For upcoming and ongoing programs at the Swedenborg Library, click (more info).
For information on events not held at the Library, but of interest, and information on speakers for past programs, see below.
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For information on upcoming programs, click the "more info" link in the box above.
The Swedenborg Library in Chicago sponsors programs and retreats on spiritual topics, hosts Common Ground lectures, and maintains on loan (see all items under "books" in the left-hand column) the works of the 18C Swedish scientist and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.
If you are seeking to purchase works by Swedenborg, visit the Swedenborg Foundation's online bookstore, at Swedenborg Foundation.
People of all faiths, including skeptics of religion, are welcomed to Swedenborg Library programs - it enrichs understanding and conversations!
We are located on the 17th floor at 77 W. Washington St. (at Clark) in the Loop. For more information, call 312-346-7003.
The Library is regularly open on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 pm, during/after scheduled programs, and by appointment. Note that the books found in the book catalog at left are available on loan from the Library.
We are affiliated with the General Convention of Swedenborgian Churches in the U.S., whose central administrative office is located in Newtonville, Massachusetts.
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New and on loan from the Library:
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Swedenborg, Mesmer, and the Mind/Body Connection: The Roots of Complementary Medicine, by John S. Haller Jr.
Healing practices as diverse as homeopathy, chiropractic, and therapeutic touch draw their inspiration and effectiveness from an unseen world beyond the physical senses. Our view of that world is the legacy of two key thinkers: Emanuel Swedenborg and Franz Anton Mesmer.
The starting point is the competing worldviews of Swedenborg, a mystic whose deep faith in God and visions of the afterlife have moved generations, and Mesmer, whose magnetic healing system required nothing but the forces of nature. Both were convinced that good health depended on properly managing one’s internal energies, whether that meant a life of biblical virtue or simply achieving balance with the universe.
This book traces the influence of these two men through the nineteenth century as their ideas were embraced by utopians, psychic healers, spiritualists, mind-cure advocates, homeopaths, and ultimately by the inheritors of those traditions—modern practitioners of alternative and complementary healing.
Swedenborg, Mesmer, and the Mind/Body Connection illuminates a pivotal time in American history, when pioneers explored not only the boundaries of their growing nation, but the limits and the intersection of mind and spirit.
John S. Haller Jr., emeritus professor of history and medical humanities at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has written a dozen books on subjects including race, sexuality, and the history of medicine. He is former editor of "Caduceus: A Humanities Journal for Medicine and the Health Sciences"and, until his retirement at the end of 2008, served for eighteen years as vice president for academic affairs for the Southern Illinois University system.
The Swedenborg Library is now displaying information about Daniel Burnham, Edward Bennett and the Chicago Plan from an exhibition developed for the Burnham Plan Centennial (2009.) Visit during regular hours, or call 312-346-7003 to arrange an appointment. For information on the many Chicago Plan-related programs hosted by Chicago's cultural institutions last year, visit Burnham Plan Centennial Programs
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OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST:
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Taizé worship, first Fridays of the month, from 6:30-7:15pm in the Dixon Chapel, 2nd floor. A service of light and darkness, reflective music and meditation is offered by the First United Methodist Church, 77 W. Washington St. (at Clark) in the Loop. Regular Sunday worship services are held in the main sanctuary at 8:30 am and 11 am.
For information about Emanuel Swedenborg, the 17C scientist and theologian, and his works, see these links:
A listing of books and articles on Swedenborgian thought, built and is maintained by Ian Thompson, a physicist at University of Surrey and University of California at Berkeley.
The Swedenborg Foundation, source of published works by and about Swedenborg. Many of these books are available through the Swedenborg Library in Chicago.
The denomination office for the General Convention of Swedenborgian Churches in the U.S.
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FOR INFORMATION ON UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT THE SWEDENBORG LIBRARY, CLICK HERE: Upcoming Programs
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2009: BURNAHM PLAN OF CHICAGO CENTENNIAL
Official programming for the 2009 Burnham Plan year has concluded. Watch your local PBS station for information on the upcoming presentations of "Daniel Burnham & The American City" this fall (see below for more information on this new film by Archimedia Workshop.
THE ARCHIMEDIA WORKSHOP presented "Daniel Burnham & The American City" on the Washington DC National Mall on Wednesday, June 9. Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett was the keynote speaker.
"Make No Little Plans" explores the life and legacy of visionary architect and city planner, Daniel Hudson Burnham (1846-1912). A century ago, as Chairman of the McMillan Commission, Daniel Burnham helped develop a plan for Washington, DC that shaped the National Mall that we enjoy today. As America’s “front yard,” the National Mall is the site of some of the most significant civic, cultural and political gatherings in the nation’s history.
Burnham also developed city plans for Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco and Manila and Baguio City in the Philippines. Classically inspired and often monumental in scale, his plans sought to reconcile things often thought opposite: the practical and the ideal, business and art and efficiency and beauty. At the center of it all was the idea of a vibrant urban community. For more information, visit ArchimediaWorkshop.org.
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Architect Daniel H. Burnham was a reader of Swedenborg throughout his life, and a member of the Chicago Society of Swedenborgian Churches. In 2009, the City of Chicago is celebrating the centennial of the 1909 Burnham Plan of Chicago. For a full list of Burnham Plan Centennial events, visit Burnham Plan Centennial Events See the search feature in the left column to search by lectures, exhibits, etc.
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SOME OF THE PAST PROGRAMS AND SPEAKERS:
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FILM NIGHT July 16, 2010: FOOD, INC.
Join us to see and discuss this important documentary on how our food system has changed in the past few decades. Cassie Green, owner of the organic market Green Grocer Chicago, was on hand to discuss organic options in Chicago. To connect with Green Grocer Chicago, visit Green Grocer Chicago.
FILM NIGHT October 2009: Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham & The American City This new film by The Archimedia Workshop was presented at the Swedenborg Library on October 23, 2009. For more information, or to order a copy of the DVD from The Archimedia Workshop, visit Daniel Burnham Film
Burnham Plan Centennial: As a planning partner of the Burnham Plan of Chicago Centennial, the Library sponsored programs about architect, planner and Swedenborgian Daniel H. Burnham during 2009. In October 2009, Dr. Kristen Schaffer, associate professor of architecture, North Carolina State
University, and author of Daniel H. Burnham, Visionary Architect. presented Finding Burnham in the Archives: Spiritual Revelations & The Plan of Chicago at IIT and Northwestern University, co-sponsored by the Swedenborg Library. Burnham's views on architecture and his ideas for the city are more fully revealed in his notes, letters and drafts than in the published Plan of Chicago. These materials enrich our understanding not only of the public architect and planner, but also disclose the religious beliefs and moral values of the private man. To see Burnham's original draft of the Plan of Chicago, visit the Art Institute of Chicago's Ryerson Library, or click here: Draft of the Plan of Chicago The Swedenborg Library also partnered with the Art Institute of Chicago to present this lecture as part of the "Voices" program in March 2009.
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Some of our past speakers and their topics:
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Julia S. Bachrach, author of the award winning book The City in a Garden: A Photographic History of Chicago's Parks, has served as the historian and preservationist for the Chicago Park District for more than 12 years and has led hundreds of popular tours of the city's hidden treasures. Julia has a master's degree in landscape architecture and is co-editior of The Alliance for Historic Landscape.
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Marc Ian Barasch - Field Notes on the Compassionate Life - A Search for the Soul of Kindness
Marc Ian Barasch presents a riveting, persuasive argument that compassion powerfully transforms our psyches, our relationships, our health, and our society. What if, he asks, the driving force of human progress is not \"survival of the fittest\" but rather \"survival of the kindest\"? With a keen balnce, hope, and skepticism, Barasch tells of his encounters with empathetic apes; with meditating monks in brain labs, with a man who donated a kidney to a stranger and another who forgave his daughter's murderer; and with astronomers trying to send a missive to E.T., that we're not only clever but kind.
Marc Ian Barasch is a writer, editor, and television producer. He has been an editor at Psychology Today, Natural Heatlth and New Age Journal. His emphasis on political and cultural issues won a National Magazine Award.
His last book, Healing Dreams, was hailed by the Washington Post as \"lucid...courageous...trailblazing.\" It won the Nautilus Award for Best Psychology Title 2001. His previous book, Remarkable Recovery, a study of spontaneous remission was a Literary Guild Main Selection. He is the author of the award-winning classic, The Healing Path, about which Dr. Larry Dossey has wirtten, \"if you read one book about the mind-body connection, make it this one. It is a beacon of science, spiritualiy, and sanity.\"
In the television field, Barasch was writer/producer of the Emmy-nominated One Child, One Voice an international TV special for the Turner Broadcasting System. He has produced and wirtten telelvison specials for England's Channel Four and the Discovery Channel.
Barasch was educated at Yale University . He has taught at Naropa University , where he was one of the founders of the M.A. psychology program.
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Denise C. Breton is Executive Director of the Living Justice Press and the author of numerous books, includingThe Mystic Heart of Justice: Restoring Wholeness in a Broken World, The Paradigm Conspiracy: Why Our Social Systems Violate Human Potential and How We Can Change Them, Love, Soul and Freedom: Dancing with Rumi on the Mystic Path, and The Soul of Economies: Spiritual Evolution Goes to the Marketplace. The last three were co-authored with Christopher Largent.
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Herbert Bronstein - American Jewry and Israel
There has always been a wide range of views in American Jewish opinion with respect to the politics of the Middle East . Recently, however, we've witnessed \"circling of the wagons\" on this issue, even affecting the American political scene in ways that have changed mainline Jewish stances on various issues. Why is this happening? What has changed? What are the dynamics of this tectionic shift? Rabbi Herbert Bronstein gave an informative and provocative conversation on Israel , the Middle East , and American Jews.
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The Mystical in Our Lives: An Exploration by Way of Kabbalah with Rabbi Menachem Cohen
Mystical things happen everyday in our lives. Running through the world's many religious and spiritual traditions are teachings and practices geared to help us tune in to the mystical nature of the world we inhabit. Participants of all faiths will use practices and meditations of Kabbalah to help them perceive the mystical in their lives and in the spiritual tradition they follow.
Rabbi Menachem Cohen is the founder of the Mitziut
Jewish Community of East Rogers Park, Chicago, a community that seeks significance and renewal in our tradition, and of Congregation B'nai ha Midbar, the organized Jewish presence at Burning Man. For 10 years he has studied and practiced Jewish healing prayer with Rabbi Douglas Goldhamer, who is the founder of Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf and has studied Jewish Shamanic Healing with Rabbi Gershon Winkler at the Walkingstick Foundation and at Elat Chayyim.
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Phil Cousineau is a writer, filmmaker, photographer, and cultural historian. He is the author of 16 books, including Once and Future Myths, The Art of Pilgrimage, The Way Things Are: Conversations on the Spiritual Life with Huston Smith and the upcoming The Olympic Spirit. Among his many film credits are: The Hero's Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell, Ecological Design: Inventing the Future, and a collaboration with Huston Smith, A Seat at the Table: Struggling for American Indian Religious Freedom.
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John DeBerry, Bereavement Counselor and Consultant: Managing the Holidays.
As challenging changes enter our lives, celebrating the November-December holidays can be different than in years past. Such changes or "living losses" may include: the loss of a loved one, the losses/changes in vision, hearing and mobility. Illness and aging can affect our quality of life. As John DeBerry says, "Change is inevitable, growth is optional."
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Rev. Dr. George Dole is an ordained Swedenborgian minister with degrees from Yale, Oxford and Harvard. After serving at the Cambridge Church he joined the faculty of the Swedenborg School of Religion in Boston . He has worked extensively on translations of Swedenborg's work.
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Mercy Gilpatric was a Dominican sister for 10 years and taught in various high schools owned by the Sinsinawa Dominicans. After she left the order, she continued teaching in Chicago , married and had two children. She began a career in publishing as an editor, writer, and marketing and executive management that spanned more than 30 years. She is the author of several publications, writes a regular column in Marriage magazine, and has presented many workshops and seminars. Most recently, she has taught at Hope College ( Holland , MI ) in their HASP (Hope Association for Senior Professionals) program on topics related to the thinking of Carl Jung.
Some of Mercy's programs at the Swedenborg Library:
Women Entering the Red Tents
We took a look at some of the women mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures to gain a better understanding of the role of women in our Judeo-Christian culture. The remarkable work of fiction, The Red Tent, describes the life of Dinah and the Jewish tradition of women gathering in the Red Tent during the time of their menstruation. While in the company of all the women of the community, rites of passage were celebrated and stories shared. A red tent was recreated, and participants gathered for ritual and stories.
The Scope and Themes of Folk and Fairy Tales
Women have always been the storytellers around the hearth or the kitchen table. Psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estes'exploration of folk stories sheds light on various aspects of what it means to be feminine. We examined several of these stories and others that can be described as youth tales, middle age tales, and elder tales and explored their application to our contemporary world.
Goddesses in Every Woman
Women are growing more aware of the powerful forces within them that influence their attitudes and behaviors. Psychoanalyst Jean Shinoda Bolen has written books on this topic including Goddesses in Every Woman and Goddesses in Older Women. The ideas in these books were used to explore the archetypes at work in women of all ages and how these archetypes are a source of dignity and pride for today's women.
Synchronicity: Inner Guide Meets External Circumstances
Synchronicity, when important things emerge within the ordinary circumstances of life—did you ever wonder about the circumstances that lead to your parents meeting each other? What about a book you read that changed your attitude or direction in life? How about the circumstances that brought you to the job you have. Chances are synchronicity was part of the process. We explored these happenings and their meaning, and were introduced to the inner guide that influences our personal lives through the surprises, big and small, that occur in ordinary life with extraordinary consequences.
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Jim Kenney, a director of the 1993 and 1999 Pariliaments of the World's Religions, is a leader in the movement for interreligious understanding and cooperative common action. A co-founder and director of Common Ground, Kenney is the editor of the journal Interreligious Insight. (See Interreligious Insight
Some of Jim's many Common Ground programs and books discussed at the Swedenborg Library:
God Evolves?
Robert Wright is a savant in the field of evolutionary psychology. His The Evolution of God is a landmark in the exploration of the development of theology. He’s a skeptic and almost a believer. But he excels and tracing the how human conceptions of God have evolved over time and, in the process, proved quite adaptive.
Suffering and Happiness in the Buddhist Perspective.
Buddha began his very first sermon by describing the nature of human "dissatisfaction," its origins, its cessation, and the path to that blissful end. What is often ignored is the strong Buddhist message about happiness. In this program, Jim discussed up both aspects of human experience as we explore the existential ground of Buddhist thought.
Jamestown
400 years later, we're finally beginning to understand the fabled colony at Jamestown . The settlers' ordeal was extraordinary, as were their accomplishments. And recently, new discoveries have illuminated the complexity of that great gamble and great gain. In this program, we took a closer look at this all-but-forgotten American adventure.
Post-American America
Can we imagine an American future in which \"America\" is less central to our political thinking than \"the world\" is? It's a concept that lies at the very heart of 21st-century approaches to global cultural evolution. But what are the implications for patriotism, nationalism, ethnicity, and culture?
All in the Family: the Indo-European Languages
The Indo-European language \"superfamily\" includes nearly 450 languages And dialects spoken by about three billion people, including most of the major language families of Europe and western Asia (Bengali, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, to name just some of the most prominent members). Jim served as our guide for a fascinating linguistic world tour. Kenney touched upon the major sub-groups, the science of languages, and presented some fascinating aspects of our local (German-English) branch of the family.
The Alphabet Vs. The Goddess
In Leonard Shlain's, The Alphabet Versus the Goddess, he argues that the invention of writing - particularly alphabetic writing - is directly linked to a drastic decline in feminine values, women's status, goddess veneration, appreciation of nature, and representative art.
For example, the European witch hunts followed closely on the invention of the printing press. The return of the image through the mediums of photography, film, television and the Internet have brought about a sharp rise in the values denigrated during the 5000 year reign of patriarchy and literacy.
Putin's World: Russia Today
Is Vladimir Putin a democratic reformer forced to proceed slowly, an ardent Russian nationalist, a KGB trained autocrat, all three, or something altogether differnt? Jim drew on his extensive experience as a student in and frequent visitor to Russia to illuminate the current situation in the former Soviet Union .
War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
Chris Hedges' powerful new book has been assailed by some, but hailed by many, many more. It draws on his own experience as a veteran war correspondent as well as on the literature of war, Hedges crafts a compelling argument about the destructive and corrupting effects of war on society, politics, culture, and humanity. The book is a work of terrible power and redemptive clarity whose truths have never been more necessary.
Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design: Whither Science?
The news is filled with talk of “Intelligent Design”. How does this new concept fit into the larger context of the evolution wars? Is “ID” a stalking-horse for creationism? Or is it a reasonable alternative scientific theory? Jim provided some very clear answers, strongly inclined toward the science-as-science side of the debate.
The Knights Templar, with Jim Kenney
The Da Vinci Code intrigued millions of readers with its glimpse of a world of secret societies and intrigues. While most of that plot was imagined, one element stands out as authentic and indubitably fascinating: the Knights Templar. Kenney discussed the history, mystery, and speculate about the uncertain dimensions of the Knights Templar, one of the most famous of secret societies, and traced the course of the Order and its Knights, from their roots in the Holy Land , to their famous persecution on Friday 13, 1307, to their reputed reemergence at countless significant points in history.
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Reverend Tom Lane -The Way of Ch'an / Meditation Practice
In the seventh century of our era, the Buddhist meditation heritage made its way from India to China , where it interacted with the indignenous Chinese philosophy of naturalness and spontaneity. The result was an incisive form of spiritual practice known as Ch'an, rendering into Chinese accent the ancient Sanskrit word for meditation, dhyana. Ch'an is the parent of the various Zen schools. (Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of \"Ch'an\".)
Tom Lane explored the meaning and experience the methods of meditation as developed by Ch'an, and told the stories and poetry of the ancient masters; participants learned to sit, walk, and bow as they did. The emphasis of the sessions was on nurturing mindfulness and serenity, which the practitioner then carries back into daily life, touching others with compassion, joy, and peace.
Rev. Tom Lane became attracted to Buddhism during a trek in the Himalayas of Nepal, the homeland of the Buddah. He is a director of The Buddhist Council of the Midwest, and inter-religious ventures such as the Chicago Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue and the Niagara Foundation and the Ch'an Institute located in Chicago's Chinatown . He is currently residing in China , where he is teaching English.
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Christopher Largent taught philosophy and comparative religion at the University of Delaware for 23 years and lectures across the U.S. , Canada , and the U.K. His work has been featured by the Leading Edge International Research Group and The Global Renaissance Alliance. His books include The Soul of Economies, The Paradigm Conspiracy: Why Our Social Systems Violate Our Potential & How We Can Change Them, Love, Soul, and Freedom: Dancing with Rumi on the Mystic Path. He was chosen by Rodale Press to do an article for the highly regarded 9/11 work, From the Ashes: A Spiritual Response to the Attack on America. He has authored a number of books with Denise Breton.
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Erik Larson, author of the bestsellers Isaac's Storm and The Devil in the White City, has written for Harper's, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly and Time Magazine. He is a former staff writer for The Wall Street Journal.
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Rev. Jim Lawrence Burning Hearts: How Mystical Readings of the Bible Reveal a Multi-Layered Spiritual Universe. Rev. Jim Lawrence is Dean of the Swedenborg House of Studies, at the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley , California .
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Russell Lewis "The 1893 Columbia Exposition". Russell Lewis has been on the staff of the Chicago Historical Society for seventeen years, and is currently the Director of Research and Collections. Russell is responsible for ensuring that the more that twenty million objects and documents in CHS's collection are preserved and are made accessible to all the citizens of Chicago . He is an expert on the history of the Collumbian Exposition.
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Ron Miller: Ron Miller, Ph.D. is widely recognized for his ability to communicate the meaning of sacred texts to people of all backgrounds.
He has lectured at hundreds of churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout the United States. He is the chair of the Religion Department at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest Illinois, where he has taught for thirty years> Ron is co-founder of Common Ground, an adult education group for interfaith religious study and dialogue since 1975. He is vice president of the Inter religious Engagement Project 21.
Miller is the author of many books and articles, including Healing the Jewish Rift, The Hidden Gospel of Matthew (Skylight Paths), The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice (Skylight Paths), Dialogue and Disagreements: Franz Rosenzweig's Contribution to Jewish-Christian Dialogue (University Press of America), and Wisdom of the Carpenter (Ulysses Press). For more information on Ron Miller, visit Ron Miller.
Some of Ron Miller's programs presented at the Swedenborg Library:
Unpacking the Parables of Jesus
Jesus taught in a Jewish literary genre called a mashal. This includes several genres in the English language: parable, proverb, allegory, and aphorism. We explored some of Jesus's parables, seeking to find there a key to Jesus's own religious consciousness and the message he sought to share with others.
How is God Present in Our Lives?, Ron Miller and Jack Gilroy
Ron and Jack introduced Process Thought of Alfred North Whitehead, John B. Cobb Jr., and David Ray Griffin, compared to classical doctrines.
The Paradox of Paul
The second most important person in Christianity after Jesus himself, Paul remains an enigma. Does he faithfully transmit the message of Jesus or does the Messenger become the Message? Was he the only interpreter of Jesus, and if not, why did the other interpretations fall by the wayside? How can we best appreciate his contribution without falling captive to his limitations? These are just a few of the provacative questions raised by the paradoxical figure who has become almost synonymous with Christian orthodoxy.
A Revolution in Religion?
The German philosopher Karl Jaspers spoke of an "axial age" some twenty-five hundred years ago, a time when there was a revolution in the nature and understanding of the religious enterprise. Is another such revolution occurring in our time? And, if so, what are some of its parameters and promises?
Sex and Spirituality
Most of our major sacred traditions arose in a time of patriarchy when women and sexuality were relegated to procreational roles. Males were the desired offspring and female infanticide was not uncommon. Homosexuality played no useful role in this reproductive model. All of our religions are undergoing profound change today and a re-visioning of the role of sex, gender, and reproduction is in order. Brian McNaught worked for some fifteen years with a program integrating sex and spirituality and his novel, Sex Camp, provides a distillation of the wisdom of that experience. These insights guided our discussion of issues that lie at the heart of some very heated religious conversations in our contemporary world.
A Guide to Adult Spirituality: The Thomas Gospel
There are many religious institutions today that provide good religious schools for children but leave adults spinning on the same religious merry-go-round for decades. How are religious institutions addressing the spiritual needs of adults? Is there coherence between the way adults see the world and the way they relate to the narratives of faith presented to them through religion? What is needed to provide a framework for an adult spirituality? The ancient but only recently discovered Gospel of Thomas was used address these questions. Many of the gospel's teachings seem to capture the voice of Jesus himself; from that voice, Miller focused on concrete ways for individuals and groups to discover more developed paths of spiritual living. The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice by Ron Miller was one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2004 by Spiritualiy and Health magazine.
What Are We Praying For?
The question has an intended double meaning. Why do we pray at all? Do we believe in an interventionist God who occasionally dabbles in our mundane activities? And what kinds of things do we pray for, if we pray? Good weather, winning a game, solving world hunger? And are there other forms of prayer that are not petitionary at all? And if so, what are they?
Biblical Errancy: Why the Gospels Aren¹t the Gospel Truth
The watershed dogma dividing mainline Christians from evangelical and fundamentalist Christians is biblical inerrancy, the belief that the Bible is without error of any kind. This dogma leads people to some very dangerous ideas about God, sacred texts, families, gender issues, political stances,and ways of relating to people from other religious traditions, other countries, and other cultural backgrounds. The gospels are not 'gospel truth'. If they are understood as giving us actual transcripts of Jesus¹s teachings, then there is no way to move beyond a ³Jesus² who is patriarchal and anti-Semitic. The issue of errancy vs. inerrancy lies at the heart of virtually every serious theological discussion taking place in our world today.
When Religion Lies
The Latin motto reminds us: Corruptio optimi pessima. (The corruption of the best things is the worst kind of corruption.) Nothing corrupts like religion and our current age has seen the corruption of religion on several fronts. The deceits of televangelism continue to multiply. Catholic bureaucracies continue to cover up the abuse of children.
It is through a culture of lies that religion has suffered a loss of credibility in the eyes of many of the formerly faithful, while the equally harmful lies of the Religious Right lure people to a false sense of security and salvation. What are we to make of it all in a time of cultural tension and transition?
Revisiting Thich Nhat Hanh
From his work for peace during the Vietnam War to his latest book, Creating True Peace, this remarkable Buddhist monk has become a strong voice for centered living in a world living more and more on the surface of life. His teachings are practice and draw us to that hidden center of all religion, the deep mystical core where true dialogue can be shared and where compassion can be experienced.
Does Suffering Disprove God?
Bart Ehrmann evolved from a Moody Bible fundamentalist to a liberal biblical scholar. And now, in his latest book, he reveals that he has become an agnostic. He finds himself unable to reconcile the idea of a God who is all-knowing and all-powerful with the suffering in our world. Although he does not embrace atheism, he identifies with the author of Ecclesiastes, enjoying the life we are given but uncertain about any statements attempting to locate that life in a larger context. Is there a viable response to his position within the context of religious faith?
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John Moulder is a rare hybrid in the world of jazz - a musician and a priest - with equal commitments to both worlds. The Chicago Tribune called him \"one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists in Chicago.\" John has performed extensively with leading jazz musicians around the country and with his own band at the Chicago Jazz Festival and regularly at the Green Mill. He serves St. Gregory's parish.
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Sarah Odishoo: Goddess is a Verb:
The Divine Feminine in Action—in Literature, Film
This program explored images of the goddess in ancient mythology, and how those myths have been translated into literature and contemporary cinematic images. Examined were those aspects of the feminine using Jungian psychological theory to identify the goddess archetype and its historical characteristics in order to reveal contemorary images of the divine feminine with its ancient patterns.
Sarah Odishoo, a professor of English at Columbia College Chicago, teaches Mythology and Literature. Her poetry and short stories have been published in many journals, most recently in 13th Moon, River Teeth, and The North Atlantic Review. She was a writer-in-residence at Woodstock Arts Guild, New York in 2002.
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Gina Otto is a poet and photographer and recent author of the best-selling children's book, Cassandra's Angel. Marianne Williamson called the book \" a beautiful affirmation of the Truth and Love within every child's heart.\" Leo Buscaglia said \"I shall treasure Cassandra...keep sharing your magic.\"
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Paul Quinn - Tarot: Embracing the Symbols of the Sacred Self
Long before Tarot cards were used for prediction, it is widely believed the images were used to transmit concepts of spiritual evolution that - had they not been hidden in a "harmless pack of cards" - would have been deemed heretical by the Roman Church. Today, the Tarot's rich mystical legacy continues to go unnoticed amidst its more popular association with occult mischief, hokum and party entertainment.
In this inspiring and interactive presentation, Paul Quinn explored the Tarot as a vibrant catalyst for personal and spiritual development, and in the spirit of synchronicity, discussed only those cards that were randomly drawn by participants throughout the evening.
Paul Quinn is an intuitive who brings to his work as a reader and teacher of the Tarot a lifetime study of metaphysics, mysticism, dream symbols, and Jungian psychology. He is the author of Tarot for Life, now in its second printing (Quest Books). Quinn is a former professional actor and an experienced presenter and facilitator, having for many years led Communications Skills training domestically and internationally for IBM, Xerox, McDonald's, Bosch, Unisys, and many other companies. He has been listed as a "top talent" by Chicago Magazine.
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Rev. Dr. Jonathan Rose was the articulate college chaplain who made so much of Swedenborg's thought crystal clear in Splendors of the Spirit: Swedenborg's Quest for Insight. He has since moved on to work as Series Editior for New Century Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg. Before taking on this magnum opus, he worked as Professor of Religion and Sacred Languages at Bryn Athyn College in Pennsylavania, and is also an ordained clergy of the Swedenborgian New Church .
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Kristen Schaffer, PhD. - Burnham, Swedenborg, and The Chicago Plan, co-sponsored with National-Louis University.
Understanding the 1909 Plan of Chicago has in large part been determined by point of view and availablility of information. By simply looking at the published Plan, modern architects reacted against the classical architecture depicted in the rendered perspectives but appreciated the clarity of Burnham's vision of the city.
The draft reveals an expansive social program for the less advantaged citizens of Chicago, one that was omitted from the final published version. This knowledge permits us to interpret and assess the Plan in terms of a disguised social agenda that still lingers in the text. And research into Burnham's Swedenborgian religious beliefs expands our comprehension further.
Knowledge of Burnham's Swedengborgianism enables us to ponder Burnham's intentions for the city and its citizens. It adds depth of understanding to the man and his work, allowing us to better explore his motivations. Knowing about his faith, and its emphasis on usefulness, allows us to assess his sincerity. Such an awareness and understanding focuses our attention more on his desire to serve and improve the city he loved, and less on his external successes.
Kristen Schaffer lectured at the Graham Foundation on June 29, 2005.
Dr. Kristen Schaffer is a professor of architectural history at North Carolina State University . She has a Ph.D. from Cornell University and her expertise is 19th and 20th century American architectural history. Dr. Schaffer previously taught in the School of Architecture at Syracuse Universtiy. Dr Schaffer has authored Daniel H. Burnham-Visionary Architect and Planner and is currently writing a second Burnham book on The Plan of Chicago.
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May Eagle Seyle—Feng Shui: Harmony in Your Home
Our homes and offices are an extension of who we are. They say who we are. They can support us and nurture us or they can make life difficult. In this workshop, Seyle explored ways to apply Feng Shui principles to your home which help you create a healthier, more creative and abundant life.
May Seyle has been studying and practicing Feng Shui for seven years. She is a student of Katherine Metz, an internationally recognized Feng Shui teacher and is also a student. She is also a disciple of Grandmaster Lin Yun who introduced Black Sect Feng Shui to the United States more than 20 years ago.
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Ann McNamara Smith: Evolutionary Psychology: Why are you the way you are?
One of the sacred tenets for most of the 20th century has been that each person is born a \"blank slate\" – meaning that the mind has no innate qualities. Each individual then is molded, informed, shaped and directed by his or her environment. The new discipline called “Evolutionary Psychology” makes use of breakthrough findings in biology and neuroscience to modify that doctrine. While biology is not destiny, it nevertheless has a great impact on our emergence: on why we become who we are. Join this evening’s presentation/discussion and encounter a fascinating new field of scientific inquiry.
Ann McNamara Smith is associated with Common Ground. She holds an MA in Religion, Yale Divinity; is the Director of Ethical Cartography (Charts and Maps for Moral Discourse; Scholar in Residence, University of Chicago.
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John Stolfo: Who Was Rudolf Steiner and What is Anthroposophical Spiritual Science?
The life and work of Rudolf Steiner, one of the modern era's most intuitive and practical thinkers, and an influential individual, was the focus for this lecture. Steiner (1861–1925) founded Waldorf Education; he is being discovered anew today as questions of life quality, insightful living and thinking become increasingly more urgent globally.
John Stolfo, an art professional since 1990, is an active member of the Rudolf Steiner branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Chicago . He owns and directs two businesses, Studio Auror and Lazure Architectural Painting Co., both based in the Fine Arts Building. He will offer this glimpse as a fellow collaborator in the pursuit of the free spiritual life in day to day living.
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Brother Wayne Teasdale, Ph.Dis a leading spokesperson for the global interfaith movement. Ordained as a Christian Sunnyasi monk by Father Bede Griffiths in 1986, he has championed dialogue between Chirstians and Buddhists and is a close friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the author of two books, The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religionsl and A Monk in the World: Cultivating a Spiritual Life .
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Linda Voyles, RN: Mandala Meditation, and The Dream Giver
Author Bruce Wilkinson’s storytelling approach in The Dream Giver, designed to motivate you to achieve your dreams, is the basis for this condensed workshop.
Linda Voyles, RN, author, speaker, and Certified Dream Coach, is author of Simply Successful Surgery: a holistic approach to a conventional procedure. In addition to her work as a surgical nurse, Linda has studied with dream coaches Marcia Wieder, author of Making Your Dreams Come True, and Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, best-selling author of The Dream Giver. Linda has led seminars on the Dream Giver process and coaches people toward finding and achieving their lifetime dreams.
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Voices: George Inness and Emanuel Swedenborg at The Art Institute of Chicago / Price Auditorium
This special VOICES program featured a two-person reading from the writings of the great American landscape painter George Inness and his key inspiration, the noted Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian, Emanuel Swedenborg. Slides and music traced Inness’ thinking about form and light and his process of investing his work with particular meaning. A tour of Inness’ work in the American Gallery followed the performance.
This program was co-sponsored with the Swedenborg Library of Chicago.
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Rev. Wilma Wake is a pioneering minister in the Swedenborgian movement, having built a ministry from scratch and opened a church in Portland , Maine where she now serves. She is director of Field Education and associate professor at the Swedenborg School of Religion in Newtonville , Massachusetts , and more recently completed the 2-year course in spritiual direction with the Shalem Institure.
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John Wasik, is the author of The Audacity of Help: Obama's Economic Plan and the Remaking of America. He has lectured across the U.S. and has appeared on NBC, NPR, PBS, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, FOX and on radio stations across the world; his column for Bloomberg News reaches readers on five continents. For more on his recent book,see Audacity of Help or John Wasik.
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