Katherine Hancock Ragsdale
Encyclopedia
Katherine Hancock Ragsdale (born c. 1959) is an American
Episcopal Priest
based in Massachusetts
and president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School
. Before becoming dean she was director of Political Research Associates
from May 2005 through June 2009.
, and is a priest at St. David's Episcopal Church in Pepperell
, part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
. Ragsdale has served for 17 years on the national board of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
. She is also on the board of NARAL Pro-Choice America
, The White House Project
, the Progressive Religious Partnership, as well as the bi-national advisory board of The Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence. She presented to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America and
the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice in 2004.
Ragsdale was named president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School
effective
July 1, 2009. Her appointment was criticized by some religious conservatives, who have been particularly critical of her endorsement of the "blessing" of abortion.
Ragsdale is the editor of Boundary Wars: Intimacy and Distance in Healing Relationships and the author of numerous articles, including The Role of Religious Institutions in Responding to the Domestic Violence Crisis and Hannah, a short story.
On January 1, 2011, Ragsdale, who is openly
lesbian
, married Rev. Mally Lloyd at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Bishop M. Thomas Shaw
performed the ceremony.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Episcopal Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
based in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
. Before becoming dean she was director of Political Research Associates
Political Research Associates
Political Research Associates , named and known on the Web as PublicEye.org, is a non-profit research group located in Somerville, Massachusetts.-Mission:...
from May 2005 through June 2009.
Biography
She is an American progressiveProgressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
, and is a priest at St. David's Episcopal Church in Pepperell
Pepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,497 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell.-History:...
, part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of MassachusettsThe Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
. Ragsdale has served for 17 years on the national board of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice was founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders from mainline denominations and faith traditions to provide interfaith support for the new constitutional right to privacy in decisions about abortion...
. She is also on the board of NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America , formerly the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, then National Abortion Rights Action League, and later National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, is an organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose...
, The White House Project
The White House Project
The White House Project is an American non-profit organization, which, according to its mission statement, "aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S...
, the Progressive Religious Partnership, as well as the bi-national advisory board of The Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence. She presented to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America and
the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice in 2004.
Ragsdale was named president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
effective
July 1, 2009. Her appointment was criticized by some religious conservatives, who have been particularly critical of her endorsement of the "blessing" of abortion.
Ragsdale is the editor of Boundary Wars: Intimacy and Distance in Healing Relationships and the author of numerous articles, including The Role of Religious Institutions in Responding to the Domestic Violence Crisis and Hannah, a short story.
On January 1, 2011, Ragsdale, who is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, married Rev. Mally Lloyd at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Bishop M. Thomas Shaw
M. Thomas Shaw
Marvil Thomas Shaw III, SSJE is a bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He is the fifteenth and current Bishop of Massachusetts.-Biography:...
performed the ceremony.
See also
- National Abortion Rights Action League
- Christianity and abortionChristianity and abortionThe intersection of Christianity and abortion has a long and complex history though there is no mention of abortion in the Christian Bible. While some writers say that early Christians held different beliefs at different times about abortion, others say that, in spite of the silence of the New...
- Reverend Carlton W. VeazeyCarlton W. VeazeyReverend Carlton W. Veazey is a minister in the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., and the President of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice...
External links
- Hannah, a short story.
- Sermon to the National Abortion FederationNational Abortion FederationThe National Abortion Federation is an organization of abortion providers. Though originally a U.S. group, NAF has expanded to include practitioners in Canada and Australia as well as many European countries and Mexico...
, 1997 - The Supreme Court Returns to the Abortion Debate, comments at a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life forum in 2006