At last, after years of avoiding bars because of the amount of cigarette smoke swirling in the air, I can now go into any bar in New Jersey and be protected from the effects of second-hand smoke. Yet when it comes to attending church on Christmas Eve, I have no such protection. At the whim of the clergy I can be subjected to billowing clouds of incense, preceding me in the choir processional, tossed directly at me by the thurifer, and generally suffusing the altar area.

For some people this is the holiest of smells – the very odor of God – and it enhances their worship. For others it aggravates their breathing and puts them into anything but a heavenly frame of mind. At my church, the tension between the opposing views becomes as palpable as the incense itself as the service goes on.

There are two principle reasons why I oppose the use of incense, especially on the major high holy days of the year.  The first is indeed a health concern. Many people have breathing problems which are exacerbated by breathing smoke. According to US News and World Reports, “Incense burning produces particulate matter and is known to contain possible carcinogens such as polyaromatic hyodrcarbons (PAHs), carbonyls and benzene.” 

Or as another writer expressed it: “Two years ago, a study (subscription required) found that a Catholic church in Germany contained high concentrations of airborne soot particles during and for several hours after services that involved the burning of incense. At the time, sources told me that burning incense might put parishioners, especially those with asthma or heart disease, at risk. That's because particulate matter in the air has been linked to heart problems and respiratory conditions.” (“Thinking Harder: A Science journalist’s open notebook” by Ben Harder)

NJ already ranks high in the incidence of asthma in the population and it affects women at double the rates that it affects men. Susceptible people arm themselves with their inhalers but often find that the residue of the experience lasts for a few days after the service. Even for those who do not suffer from asthma, the incense serves as an irritant to the throat and nose, particularly noticeably if one is singing or playing a wind instrument and needs to breathe deeply.

The second reason I get incensed about incense is its association with the Anglo-Catholic “high” church side of the Episcopal Church. Entering an Episcopal church with incense sends a message about the theology and practice of that local congregation. In the case of St. Peter’s Church, I believe that message is at odds with the vast majority of the congregation. Anglo-Catholic parishes are frequently positioned to oppose women as priests and to espouse an especially catholic interpretation of the eucharist (aka transubstantiation). Copious quantities of incense send a signal – and in this case I believe the wrong signal – about the alignment of the congregation with a very conservative portion of the church. St. Peter’s is a broad church with people who hold a wide spectrum of beliefs. In my view, the use of incense, especially at a service with many, many visitors, misrepresents us.

I like and respect many people who love incense. But I suspect that they’ve never had breathing problems and thus have little to no real empathy for those who do. And at least in the St. Peter’s context, the proponents of incense are overwhelmingly male.  Some have glibly asserted that incense doesn’t cause any harm. Common sense tells us that breathing smoke isn’t a very healthy thing to do. Ritual practices that harm ones neighbor should be cause for concern in a Christian community.