Spring 2012: The Great Work
January 27-28, 2012
Cosmology of Religions: Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Berry and the Legacies of Narrative Embodiment in Religious Thought
John Grim, PhD
We will explore the efforts made by different societies, especially in their religious traditions, to align personal, social, ecological, and cosmological embodiments as orientations to larger symbolic meanings in reality. Opening with a brief exploration of the roles of story in indigenous lifeways, these narrative legacies will be briefly situated in such religions as the Abrahamic traditions and Genesis cosmogonies, South Asian traditions and the Vedic-Upanishadic-Puranic cosmogonies, and East Asian Confucian and Daoist orientations to the I Ching and ch'i/qi cosmology. Final remarks locate Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry in these ancient and diverse lineages.
February 17-19
The Revelation of Mythopoetic Destiny
Bill Plotkin PhD
Healthy, life-enhancing cultures arise organically through the lifework and influence of soul-initiated adults. Generating new, contemporary forms for the process of initiation is, therefore, a vital endeavor now. We'll explore the dynamics of soul encounter and of the underworld descent — where the larger story we were born to embody is revealed. This revelation of mythopoetic destiny fires our deep imagination and drives mature action — the ventures of visionary artisans of cultural evolution.
March 9-10
Spirituality for a Time of Transition
Helen Prejean MA
Marya Grathwohl
OSF, MA
Personal growth and change: a time of transition. The stirrings of conversion we feel as human beings are part of planetary rumblings. Peak oil, climate chaos, global economic instability all gather as a perfect storm that summons our courage and creativity and, above all, calls us to community. In light of the Universe Story we sill explore values, virtues and spiritual practices that can sustain us through profound cultural and personal transition.
April 20-21
Making Sense of Evolution: Darwin, God and the Drama of Life
John Haught PhD
Evolutionary spirituality, much of it influenced by Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry, is an important development in the history of religion. However, in the intellectual world today evolution more often than not has been interpreted as inherently contradictory to theology and religious faith. It provides much of the intellectual foundation of the so-called new atheism, for example. It is important, therefore, that devotees of evolutionary and ecological spiritualities address carefully and thoughtfully the intellectual, historical, philosophical and theological obstacles to a reasonable and robust evolutionary spirituality.
Fall 2012: Fourfold Wisdom
September 13-14
Kabbalah For Our Times: Jewish Spiritual Practices to Heal the Soul
Estelle Frankel MFT
The Jewish mystical tradition offers many potent spiritual tools for healing the soul. Among them is the weekly celebration of the Sabbath, a Temple in time when we come home to our divine nature and can experience inner peace and wholeness. For Jewish mystics, the Sabbath provides a gateway to expanded consciousness, a taste of heaven on earth when all opposites unite. During this retreat we will explore the secrets of the kabbalah and the mystery of the Sabbath through ritual, sacred text study, storytelling, guided meditation, poetry, chant & movement. Come prepared for celebration!
For anyone on a spiritual journey—regardless of religious background—the Jewish mystical tradition offers a powerful and authentic path way for bringing greater spiritual depth, insight & meaning into your life and work.
October 12-14
A Cosmological Perspective on Race and Restorative Justice
Fania Davis PhD
Bonnie Wills MD
The evolutionary changes occurring on the planet today are calling forth new and expanded methods for resolving social dilemma. This intensive will present innovative perspectives on how the New Cosmology Story can be interwoven into a new story of Social Justice, Restorative Justice, and the Eradication of Racism.
November 16-18
Evolution and the Power of Love: Living in Christ ogenesis
Ilia Delio OSF
Teilhard de Chardin looked at the pattern of evolution as attraction, union and complexity and spoke of love as a cosmological force of attraction. His emphasis on love gives rise to a new understanding of physical reality, to the appearance of God within this reality and the role of the human in the ongoing process of evolution. We will explore love as the key to the emergence of ultrahumanity and a sustainable future.
December 1-2.
Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World: Capacitar Wellness Paradigm and Practices for Healing
Patricia Cane PhD
Mary Litell OSF, MA
This workshop will present Capacitar's global work of Healing and will offer wellness practices that are effective for self-care and for use in spirituality, ministry, therapy, health, education, mental health, social work, volunteer work and community service. The program takes a popular education approach to the healing of stress and trauma, and places practices in the hands of individuals and communities to empower people in their own healing process. The workshop will also consider how to deal with secondary trauma or compassion fatigue that affects both staffs and individuals.
Capacitar—meaning to empower, to encourage, to bring each other to life—is an international network of empowerment and solidarity working in over 35 countries in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Capacitar teaches simple effective practices of healing, team building and self-development to people in areas affected by civil and political violence, poverty, trauma and natural disasters. These practices empower people to heal and transform themselves, so they can more effectively work for peace and healing in their communities and societies. HYPERLINK "http://www.capacitar.org" www.capacitar.org
Spring 2013 – Spirituality of Earth, Art and Spirit
January 25-27
Gaia and God: Ecology and Theology
Rosemary Radford Ruether PhD
Topic titles: Crisis of the Planetary System: Bil McKibben, Earth. Ecofeminism/Ecojustice: Alternative ways of thinking. Traditional Cosmologies in the West: Babylonian, Hebrew, Greek; The Christian Creation Story. Cosmological Resources from Asia. Modern Science and New Universe Story. Imagining an ecologically sustainable world; alternative energy and agricultural systems, Spirituality for ecojustice.
February 22-24
Deep Transition Intensive for Evolutionary Catalysts
Lynette Hanthorn
Michel Brownlee
Deep Transition is designed for those who recognize that our collective human predicament is very serious and urgent, and who also have an abiding sense of what is possible, a vision of a future that flies in the face of civilization's apparent entropic collapse, and a burning sense that somehow we are the ones who bear within us the very seeds of that future. Deep Transition is advanced work, designed to empower and support evolutionary catalysts—individuals who now find themselves called to an extraordinary level of service and contribution in response to converging global crises and to the profound vulnerabilities of our communities.
The workshop provides principles, processes, perspectives—and experiences—that together can powerfully empower and support you in your calling. Everything in the Deep Transition workshop is applicable for those engaged in sustainability, resilience and relocalization-related movements—e.g., Transition, Permaculture, 350.org, Slow Food, Slow Money, Pachamama Alliance (Awakening the Dreamer), and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). More information at www.DeepTransition.org.
March 22-24
Active Hope: The Work That Reconnects
Joanna Macy PhD
To be in service to the healing of our world, we need to experience it afresh, as a living system in which all beings are connected. Interweaving silence and sound, interactive exercises and spiritual practices, the Work That Reconnects builds fearlessness, solidarity and creativity to face the challenges of our time and deepens our wellsprings of courage, creativity and active hope.
April 19-21
Regenerative Design
Penny Livingston-Stark
We will explore the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit and how we interact with each while we provide for our needs.
This workshop will explore practical solutions for living in balance and Harmony with the natural world. Penny will share techniques on how to restore land while providing for our needs and the needs of our non-human neighbors.
Earth: Learning out to both build healthy soil and build with the Earth Air: learn techniques of listening to the land and learning.