This program has been postponed due to the current period of social distancing. If you are already registered, you will be offered the choice of a full refund or full credit towards the rescheduled event. Thank you for your patience while we sort out the details and consider scheduling options.
Register Now for a Full-Day Workshop on Howard Thurman at the Chicago Theological Seminary in Hyde Park
What does it mean to be a freed human spirit?
Join us on June 6 to learn more about Howard Thurman and how he succeeded in merging contemplation and action in the interest of social justice and the American civil rights movement. This workshop will take us on a journey through the life and writings of Howard Thurman and provide a taste of his contemplative practices.
From Contemplation to Compassionate Social Action: A Creative Encounter with Howard Thurman
Howard Thurman (1899-1981) was one of the most important and influential contemplatives of the 20th Century. As a mystic, theologian and spiritual adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Thurman possessed the uncanny and prophetic ability to make a connection between silence and social justice work.
As the spiritual architect of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Thurman chose to engage in sacred activism —work that would serve all people — and to use the contemplative experience as a path to peace, purpose and empowerment. He wrote about this desire in Jesus and the Disinherited, a book that Dr. King carried with him whenever he marched, and his advocacy of the common unity among all of God’s holy children is highlighted in a later book, The Creative Encounter.
Agenda for the Day
The day will begin with guest arrival, registration, and gathering from 8:15-9:00am. After welcoming remarks and an opening prayer, there will be three workshop sessions:
Howard Thurman and the Contemplative Life
The Pilgrimage to India and The Writing of Jesus and the Disinherited
Becoming a Freed Spirit: The Civil Rights Movement and Beyond
Each of the three sessions will combine periods of meditation, silence, and teachings about the thought and practice of Howard Thurman. The meditations will be based on audio presentations of Dr. Thurman. Breaks are scheduled between the individual sessions and lunch will be provided at mid-day. There will be allotted time for small group discussions and for questions and answers. The workshop will conclude at 3:00pm with a closing prayer.
Workshop Leader: Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD
Our guide for the workshop will be Lerita Coleman Brown, PhD, Ayşe I. Carden Distinguished Professor Emerita of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, and a spiritual director/companion, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. She earned her BA from UC Santa Cruz and PhD from Harvard University.
A graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, Professor Brown promotes contemplative spirituality, the living wisdom of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace and joy in one’s heart on her website, peaceforhearts.com and other social media platforms.
Her recent chapter, “Dissecting Racism: Healing Minds, Cultivating Spirits,” was published in the edited volume, Living into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America. Her book, When the Heart Speaks, Listen—Discovering Inner Wisdom was released in 2019.
When and Where
The workshop will take place 9:00am-3:00pm at the Chicago Theological Seminary, 1407 E. 60th Street, Chicago. Contemplative Outreach Chicago is pleased to partner with CTS, a world-class seminary with a history of theological innovation, and perhaps the most progressive-minded and forward-thinking graduate school of theology in the US.
Two ways to Register
This program has been postponed due to the current period of social distancing. If you are already registered, you will be offered the choice of a full refund or full credit towards the rescheduled event. Thank you for your patience while we sort out the details and consider scheduling options.
Questions?
Please contact the registrar at registrar@centeringprayerchicago.org.