Pasco Washington’s Faith Assembly Quotes Zen Nun Rose Mary Dougherty, Zen Sensei (Teacher) from The Silver Springs Zendo/One Heart Sangha, to Highlight Their “Alongside Ministry”

A Rosemary Dougherty quote heads up the “Alongside Ministry” of Washington’s Pasco Faith Assembly.
Pasco is the home of the “credentialed” Spiritual Formation Pastor Gail M. Johnsen, good friend of Jodi Detrick, and author of many AOG “Woman in Ministry” articles and teacher of Spiritual Formation Retreats. See: http://www.faithtricities.org/ministries/women/alongside.html.

To say having the quote of Sensei “Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty” is “shocking” on an AOG church site is an understatement. Who would want to quote a teacher of Zen Buddhism, who is a dharma holder in the lineage of the White Plum Asanga, who is part of a “Sangha,” who does Zen “zazzen” (sitting meditation), who does Zen “kinhin” (walking meditation), who participated in a March 2013“At-One-Ment-Intensive Residential Sesshin” at Woodside Parkway Zendo, and who is a Roman Catholic Senior Fellow for Spiritual Guidance from the Shalem Institute? Besides, Rose Mary Myoan (Zen Meaning: Light in Darkness) Dougherty is listed on the “Sweeping Zen Website” as someone in the “Who’s Who in Zen.” And then she’s also listed as being affliated with the “Zen Peacemakers Sangha.” (Note: Rosemary is spelled with two words; check the Shalem site.) See: http://sweepingzen.com/rose-mary-myoan-dougherty-bio/.

And where does this Rose Mary Dougherty quote come from? It comes from Rose Mary Doughtery’s book Group Spiritual Direction (1995) p.13. This is a book filled with quotes from such men as Thich Nhat Hahn, a Buddhist Vietnamese monk, and “Father of the New Age” French priest Teilhard de Chardin. This is a book with an endorsement by Gerald D. May (Shalem ) who was also a Zen follower having written the foreword to Kim Boykin’s Zen for Christians: A Beginner’s Guide.

In the book Dougherty writes about Thich Nhat Hahn as saying “The one is many, and the many are one. To be is to inter-be. We cannot be by ourselves alone. We are to inter-be with every other thing.” Dougherty also continues: “In the practice of Buddhism, for instance, one is frequently of the Sangha just as surely as we seek refuge in the Buddha who is our Inner Teacher.”

Again, Ruth Haley Barton, herself, uses this same Rose Mary Dougherty quote in her December 2006 article “ A Community of Waiting and Expectation.” Placing the quote front and center, in her article, Barton obviously had much admiration for her former teacher; and from the prominent place Barton still places the names of her former mentors in her bios-Edwards, May, and Dougherty-she is unashamed of her time spent at the New Age Shalem Institute.
http://www.transformingcenter.org/2006/12/advent-3-a-community-of-waiting-and-expectation/

I ask the questions: How can an AOG Church have a quote from a nun that is and has been heavily into Zen for years? What is the AOG stand on Zen? How can an AOG Church have anything to do with anyone (Ruth Haley Barton) who would study under such a lady and still let everyone know about this lady and her associations? These “credentialed” ladies: Pastor Gail Johnsen and Dr. Jodi Detrick, for two, may have all the courses and education, and the best intentions in the world; but they are encouraging and introducing into the AOG Women’s Ministry and like groups “Spiritual Formation Teaching” by praising and quoting such people as Rose Mary Dougherty and Ruth Haley Barton. Not only are they reading Barton, but they are reading and quoting many others as Zen admirers Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen, and Roman Catholic mystics Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross.

I am shocked that the AOG is allowing these ladies to begin to take AOG people down the path of “Spiritual Formation” under such persons as named above. And what I write is but the tip of the ice berg; pages could be written on some of the books and resources Gail Johnsen is now widely recommending to unsuspecting and undiscerning men and women in all of her transformational writings. See: http://gailjohnsen.com/resources. This dissemination needs to be stopped before many more flee right back into the welcoming arms of the Roman Catholic Church.

Learn to Discern Granny Verse:  "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing..."  Matt. 7:15