVCTpoV1DI/AAAAAAAAAaA/WqGQcy9JUJg/s1600/26424.jpg

  13. Comment by HR FISCHER on January 8, 2020 at 12:37 am

    Is Christa available to be purchased for home devotion only? If so, where?

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