Earlham School of Religion

Fight Like Jesus book discussion with author Jason Porterfield
2023-03-21 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
What is the meaning of “holy week” for Friends and those committed to peacemaking? How should we worship, preach, teach, and listen during this season? Whatever your views on the Bible or Christ, you are invited into this important discussion.

Texas Friend Jason Porterfield will be discussing his book Fight Like Jesus as we consider our peace testimony at the close of Lent. We will meet online from 7:00-8:30 PM on March 21.

He writes:

“We desperately need to recover the radical vision of peacemaking that Jesus embodied throughout Holy Week. And we urgently need to be trained in his way of making peace. So, come. Let’s journey together day-by-day through Jesus’ final week and discover anew why he is called the Prince of Peace.”

Registration

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QLC Follow-up to the Wilson Lectures
2023-03-16 19:00 - 20:30
The 2023 Willson Lectures will undoubtedly provide many good and challenging insights to consider, so the Quaker Leadership Center will be hosting a follow-up online discussion on March 16 from 7:00-8:30 PM. We will be discussing how we can integrate and implement the insights gleaned from the lectures, particularly in our Quaker meetings, churches, and organizations.

We would love to have you join us for a generative discussion about possibilities for greater inclusion and justice among Friends.

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Recovering Abundance: A Four-Part Series on Rural Ministry
2023-03-09 19:00 - 20:30, 2023-03-02 19:00 - 20:30, 2023-02-23 19:00 - 20:30, 2023-02-16 19:00 - 20:30
The Quaker Leadership Center invites you to join Andy Stanton-Henry for an online series about rural ministry. Each week will include a presentation based on his book, conversation among Friends, and a civic-spiritual practice.

Week 1: Retreat (Feb. 16)

Examining your stories of rural/rural ministry

Week 2: Reframe (Feb. 23)

Discovering hidden abundance within your context

Week 3: Reclaim (March 2)

Partnering with God to renew your region

Week 4: Remember (March 9)

Maintaining community membership/legacy work

Registration

We will meet by Zoom and a link will be emailed to you each week.

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Event flyer

Separation Generation Discussion - 2
2023-03-07 18:00 - 20:00
In-person and Zoom ( https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81763694561?pwd=[REDACTED] )

Register for Separation Generation Discussion

Spring Visit Day
2023-03-07 08:00 - 17:00
Join us for a Class Visits & Sample Class, Info Session, Worship Service, Common Meal, Discussions with Current Students & Alumni, Tours, Special Activities, etc.

Wilson Lecture 4 - Dr. Leah Gunning Francis
2023-02-28 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate Black History Month with Earlham School of Religion’s Virtual Wilson Lectures

Session 4

Ferguson at the Intersection of Faith and Racial Justice

Dr. Leah Gunning Francis

Register for Session 4

MAPST Virtual Information
2023-02-23 18:10 - 19:00, 2023-02-23 12:10 - 13:00
MA in Peace & Social Transformation Virtual Info Sessions

We invite you to join one of two upcoming informative sessions on our MAPST program!

Session 1

12:10pm ETvia Zoom : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84070836233

Session 2

6:10pm ETvia Zoom : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81575026243

Tell us you’re coming!

Register for MAPST Info Sessions

Wilson Lecture 3 - Vanessa Julye
2023-02-20 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate Black History Month with Earlham School of Religion’s Virtual Wilson Lectures

Session 3

Co-Creating a Transformed Religious Society of Friends Together

Vanessa Julye

Register for Session 3

Wilson Lecture 2 - Adria Gulizia
2023-02-09 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate Black History Month with Earlham School of Religion’s Virtual Wilson Lectures.

Session 2

Becoming People of the Promise: A Meditation on Christian Faith and Racial Justice

Adria Gulizia

Register for Session 2

Wilson Lecture 1 - Dr. Xavier L. Johnson
2023-02-02 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrate Black History Month with Earlham School of Religion’s Virtual Wilson Lectures

Session 1

Biography as Theology: The Life of Howard Thurman

Dr. Xavier L. Johnson

Register for Session 1

MLK Jr. Day Reflections with Colleen Wessel-McCoy
2023-01-16 18:00 - 20:00
“What are Your New Year’s Resolutions?”

Martin Luther King Jr’s Last New Year Sermon

In January 1968, King preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church about the coming year, calling the congregation to biblically-informed new year resolutions, like standing up to the modern-day Ceasars who seek their interests against the needs of the poor. Dr. King preached, “I wish today that Christians would stop talking so much about religion and start doing something about it.” And he called for resistance to the draft, saying, “if you feel it in yourheart that this war is wrong, unjust, and objectionable, don’t go and fight in it. Follow the path of Jesus Christ.”

Register for MLK Jr. Day Reflections

Annual Pastors' Conference
2022-10-08 09:00 - 17:00
Theme

Disability in Ministry

Featuring

Daniel Aaron HarrisKatherine Jane BaleSummer Kinard

Location

ESR Center at Earlham School of Religion

Cost

$30 per person (includes breakfast and lunch)FREE for students, faculty and virtual participants

Online registration

Schedule of events

9:15-10:00 Breakfast for Richmond Attendees10:00-10:20 Welcome and Waiting Worship10:20-11:35 Plenary Session #1: Daniel Harris w/Q&A11:35-11:50 BREAK11:50-12:15 What’s New at ESR (Gretchen Castle)12:15-1:30 Lunch and Free Time1:30-2:45 Plenary Session #2: Katherine Bale w/Q&A2:45-3:05 BREAK3:05-4:20 Plenary Session #3: Summer Kinard w/Q&A4:20-5:00 Wrap up and Closing Worship with Daniel

Daniel Aaron Harris

Daniel identifies as a cerebral palsy native Memphian, artist, author, actor and activist. He is the director and founder of Fallen Walls which encourages and helps people find their vocation inside their location regardless of their ability. He has written nine children’s books in a series called Bobby Blue Books on Amazon, recently called ‘Go Be You, Charlie. Other writings include articles and a play that helps change the narrative of disability. He is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry focusing on disability at Western Theological Seminary. Daniel is an active member of Memphis’s theatre and film community, helping shape a new landscape for persons with disabilities.

Daniel Aaron Harris

Katherine Jane Bale

Katherine Jane Bale (they/them)

Katherine was diagnosed with autism at 30. They have a first-class degree in psychology and have a long-standing interest in religion. They are Catholic church members but were brought up Protestant and still have links with protestant churches; they live in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and have a strong interest in autism inclusion, particularly in church settings. They blog about autism and faith at https://thoughtsofanautisticchristian.wordpress.com/.

Virtual Info Session
2022-08-30 16:00 - 17:00
Learn more about attending ESR!

Register now!

ESR New Student Orientation
2022-07-18 16:00 - 2022-07-31 19:00
More information can be found on our New Student Orientation page.

Commencement
2022-05-20 13:00 - 2022-05-21 17:00
Friday, May 20

1:00 p.m. Commencement Rehearsal, Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall

Graduates, especially the three speaking at CommencementDeans, Registrar, Faculty Clerk

5:00 p.m. Baccalaureate Dinner, ESR Dining Room

Graduates plus 2-guests (additional guests @ $25/ea.)All facultyBoard of TrusteesBoard of Advisors

6:00 p.m. Graduate Tributes by Teaching Faculty, ESR Community Room following Dinner (giftswill be distributed)

7:00 p.m. Baccalaureate Service, Nicarry Chapel, Bethany Seminary

All are welcome

8:15 p.m. Dean’s Reception, Gathering Room, Bethany Seminary

All are welcome

Saturday, May 21

10-12 noon Commencement Brunch, Wayne County Historical Society, Community Room 1150 North ASt., Richmond, IN 47374

All students, faculty, and family members

2:00 p.m. Commencement line-up, Carpenter Hall Stairs (alt: Auxiliary Gymnasium)

Graduates, Deans, Teaching Faculty, Registrar, Faculty Clerk

2:30 p.m. Commencement, Chase Stage (alt: Druley Performance Gymnasium)

All are welcome

Completion Photos, Porch of Landrum Bolling CenterPhotographer: David Botwinik

GraduatesDeansTeaching facultyRegistrarClerk of FacultyOptional: Administrative Faculty

Kenya Night
2022-04-29 17:00 - 20:00
Kenya Night graphic

Come try out Kenyan food and tea, enjoy some Kenyan music and learn about the diverse Kenyan cultures, politics, and religion.Free admissionLeave whenever you like!

MDiv/pastoral care virtual info session
2022-04-27 16:00 - 18:00
Learn more about the program and CPE requirements. Meet with Pastoral Care Professor Jim Higginbotham, several alumni who have completed the program, and the director of recruitment and admissions.

Register via Eventbrite

Willson Lectures
2022-04-09 08:30 - 14:00
General Information

The Willson Lectureship was established at Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion in 1967 by Dr. and Mrs. J.M. Willson of Floydada, Texas for visiting lecturers to show the possibility of a productive partnership between the Christian faith and intellectual integrity

Register for Wilson Lectures

Agenda

Saturday, April 9

EventTimeNotesArrival, Registration & Light Breakfast8:30 – 9:00 amOptional: Unprogrammed worship in the manner of friendsLecture 19:00 – 10:00 amQ & A10:00 – 10:30 amRefreshment Break10:30 – 11:00 amLecture 211:00 – 12:00 pmQ & A12:00 – 12:30 pmBook Signing / Interactions12:30 – 1:00 pmLunch1:00 – 2:00 pm$15 fee

About our Keynote

Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Ph.D.

Professor of Theology

Grace was born in Korea, educated in Canada, and now teaches in the United States. She is the author or editor of 21 books, most recently, Invisible, Hope in Disarray; Keeping Hope Alive; and Intersectional Theology. She is a Series Co-Editor for Palgrave Macmillan Series, “Asian Christianity in the Diaspora” and has served on the American Academy of Religion’s Board of Directors.

She also writes for Spirituality & Health, Baptist News Global, Sojourners, Faith and Leadership, and Wabash Center and has published in TIME, The Huffington Post, Christian Century, US Catholic Magazine, and The Nation. She is the host of the Madang podcast which is hosted by the Christian Century and is an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister. More of Grace’s writing and work can be found on her blog site Loving Life.

Lecture Description

The Spirit presents itself to many as an enigma. Its existence is mysterious and complex, generating misunderstandings and unawareness of its true purpose. The Spirit’s ambiguous nature opens the opportunity for the study to unearth the exciting truths that it holds.

The Spirit is present in our world in various forms. The lectures will examine the Spirit as experienced in light, wind, breath, and vibration to help us uncover some of its aspects that invite us to work for climate justice, racial justice, and gender justice. The Holy Spirit has always been a mover and shaker of ideas and action. The Spirit’s presence moves, stirs, and changes us to become aware of the social ills in our world.

The different ways in which we reimagine the Holy Spirit can challenge some traditional assumptions in Christianity and provide a liberating vision that allows us to work for social justice. The work of the Holy Spirit stirs us to work toward new kinships with God that are sustainable, just, and whole.

Spirituality Gathering - Day 3
2022-03-12 08:00 - 13:00
General Information

Free admission to all ESR / BTS/ EC studentsCommunity members are encouraged to pay a $30 fee for conference & Saturday lunch.Masks are required for all in-person events.Participants can only attend one workshop/sample class at a time.

Register for Spirituality Gathering

Agenda

Saturday, March 12

EventTimeLocationPresenter(s)Notes.Registration8 – 9 amESR Classroom Building Light breakfast“Tienes Tu Casa” Message of Friendship and hospitality from friends in Cuba9 – 10 amESR & ZOOMTom & Jade Rockwell Keynote: Giving and Receiving; Crossing Thresholds10 – 11 amESR & ZOOMMichael Birkel Break 10 minsA conversation on Interfaith Encounters11.10 – 12.20ESR & ZOOMMichael & Lonnie Open session (Q & A)-12.20 – 12.50ESR & ZOOMMichael & Lonnie Benediction Michael Birkel Lunch 1 pmDining Room All

Event Summary

Keynote

Michael Birkel (ESR professor of Spirituality) will be discussing the question of being a “guest” in other people’s religion/Spirituality. Michael and Lonnie will also lead A Conversation on Interfaith Encounters drawing from their collective experiences of teaching students from a wide variety of faiths at ESR.

More Workshops

Stories of Drawing the Bigger Circle

by Tammy Forner

Tammy will share a story depicting a uniquely framed occurrence of hospitality that unfolded in a secular ministry of work and invites your observations about the encounter as a ground for open discussion. She invites you to bring a story that we might consider as well.

Milarepa and the Cave Demons: Exploring Hospitality in Buddhist Thought and Practice

by Natalia Bowdoin (ESR M. Div. Student)

Natalia Bowdoin will lead a workshop helping participants Explore hospitality in the Buddhist practice.

Information Session

Prospective students learn more about ESR and explore the different offerings ESR is known for.

Alumni Panel

Select alumni share about their current ministries and how ESR has helped shape them. They also take questions from prospective students.

Room at the Table: Global Quaker view on Hospitality

by Gretchen (ESR Dean)

Gretchen will share from her experience working with Quakers globally on the quaker view of hospitality and how that fits into the more extensive discussion on Spirituality.

Setting Out the Welcome Mat: practical hospitality in a virtual world

by Kriss Miller (ESR MAPST Student)

Kriss will lead a workshop on the practicality of hospitality in a virtual world. How do we show hospitality in the current context of Covid-19?

LGBTQ+ Spirituality and the Bible: The responsibility of the Cis / Heterosexual

by April Vanlonden (Joint Seminaries Registrar)

April will discuss the responsibility of the straight in guarding the Spirituality of the LGBTQ+ community as a form of hospitality.

“Tienes Tu Casa” Message of Friendship and hospitality from friends in Cuba

by Jade and Tom Rockwell

Jade and Tom will talk about “you have your home,” a message from their recent visit to Quakers in Cuba.

Spirituality Gathering - Day 2
2022-03-11 08:30 - 18:30
General Information

Free admission to all ESR / BTS/ EC studentsCommunity members are encouraged to pay a $30 fee for conference & Saturday lunch.Masks are required for all in-person events.Participants can only attend one workshop/sample class at a time.

Register for Spirituality Gathering

Agenda

Friday, March 11

EventTimeLocationPresenter(s)Notes.Music session8.30 – 9.00Quigg + ZoomGretchen & DavidCentering session To prepare for the welcoming addressWelcome address9 – 9.30Quigg + ZoomGretchenFree admission All are invited either in person or on zoomHermit Crabs and the Hospitality of Genre10 – 11 amzoomBen BrazilSample class Room at the Table: Global Quaker view on Hospitality10 – 11 amzoomGretchen CastleSample class Setting Out the Welcome Mat: practical hospitality in a virtual world2 pm – 3 pmzoomKriss MillerWorkshops Free admission (Registration required)LGBTQ+ Spirituality and the Bible: The responsibility of the Cis / Heterosexual2 pm – 3 pmzoomApril Vanlonden In-person musical interlude-5- 6.30 pmESR classroom buildingMimi Holland

Event Summary

Keynote

Michael Birkel (ESR professor of Spirituality) will be discussing the question of being a “guest” in other people’s religion/Spirituality. Michael and Lonnie will also lead A Conversation on Interfaith Encounters drawing from their collective experiences of teaching students from a wide variety of faiths at ESR.

More Workshops

Stories of Drawing the Bigger Circle

by Tammy Forner

Tammy will share a story depicting a uniquely framed occurrence of hospitality that unfolded in a secular ministry of work and invites your observations about the encounter as a ground for open discussion. She invites you to bring a story that we might consider as well.

Milarepa and the Cave Demons: Exploring Hospitality in Buddhist Thought and Practice

by Natalia Bowdoin (ESR M. Div. Student)

Natalia Bowdoin will lead a workshop helping participants Explore hospitality in the Buddhist practice.

Information Session

Prospective students learn more about ESR and explore the different offerings ESR is known for.

Alumni Panel

Select alumni share about their current ministries and how ESR has helped shape them. They also take questions from prospective students.

Room at the Table: Global Quaker view on Hospitality

by Gretchen (ESR Dean)

Gretchen will share from her experience working with Quakers globally on the quaker view of hospitality and how that fits into the more extensive discussion on Spirituality.

Setting Out the Welcome Mat: practical hospitality in a virtual world

by Kriss Miller (ESR MAPST Student)

Kriss will lead a workshop on the practicality of hospitality in a virtual world. How do we show hospitality in the current context of Covid-19?

LGBTQ+ Spirituality and the Bible: The responsibility of the Cis / Heterosexual

by April Vanlonden (Joint Seminaries Registrar)

April will discuss the responsibility of the straight in guarding the Spirituality of the LGBTQ+ community as a form of hospitality.

“Tienes Tu Casa” Message of Friendship and hospitality from friends in Cuba

by Jade and Tom Rockwell

Jade and Tom will talk about “you have your home,” a message from their recent visit to Quakers in Cuba.

Spirituality Gathering - Day 1
2022-03-10 11:20 - 17:15
General Information

Free admission to all ESR / BTS/ EC studentsCommunity members are encouraged to pay a $30 fee for conference & Saturday lunch.Masks are required for all in-person events.Participants can only attend one workshop/sample class at a time.

Register for Spirituality Gathering

Agenda

Thursday, March 10

EventTimeLocationPresenter(s)Notes.Opening Worship11.20 – 1200Quigg + ZoomBrown MujeteWorship is open to everyone registered or not.Stories of Drawing the Bigger Circle2 -3 pmZoomTammy FornerWorkshopMilarepa and the Cave Demons: Exploring Hospitality in Buddhist Thought and Practice2 – 3 pmZoomNatalia BowdoinworkshopInformation Session3 – 4 pmZoomJulie DishmanFree admission Prospective students + any other community members, including current students and alumni, are invited.Alumni panel4.15 – 5.15ZoomJulie DishmanFree admission

Event Summary

Keynote

Michael Birkel (ESR professor of Spirituality) will be discussing the question of being a “guest” in other people’s religion/Spirituality. Michael and Lonnie will also lead A Conversation on Interfaith Encounters drawing from their collective experiences of teaching students from a wide variety of faiths at ESR.

More Workshops

Stories of Drawing the Bigger Circle

by Tammy Forner

Tammy will share a story depicting a uniquely framed occurrence of hospitality that unfolded in a secular ministry of work and invites your observations about the encounter as a ground for open discussion. She invites you to bring a story that we might consider as well.

Milarepa and the Cave Demons: Exploring Hospitality in Buddhist Thought and Practice

by Natalia Bowdoin (ESR M. Div. Student)

Natalia Bowdoin will lead a workshop helping participants Explore hospitality in the Buddhist practice.

Information Session

Prospective students learn more about ESR and explore the different offerings ESR is known for.

Alumni Panel

Select alumni share about their current ministries and how ESR has helped shape them. They also take questions from prospective students.

Room at the Table: Global Quaker view on Hospitality

by Gretchen (ESR Dean)

Gretchen will share from her experience working with Quakers globally on the quaker view of hospitality and how that fits into the more extensive discussion on Spirituality.

Setting Out the Welcome Mat: practical hospitality in a virtual world

by Kriss Miller (ESR MAPST Student)

Kriss will lead a workshop on the practicality of hospitality in a virtual world. How do we show hospitality in the current context of Covid-19?

LGBTQ+ Spirituality and the Bible: The responsibility of the Cis / Heterosexual

by April Vanlonden (Joint Seminaries Registrar)

April will discuss the responsibility of the straight in guarding the Spirituality of the LGBTQ+ community as a form of hospitality.

“Tienes Tu Casa” Message of Friendship and hospitality from friends in Cuba

by Jade and Tom Rockwell

Jade and Tom will talk about “you have your home,” a message from their recent visit to Quakers in Cuba.

Access - ESR's Distance Program
2021-11-18 12:00
You can earn the M.Div., M.A. in Religion, or M.A.: Theopoetics and Writing degrees, by taking a combination of online courses, “blended” courses, and two-week intensive courses at ESR in Richmond, Indiana. Learn more during this virtual information session.

Note: This is a virtual event. After registration, you will receive an e-mail with information on how to connect.

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Invisible: Racism, Sexism and Xenophobia: A Public Lecture by Grace Ji-Sun Kim
2021-11-17 19:00 - 20:30
Invisibility persists throughout the Asian American story. On the one hand, xenophobia has long contributed to racism and discrimination toward Asian Americans. On the other hand, terms such as perpetual foreigner and honorific whites have been thrust upon Asian Americans, minimizing their plight with racism and erasing their experience as racial minorities. Even more indiscernible in America’s racial landscape are Asian American women. The compounded effects of a patriarchal Asian culture and a marginalizing American culture are formidable, steadily removing the recognition of these women’s lives, voices, and agency.

Invisibility is not only a racial and cultural issue, but also a profound spiritual issue. The Western church—and its theology—has historically obscured the concerns of Asian Americans. The Asian American church relegates women to domestic, supportive roles meant to uplift male leaders. This lecture will explore Invisibility as a theological and spiritual concept and see how we can work towards inclusion, liberation and embrace.

If you’d like to receive a free copy of Grace Ji-Sun Kim’s book, Invisible, please let us know that you’re interested by filling out this Google Form. Many thanks to the GU Women’s Center for generously making these copies available!

About the Speaker:Grace Ji-Sun Kim received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and is Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is the author or editor of 20 books, most recently, Invisible; Hope in Disarray; Keeping Hope Alive; and Intersectional Theology. Kim is a Series Editor for Palgrave Macmillan Series, “Asian Christianity in the Diaspora” and has served on the American Academy of Religion’s Board of Directors. Kim writes for Baptist News Global, Sojourners, Faith and Leadership and Wabash Center and has published in TIME, The Huffington Post, Christian Century, US Catholic Magazine and The Nation. She is the host of Madang podcast which is hosted by the Christian Century and is an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister. More of her writing and work can be found on her blog site https://gracejisunkim.wordpress.com/

The Separation Generation
2021-11-11 16:00
A discussion with the authors:

Earlham School of Religion Leatherock Professor of Quaker Studies Steve AngellRetired peace activist and journalist Chuck FagerEarlham School of Religion student Jade Souza

From 2009 to 2018, five Quaker yearly meetings either formally underwent a separation into two or more new yearly meetings, or obliged numerous member Friends churches to go independent, or both. These were the most extensive and serious schisms in Quaker polity in more than a century, and the divisions reflect the continuing cultural and social conflicts that are shaking American religion and politics.

The Separation Generation is the first published account of these events.

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Virtual 2021 ESR and Bethany Seminary Ministry of Writing Colloquium: Grace, Play, Delight
2021-10-23 08:30 - 19:00
Ft. Carrie Newcomer and Pádraig O’Tuama

Grace, Play, Delight: If those words were friends, we’d wonder why they never called anymore. But to cope with an ongoing pandemic and confront our era’s injustices, we need to hear from them. We could also use a visit from their friends, joy and beauty.

Date: Friday, October 22, 2021 (8:00PM) & October 23, 2021 (8:30AM – 7:30PM)

Location: This event will be hosted via Zoom and Mandolin

Ticketing: This is an entirely virtual event hosted via online platforms, a first for the ESR Writing Colloquium! We ask participants to pay what they are able.

Recommended payment for a single session: $20Recommended payment for the entire event: $50

Although no payment is necessary to attend, registration is required.

Register here

Schedule (All times are in EST)

Friday, October 22, 2021 (8:00PM)

An evening with Carrie Newcomer

Saturday, October 23, 2021 (8:30AM – 7:30PM)

(8:30AM) – Zoom opens(8:45AM – 8:55AM) – Optional Silent Worship(9:00AM – 10:45AM) – Lis Valle , Why Play? Divine Delight Inspiring Theopoetics and Theological Writing(10:45AM – 11:00AM) – Break(11:00AM – 12:30PM) – Workshop Session 1 (see options below)(12:30PM – 1:45PM) – Lunch /Hang-out (open Zoom session)(1:45PM – 3:15PM) – Workshop Session 2 (see options below)(3:30PM – 5:00PM) – Workshop Session 3 (see options below)(6:00PM – 7:30PM) – Pádraig Ó Tuama

Sessions

An evening with Carrie Newcomer (Friday, October 22, 2021, 8:00PM)

Livestream performance. Dubbed a “prairie mystic” by the Boston Globe, Carrie has 19 albums and three books of poetry to her credit. This fall, she will release “Until Now” (Available Light). Carrie is a Quaker and well known in the Earlham community. She has performed on campus multiple times and is mother of a 2005 Earlham College graduate.

Lis Valle, Why Play? Divine Delight Inspiring Theopoetics and Theological Writing (Saturday, October 23, 2021, 9:00AM – 10:45AM)

Is there such a thing as a theology of play? How may theology frame grace, play, and delight as sources for writing? How may we write about theological grace, play, and delight? Show up and accept the challenge to co-create a plenary session around the connections between Grace, play, delight, joy, beauty, writing and otherwise generating and sharing theological knowledge.

Pádraig O’Tauma (Saturday, October 23, 2021, 6:00PM – 7:30PM)

Host of the podcast Poetry Unbound with On Being Media, Padraig’s work encompasses hosting storytelling events, peacemaking, publishing poems, and co-authoring (with Glenn Jordan) the book Borders & Belonging: The Book of Ruth — A Story for Our Times (Canterbury Press, 2021).

Workshop Sessions

Each workshop leader will be available for both session 1 & 2

Carrie Newcomer

Mini-retreat 1: Telling Our Story in Song: An Experiment in Online Community Songwriting

Workshop session 1

Can one of Carrie’s favorite workshops come to life online? There’s only one way to find out! Based on Carrie’s fast-paced and playful community songwriting retreat, participants will partner with Carrie to write a song in real-time. Without requiring any musical experience, the workshop will move through the songwriting process: choosing a topic, creating the language, and moving the language into music form. In person, the group would sing the song together at the end. On Zoom? We’re still kinda figuring that out. Getting to delight means risking uncertainty; it’s more fun together.

Mini-retreat 2: The Beautiful Not Yet: The Practice of Hope In Hard Times

Workshop session 2

Living into a sustainable hope is getting a bead on a true north and then walking toward it, living into love is a daily practice, our work for a better, kinder world is an orientation not a destination. That’s the starting point for this retreat, which explores how we maintain hope and sustain vision during times of individual and community challenge. In a time of continued uncertainty, division, and weariness, staying present to daily moments of beauty and delight is not a luxury but a necessity. Living into a sustainable kind of hope is not as a destination, but a daily orientation. Carrie will use music, poetry, reflective writing, and small and large group conversation to explore the personal stories and practices that keeps us resilient and help us to stay centered in daily, life-giving action. Participants will consider the things that have helped them maintain hope in the past and how to access them, as well as what new practices might be possible in our present circumstances. Be ready to write, on paper or on your computer.

Paul Kareen Tayyar – In Praise of Ordinary Things

Workshop sessions 2 & 3

From the work of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson onward, the praise poem has been a mainstay of American poetry, and for good reason: it is a form that lends itself to prioritizing the intimate, the personal, and the spiritual in a manner that eschews dogma and sweeping generalizations. This workshop will focus on the necessary components that comprise a good praise poem, which include an attention to detail, an original narrative voice, and an embrace of the transcendent beauty to be found in life’s ordinary experiences.

Paul Kareem Tayyar’s most recent books are “Let Us Now Praise Ordinary Things” (Arroyo Seco Press, 2021) and “Immigrant Songs” (WordTech, 2019). Previous works of his include “The Prince of Orange County” (Pelekinesis, 2018), which received the Eric Hoffer Prize for Young Adult Fiction. His essays, poetry, and fiction have been published in a wide variety of journals, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Arkansas Review, Brilliant Corners, Prairie Schooner, and The Writer’s Almanac. He is a Professor of English at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, and he holds a Ph.D. in literature from U.C. Riverside.”

Amy Lyles Wilson (M.A., M.T.S.) – “Coming Home”

Workshop sessions 1 & 3

Sometimes we’re so busy listening to what society has in mind for us that we neglect our own journeys. Earning a living, chasing a dream, caring for loved ones, suffering a loss. Any of life’s challenges—and we’ve all got them, regardless of our station in life—can steer us away from the truest desires of our hearts. Then one day we wake up and discover we’re not where we thought we’d be. How did that happen, we ask? Please join us for this expressive writing workshop, where we’ll engage with prompts, readings, and reflections designed to help us write our way home: to ourselves, to God, to the human condition. You needn’t consider yourself a writer to join us. You just need to honor your voice and follow your heart.

Amy Lyles Wilson is a writer, story coach, and spiritual director who believes it’s the sharing of our stories that saves us. Toward that end, she encourages and equips people to get to the heart of the matter through a variety of creative and spiritual practices. From writing to SoulCollage®, art journaling to meditation, Amy Lyles celebrates the life that can be found at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. She has co-authored or contributed to eight books and various periodicals, taught writing at the Earlham School of Religion, and facilitated workshops at the Chautauqua Institution, St. Mary’s-Sewanee, and Escape to Create (Seaside, Florida). Visit Amy’s website.

Lis Valle – The Power of Divine Play

Workshop sessions 2 & 3

Drawing on her theater formal and experiential education and experience, Lis Valle-Ruiz shares how improv games can create social connections in times of social distancing, mediate God’s Grace, and nurture spirituality. Participants will learn by doing. Come ready to play! Be open to spiritually grow through play! Let play nurture your writing!Rev. Lis Valle-Ruiz is Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Director of Community Worship Life at McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. She earned her PhD in Homiletics and Liturgics from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, where she also studied gender and sexuality. Lis holds a BA in education with a major in theater. She has been playing and doing theater her whole life playing many roles that include actress, playwright, theater teacher, creative worship designer, artistic director, producer, retreat director, performer, improviser…. Play and prayer guide her scholarly and theopoetic work geared towards nurturing Divine connections between humans and God, other humans, self, and the Earth.

Online Platforms

Majority of this event will be hosted via Zoom. You do not need to have an account to access this event. You will receive zoom links from ESR upon registration.

An evening with Carrie Newcomer will be hosted via Mandolin. You will receive information on how to receive this link upon registration.

Information

The Writing Colloquium is co-sponsored by Bethany Theological Seminary and it supports the writing and work of the joint Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing that is offered by both institutions. If you are interested in learning more about this or other ESR programs, fill out the ESR request more information form to get connected with us as a prospective student. If you are interested in learning more about this or other ESR programs, fill out the BTS request more information form to get connected with us as a prospective student.

Facebook ESR Page

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View the Bethany Theological Seminary website

Facebook BTS Page

BTS Instagram

BTS TwitterIf you have questions about this event, please email esr@earlham.edu

Virtual 2021 Ministry of Writing Colloquium: Grace, Play, Delight
2021-10-22 20:00
Ft. Carrie Newcomer and Pádraig O’Tuama

Grace, Play, Delight: If those words were friends, we’d wonder why they never called anymore. But to cope with an ongoing pandemic and confront our era’s injustices, we need to hear from them. We could also use a visit from their friends, joy and beauty.

Date: Friday, October 22, 2021 (8:00PM) & October 23, 2021 (8:30AM – 7:30PM)

Location: This event will be hosted via Zoom and Mandolin

Ticketing: This is an entirely virtual event hosted via online platforms, a first for the ESR Writing Colloquium! We ask participants to pay what they are able.

Recommended payment for a single session: $20Recommended payment for the entire event: $50

Although no payment is necessary to attend, registration is required.

Register here

Schedule (All times are in EST)

Friday, October 22, 2021 (8:00PM)

An evening with Carrie Newcomer

Saturday, October 23, 2021 (8:30AM – 7:30PM)

(8:30M) – Zoom opens(8:45AM – 8:55AM) – Optional Silent Worship(9:00AM – 10:45AM) – Plenary 1(10:45AM – 11:00AM) – Break(11:00AM – 12:30PM) – Workshop Session 1 (see options below)(12:30PM – 1:45PM) – Lunch /Hang-out (open Zoom session)(1:45PM – 3:15PM) – Workshop Session 2 (see options below)(6:00PM – 7:30PM) – Padraig O’Tuama

Sessions

An evening with Carrie Newcomer (Friday, October 22, 2021,8:00PM)

Livestream performance. Dubbed a “prairie mystic” by the Boston Globe, Carrie has 19 albums and three books of poetry to her credit. This fall, she will release “Until Now” (Available Light). Carrie is a Quaker and well known in the Earlham community. She has performed on campus multiple times and is mother of a 2005 Earlham College graduate.

Pádraig O’Tauma (Saturday, October 23, 2021, 6:00PM – 7:30PM)

Host of the podcast Poetry Unbound with On Being Media, Padraig’s work encompasses hosting storytelling events, peacemaking, publishing poems, and co-authoring (with Glenn Jordan) the book Borders & Belonging: The Book of Ruth — A Story for Our Times (Canterbury Press, 2021).

Workshop Sessions

Each workshop leader will be available for both session 1 & 2

Carrie Newcomer

Mini-retreat 1: The Beautiful Not Yet: The Practice of Hope In Hard Times

Living into a sustainable hope is getting a bead on a true north and then walking toward it, living into love is a daily practice, our work for a better, kinder world is an orientation not a destination. That’s the starting point for this retreat, which explores how we maintain hope and sustain vision during times of individual and community challenge. In a time of continued uncertainty, division, and weariness, staying present to daily moments of beauty and delight is not a luxury but a necessity. Living into a sustainable kind of hope is not as a destination, but a daily orientation. Carrie will use music, poetry, reflective writing, and small and large group conversation to explore the personal stories and practices that keeps us resilient and help us to stay centered in daily, life-giving action. Participants will consider the things that have helped them maintain hope in the past and how to access them, as well as what new practices might be possible in our present circumstances. Be ready to write, on paper or on your computer.

Mini-retreat 2: Telling Our Story in Song: An Experiment in Online Community Songwriting

Can one of Carrie’s favorite workshops come to life online? There’s only one way to find out! Based on Carrie’s fast-paced and playful community songwriting retreat, participants will partner with Carrie to write a song in real-time. Without requiring any musical experience, the workshop will move through the songwriting process: choosing a topic, creating the language, and moving the language into music form. In person, the group would sing the song together at the end. On Zoom? We’re still kinda figuring that out. Getting to delight means risking uncertainty; it’s more fun together.

Paul Kareen Tayyar – In Praise of Ordinary Things

From the work of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson onward, the praise poem has been a mainstay of American poetry, and for good reason: it is a form that lends itself to prioritizing the intimate, the personal, and the spiritual in a manner that eschews dogma and sweeping generalizations. This workshop will focus on the necessary components that comprise a good praise poem, which include an attention to detail, an original narrative voice, and an embrace of the transcendent beauty to be found in life’s ordinary experiences.

Paul Kareem Tayyar’s most recent books are “Let Us Now Praise Ordinary Things” (Arroyo Seco Press, 2021) and “Immigrant Songs” (WordTech, 2019). Previous works of his include “The Prince of Orange County” (Pelekinesis, 2018), which received the Eric Hoffer Prize for Young Adult Fiction. His essays, poetry, and fiction have been published in a wide variety of journals, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Arkansas Review, Brilliant Corners, Prairie Schooner, and The Writer’s Almanac. He is a Professor of English at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, and he holds a Ph.D. in literature from U.C. Riverside.”

Amy Lyles Wilson (M.A., M.T.S.) – “Coming Home”

Sometimes we’re so busy listening to what society has in mind for us that we neglect our own journeys. Earning a living, chasing a dream, caring for loved ones, suffering a loss. Any of life’s challenges—and we’ve all got them, regardless of our station in life—can steer us away from the truest desires of our hearts. Then one day we wake up and discover we’re not where we thought we’d be. How did that happen, we ask? Please join us for this expressive writing workshop, where we’ll engage with prompts, readings, and reflections designed to help us write our way home: to ourselves, to God, to the human condition. You needn’t consider yourself a writer to join us. You just need to honor your voice and follow your heart.

Amy Lyles Wilson is a writer, story coach, and spiritual director who believes it’s the sharing of our stories that saves us. Toward that end, she encourages and equips people to get to the heart of the matter through a variety of creative and spiritual practices. From writing to SoulCollage®, art journaling to meditation, Amy Lyles celebrates the life that can be found at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. She has co-authored or contributed to eight books and various periodicals, taught writing at the Earlham School of Religion, and facilitated workshops at the Chautauqua Institution, St. Mary’s-Sewanee, and Escape to Create (Seaside, Florida). Visit Amy’s website.

More workshop sessions to be announced. Follow us on social media to get updates:

Facebook ESR Page

Instagram

Twitter

Linked-in

Online Platforms

Majority of this event will be hosted via Zoom. You do not need to have an account to access this event. You will receive zoom links from ESR upon registration.

An evening with Carrie Newcomer will be hosted via Mandolin. You do not need to have an account to access this event. You will receive information on how to receive this link upon registration.

Information

The Writing Colloquium is co-sponsored by Bethany Theological Seminary and it supports the writing and work of the joint Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing that is offered by both institutions. If you are interested in learning more about this or other ESR programs, fill our request more information form to get connected with us as a prospective student.
