A Zen meditation group is to cease meeting in the grounds of York Minster following controversy over “bilingual religion”.
The group has been told that its weekly 90-minute silent meditation sessions in the Old Palace must end in the autumn.
The sessions were initiated by Christopher Collingwood, the canon chancellor of the minster, who practises and teaches Zen meditation and has described himself as “religiously bilingual”.
On his Twitter feed, Collingwood says he is “leader of York Zen Group (part of Wild Goose Zen Sangha in the White Plum Asanga)”.
A book by Collingwood, Zen Wisdom for Christians, which argues that the practice of Zen can lead Christians towards deeper spirituality, was published in May. A launch party for the book was held at the minster’s Chapter House, and the book is on sale in the minster shop.
But the dean of York Minster, the Right Rev Dr Jonathan Frost, who was installed in February, is believed to have decided to end the minster’s association with the Zen group.
Three years ago, conservative Christian evangelicals criticised the minster for allowing Zen meditation to be practised within its grounds, saying Buddhism was incompatible with Christianity.
Christian Concern said that mixing Buddhism and Christianity was “deceptive” and dishonoured Jesus. “It is remarkable that this is happening at one of the country’s best-known cathedrals,” said Andrea Williams, a member of the Church of England’s general synod.
At the time Vivienne Faull, who was then dean, said the sessions aimed “to offer an opportunity for Christians and others to come together and learn about and explore Zen meditation practices and the congruence of Zen with the Christian faith”.
The group was not a religious order and had never met within the cathedral, she said. “The chapter of York would not give permission for any such religious order to be set up at York Minster.”
Collingwood told the Guardian the group would be searching for a new venue “for a number of reasons”.
He said: “The Old Palace is a lovely and in many ways very convenient location but its lack of full accessibility up to the first floor has always been a problem. An ongoing programme of maintenance work is to begin soon and is likely to make the space unavailable for some time, which would mean that the group would potentially have to cease meeting temporarily.
“I’ve decided, therefore, that this actually provides us with an opportunity to find a more accessible alternative space in the city centre, so that the group can continue to flourish and grow without interruption.”
Frost was not available for comment.
