wfn.org | [ENS] Episcopal Divinity School explores faith and contemporary

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Daybook, from Episcopal News Service

August 9, 2005 - Tuesday to Note & To Read

Episcopal Divinity School explores faith and contemporary issues;
General
Theological Seminary breaks ground on Desmond Tutu Education Center

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) has planned a
fall
lineup of lectures and events that explore contemporary issues, from
empire
building to the Millennium Development Goals.

Author and theologian John Dominic Crossan returns to EDS on September
26 at
10:00 a.m., along with biblical archeologist Jonathan L. Reed, to talk
about
his new book, "In Search of Paul: How Jesus' Apostle Opposed Rome's
Empire
with God's Kingdom." Using new historical analysis and archeological
discoveries, Crossan and Reed examine vital questions about Paul and the
first Christians.

Clergy and lay people are invited to attend the lecture which will be
followed by an off-campus luncheon and talk by Crossan on stewardship
titled, "Paul and Generosity, Paul and Giving, Paul and Wealth."

Tickets to the lecture are $20 for the first two individuals per parish
(one
clergy member and guest), and $5 for each additional person, while the
lunch
and talk are an additional $20 per person. Advance tickets are required
as
seating is limited; please contact Bill Louie at 617.682.1571 or
wlouie@eds.edu.

The Ministry-in-Praxis Seminars return with six seminars scheduled
during
the 2005-2006 academic year. Using the principles of restorative justice
and
conflict resolution, the seminars prepare clergy and lay leaders to
address
conflict in their congregations, with an emphasis on contemporary church
crises. The Reverend Canon Ed Rodman, professor of pastoral theology and
urban ministry, will lead the seminars, which are scheduled for
September
30, October 28, December 2, February 3, March 3, and April 7 (Fridays)
from
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Registrants may
attend
one or more seminars. For more information or to register, contact Penny
Kohn at pkohn@eds.edu or 617.682.1525.

There is also an opportunity to explore creative and multicultural forms
of
worship and music on October 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at
Liberating
Liturgy: A workshop with Theophilus Appavoo at St. John's Memorial
Chapel on
the EDS campus. Appavoo, professor of communications, and director of
the
Communication Centre at The Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai,
India is one of the most prominent figures of Dalit liberation theology,
which is the theology of those oppressed by caste, class, and gender, in
South India. Through his experience working among villagers in rural
theology classes and teaching in India and the Philippines, Appavoo has
developed a keen ability to engage lay and clergy members in empowering
theological reflection and is able to turn this reflection into creative
expression by the workshop members. The media of expression he uses
include
music, drama, and puppetry. He is able to transcend differences of
language,
musical style, and culture to ge
 t at the heart of liturgical meaning for a particular audience.

Tickets are $15.00 and $10.00 for students. Pre-registration is
encouraged.
For more information or to register, contact Penny Kohn at pkohn@eds.edu
or
617.682.1525 or toll free 866.4EDS.NOW, ext. 525.

Thanks to support from the Bread for the World Institute, EDS and the
Boston
Theological Institute (BTI) will host a series of public lectures,
accompanied by a discussion based course, on "Faith and the Millennium
Development Goals" (MDGs) on Thursdays in the fall. The eight week
public
lecture series begins on October 6 from 7:00-8:30 p.m.; the class begins
September 22, 4:30-6:00 p.m.

For more information, including a list of speakers, and topics contact
Penny
Kohn at pkohn@eds.edu or 617.682.1525 or toll free 866.4EDS.NOW, ext.
525.

----------

Construction begins on Desmond Tutu Education Center

[ENS] Visible construction has now begun on the Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Education Center, located in one of New York City's fastest-growing
commercial areas.

The $23 million project, now being created in three landmark buildings
along
Tenth Avenue, will provide new facilities for programs in continuing
education, peace and reconciliation, interfaith relations, and Christian
spirituality.

Established and administered by General Theological Seminary (GTS,) the
Tutu
Center is scheduled to open in 2007, bringing a new range of
activities-and
fresh, gardenlike beauty-to an increasingly bustling neighborhood.

Physically and programmatically, the Center expresses a more outgoing
presence in the city for GTS and its historic grounds, known as the
Close.
Built on land donated to GTS in the 1820s by Clement Clarke Moore (the
poet
of "'Twas the night before Christmas,") the Close took shape in
1883-1902
and is the oldest extant collegiate quadrangle in New York City. The
Close
has long been accessible to the public, and its centerpiece, the Chapel
of
the Good Shepherd, welcomes all worshippers but with the Tutu Center,
the
seminary will reach out to the city as never before.

Named in honor of the Archbishop of Cape Town, who was a visiting
professor
at GTS when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Tutu
Center
will provide a home for GTS' Center for Christian Spirituality and the
Center for Jewish-Christian Studies and Relations-and for two new
programs,
the Center for Peace and Reconciliation and the Center for Continuing
Education.


Note: The following titles are available from the Episcopal
Book/Resource
Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017; 800.334.7626;
http://www.episcopalbookstore.org/.

To Read: ALWAYS OPEN: Being an Anglican Today by Richard Giles
(Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Cowley Publications, 2004; 150 pages; $13.95.)

>From the publisher: Seventy million assorted individuals comprise a
church
family that is renowned for its rich diversity. Christians of all shades
of
belief together make up the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches
that extends around the world and includes the Episcopal Church in the
United States. At its best, the spirit of openness that marks this
fellowship is a sign of openness to the Holy Spirit. Few Anglicans would
presume to have "arrived" spiritually, and the door is always open to
all
who are seeking God.

Whether you are a cradle Episcopalian or are exploring the denomination,
Always Open is an excellent introduction to Anglican beliefs and
practices.
Down-to-earth and good humored, Always Open explains the essentials of
the
Anglican approach to authority, the Bible, social and moral questions,
dialogue with people of other faiths, and much, much more.

Richard Giles is a leading authority on the design of liturgical space
and
the reordering of church buildings for contemporary worship. After 30
years
as a parish priest in England, he became Dean of Philadelphia Cathedral
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1999. He is the author of Creating
Uncommon
Worship and of the best-selling Re-pitching the Tent.

To Read: WHY I WAKE EARLY: New Poems by Mary Oliver (Boston,
Massachusetts:
Beacon Press, 2004; 71 pages; $14.)

>From the publisher: The 47 new works in this volume include poems on
crickets, toads, trout lilies, black snakes, goldenrod, bears, greeting
the
morning, watching the deer, and, finally, lingering in happiness. Each
poem
is imbued with the extraordinary perceptions of a poet who considers the
everyday in our lives and the natural world around us and finds a
multitude
of reasons to wake early.

Mary Oliver is one of the most celebrated and best-selling poets in
America.
Her poetry books include Blue Iris; Owls and Other Fantasies; House of
Light; New and Selected Poems, Volume One; DreamWork; White Pine;
WestWind;
and What Do We Know.