Merton Institute Presents Conference on Contemplative Living
Conference to address importance and value of contemplative living for individuals, organizations, society and culture.
Presented by The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living in cooperation with the Fetzer Institute, this conference commemorates the 40th anniversary of Thomas Merton's death. It honors his personal vision that concerned individuals would gather to dialogue, in a contemplative way, on the major issues confronting humanity. Merton saw the lack of contemplative living in the world as a root cause of our perennial problems such as, social injustice, environmental degradation and war.
Robert Toth, The Merton Institute Executive Director, said that "There are many reasons for the growing interest in this movement toward a more contemplative way of life. People are frustrated with the fast pace of life, the loss of solitude, feelings of alienation from others, nature and God, and dealing with the complexities and challenges of contemporary society. Many are searching for greater meaning and purpose in their lives." He added that, "Contemplative living is where contemplation and action meet and unite in our everyday lives. It is a way of living that brings a special sense of freedom from the illusion of separateness and from illusions about our true purpose in life."
Contemplative living focuses on seeing life in the context of our core relationships - with oneself, God, others and nature. The conference will explore various perspectives on:
What contemplative living offers to individuals
How the contemplative movement has influenced culture and society
The emerging role of contemplative living in the world today and its potential for lasting personal and societal transformation
On the four days preceding the conference, sixteen people representing a wide range of interests and perspectives will convene at the Abbey of Gethsemani to dialogue on the conference theme. The conference opens on Friday evening when they share their insights and experience of the retreat with an audience. Several of these individuals will also serve on a panel that will respond to the conference presentations on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon conference attendees will have an opportunity to dialogue in small groups with the presenters, panelists and each other.
Conference Presenters are:
Dr. David Tacey, Associate Professor in the School of Critical Enquiry, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; author of The Spirituality Revolution.
Douglas Burton-Christie, Associate Professor of Theological Studies and the Graduate Director for the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University.
Dr. Stephanie Kaza, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont and President of the Society of Buddhist-Christian Studies.
Dr. Ibrahim Kalin, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.
Conference Panelists include:
Dr David Addiss Senior Program Officer, The Fetzer Institute
Imam Plemon El Amin Masjid Iman of the Atlanta Masjid of Al Islam
Rabbi Phyllis Berman Director, Elat Chavvim Center for Jewish Spirituality
Rev. Joan Campbell Director of Religion, Chautauqua Institution; Chair, Global Peace Initiative of Women
Rev. Alan Jones Dean, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA
Rev. J. Cletus Kiley Executive Director, Faith and Politics Institute, Washington DC
Sen. Elaine McCoy Senator, Province of Alberta Canada
Martin Hakubai Mosko Ordained Zen Buddhist monk and author of "Landscape as Spirit: Creating a Contemplative Garden."
Dr. Avideh Shashaani President, Fund for the Future of Our Children, Washington DC
Rabbi Arthur Waskow Founder and Director, The Shalom Center, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Phyllis Woolley Director, Government Interchange Program, University of Alberta
Date: Friday, October 24th, 6:30 pm -- Sunday, October 26th, 12:30 pm.
Location: The Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, Kentucky
About the Merton Institute for Contemplative Living
The Merton Institute of Contemplative Living works to create awareness of the power of contemplative living to bring greater meaning and purpose to the lives of individuals and to influence the values and direction of organizations and society.
Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a monk at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky for twenty-seven years. He wrote over seventy books and is acclaimed as one of the most influential American spiritual writers of the 20th century.
The contemplative life provided the foundation for Thomas Merton's perspective on life. His works continue to influence the movement of contemplative values into the everyday lives of people in the secular world.
The Institute's vision is that by living contemplatively, people will discover how to advance peace, justice and environmental sustainability and influence others to do the same. The Institute's services (publications, retreats and programs) focus on this self discovery, on understanding what contemplative living is and how it can improve the human condition.
For more information on the Conference and Merton Institute visit www.mertoninstitute.org
Contact: Robert Toth, Executive Director, 1-800-886-7275, cell 502-608-6761 or rtoth@mertoninstitute.org with questions or for an interview.
Published on: 2008-09-25
Limited copyright is granted for you to use and/or republish any story on this site for
any legitimate media purpose as long as you reference 7thSpace and any source mentioned in the story above. Please
make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.
Social Bookmarking
RETWEET This! | Digg this! | Post to del.icio.us | Post to Furl | Add to Netscape | Add to Yahoo! | Rojo
|
|
