Hallelujah, Anyhow!: A Memoir

by Barbara C. Harris, Kelly Brown Douglas

A role model tells her story—and that of the nation and the church.

Hallelujah, Anyhow! is the long-awaited memoir of the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion. Edited by Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Seminary and an author and noted theologian in her own right, the book offers previously untold stories and glimpses into Bishop Harris’ childhood and young adult years in her native Philadelphia, as well as her experiences as priest and bishop, both active and actively-retired. A participant in Dr. Martin Luther King’s march from Selma to Montgomery and crucifer at the ordination of the “Philadelphia 11,” Bishop Harris has been eyewitness to national and church history.

In the book, she reflects on her experiences with the “racism, sexism, and other ‘isms’ that pervade the life of the church,” while still managing to say, “Hallelujah, Anyhow.” Photographs accompany the text and round out this portrait of a pioneer, respected outside as well as inside the church for her fierce, outspoken, and life-long advocacy for peace and justice.

Genres: Memoir, Spirituality, Autobiography, Nonfiction

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast but thin bio autobio of 1st black woman bishop of USA Episcopal church. In Massachusetts, but then served in other areas of us,. Point notes for me we her analysis of institutional or ingrained racism and how hard that is to address and hopefully help. She worked for sun oil corp in pr dept many years before her church service. No bib, no index, no pics.

[Janet Cardillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening

I am relatively new to episcopalian church so I am not as familiar with bishop harris as the other members of my book group. I learned a lot about her life before becoming bishop and her life in the business world before. She glosses over a date tape so casually you could easily miss it, and st the end of the story she admits she has not been able to forgive this person. She is as real as they come. She tells of her disappointment in other female bishops and the lack of support. She also talks about the overt prejudice she faced, not only being female, but to be black as well. She died during the pandemic and a service has not been set for her. After reading this book, I want to attend her service to honor the leadership role she played in the Episcopal church.

[Chels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about the life of the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, especially as someone who just moved to Boston to work for the Episcopal church. Her experiences hold so much wisdom. I enjoyed the conversational style with the Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas.

I, like others have said, was left wanting more. I think this is definitely worth the read, but know going into it that it feels like this only scratched the surface of what the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris has to share about her life.

[Jolai Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallelujah, Anyhow! - Bishop Harris

Having lived in Philadelphia for many years and have read about Bishop Harris over the years and have followed her career I found this book fascinating.

[kate howton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girllll I’ve worked at the Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center for three years now and I have no idea how I just recently found out this was even a published novel. It is a fast/short read and, like others have mentioned, left me feeling like I’ve just scratched the surface of what this woman could’ve shared about her life. The viewpoints on institutional racism & sexism, specifically within the context of the Episcopal church and New England, still ring true. Even more eye opening reading this the week Trump was inaugurated for the second time & the sermon from Bishop Budde in DC has been all over my social media feeds. Proud to be working here and carrying out her legacy!

[JA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bishop Barbara Harris, in sharing her earliest memories of faith formation through hymns growing up in Philadelphia, wrote, “I also remember the closing hymn at my service of confirmation on a bitter cold Monday night, December 11, 1941–somehow our aging white bishop, who wore white cotton gloves when he visited Black congregations so that he did not ever have to touch our heads, never seemed to get around to us on Sundays…but hey, Hallelujah anyhow!

The fury and sadness I felt while reading this line and others like it.

[Jules Bertaut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! There's a lot of Episcopal stuff in it that's not explained (like the Philadelphia Eleven are just mentioned), so it helps to know a little of the history of the Episcopal church in the last 100 years, and a little of what our institutions are.

[Suzanne Mundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the book should have been longer. "Hallelujah Anyhow" did not have the scholarship it deserved. I am glad I read the book, but felt cheated and was disappointed.

[Keith Beasley-Topliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara C. Harris was the first woman elected bishop in the Anglican Communion. This book is her memoir of growing up in the Episcopal church, becoming PR manager of Sun Oil Company, then going to seminary and being ordained a priest and later elected and consecrated as a bishop. It's seems a strange journey, but it's just following God's call in ways she didn't expect. And when she met with opposition, she would say, "Hallelujah, anyhow!" It's an interesting story (and I'm a sucker for a good religious memoir). One of the things that struck me about this particular memoir was a format I don't remember seeing before. The book is listed as "with Kelly Brown Douglas." Her work shows up in three different ways. Some is hidden in basic editorial work. But there were times when she asked Bp. Harris for more information and reports on the response or reports on her own experience of Bp. Harris, set in a smaller boldfaced sanserif font. And there were times when she presents dialog from an interview directly in italics. Most memoirs I've read are always in the subject's voice. I suspect there's a little more honesty about the "with" credit in this way of proceeding.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story about the first female bishop in the Episcopal Church

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not complete but still a lot! And you learn about Rev. Harris.