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Standing in the Whirlwind: The Riveting Story of a Priest and the Congregations That Tormented Her

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This spiritual autobiography focuses on James's tumultuous tenure as a rector of two rural Episcopal parishes in Virginia after working at a Washington D.C. jail and teaching at Lorton Reformatory.

Initially, both of James's parishes support her charitable idea of inviting homeless African American persons from Washington D.C. to join church socials. This acceptance, however, quickly changes to a malicious plot of a few parishioners who begin to mercilessly harass her, kill her pets, damage her property, and even attempt to arrange her "accidental" death. Some members of local law enforcement even take bribes, turning their backs on her cries for help.

As a counterbalance to these horrific experiences, James finds solace and spiritual strength both in fondly recalling her childhood in Alaska and in the mystical theology of Madam Guyon, incarcerated by Louis XIV for being a female religious thinker.

NANCY C. JAMES is priest associate at St. John's Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. and a professor at American University in Washington D.C. She received her M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary and her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Roger Nebel's description of this book, as does the book's title itself, accurately and succinctly describes this most unusual story of a brilliant, insightful, and compassionate woman priest. Her treatment in her central Virginia parishes by parishioners and others in authority and the inexplicable hands-off attiude of the Virginia bishop, offer one truly shocking and deeply disturbing view of the author's beloved Episcopal Church. An unusually gifted, kind, unassuming priest, with a virtually unique history (for an Episcopal priest at the time) of working in prisons (she was a teacher at Lorton Reformatory for two years), regularly visited prisoners, and with her husband gave concerts for prisoners in Washington, DC, and Alexandria, Virgina, at the same time preaching and teaching on a sophisticated intellectual level, Nancy James' story is inspiring. This first work of hers is well worth reading, and promises exciting future writings.

James captures the tension, conflict and danger that was inflicted upon her life as two parishes she served as priest tried to frighten her into leaving their congregations. Her insistance upon taking seriously the Gospel imerpative to go out among the poor and invite them to a party rather than the wealthy who can repay you.. Initially the leadership of her two rural congregations supported her idea. When the rubber hit the roads, i.e., when it becomes obvious that this church picnic is to proceed, the threatening behavior is launched upon her, full-scale.