Loading...In July 2014, St. Mary’s Sewanee is pleased to offer three opportunities for clergy to satisfy their annual continuing education requirements. Each week-long seminar is designed to enable clergy to deepen their knowledge of a particular aspect of ministry and improve their ability to provide congregational leadership. Over the course of each week, clergy can expect to complete 23 hours of contact time in the classroom, as well as enjoy ample amounts of leisure time while on the Mountain.
July 6 to 11: Contemporary Anglican Theology: Kathryn Tanner and David Brown
Two leading contemporary Anglican theologians are Kathryn Tanner (Yale) and David Brown (St. Andrews). In 2001, Tanner published Jesus, Humanity, and the Trinity: A Brief Systematic Theology (Fortress), and in 2011 Brown publishedDivine Humanity: Kenosis and the Construction of a Christian Theology (Baylor). Although dealing with many of the same topics, Tanner and Brown reach rather different conclusion on the nature of the God revealed in Jesus Christ. Participants are asked to read these two books in advance, and their themes will then become the focus of the week's discussions.
The Rev. Dr. Robert MacSwain is Assistant Professor of Theology and Christian Ethics at The School of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South.
July 13 to 18: Holy Spaces: Architecture of the Western Church
Church buildings tell stories. Using the language of architecture, our places of worship speak volumes about the beliefs and aspirations of the faith communities who created them, as well as those who continue to use them. This course will explore the roots of western Christian architecture, the fundamental concepts which shape the spaces in which we worship, and help clergy better understand the inherent language and complex layers of meaning found in our churches.
The Rev. John Runkle, RA is the Executive Director of St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development.As both an Episcopal priest and an architect, he has consulted with numerous churches, chapels and cathedrals about the use of their sacred spaces. His book, Searching for Sacred Space: Essays on Architecture and Liturgical Design in the Episcopal Church is a collection of thought-provoking essays that focus on liturgical space and its proper support of common worship.
July 20 to 25: Apprehensions of the Sacred: Poetry and Contemplation
Poetry has been linked with the sacred from the very beginning. Some of our earliest poems are texts of prayer and praise, and the word poet, meaning "maker,” is also a name for God. In this course we will trace the development ofsacred themes from Holy Scripture through the work of a selection of English and American poets, exploring how the raw emotions of love, praise, and grief take shape through form, sound, and figurative language. Our methodology will be a combination of plenary discussion, smaller group work, and contemplative practices such as silent meditation (both sitting and walking) and lectio divina.
Dr. Jennifer Michael is Professor of English at Sewanee: The University of the South. She holds a B.A. from Sewanee, an M.A. from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. She is the author of Blake and the City (Bucknell University Press, 2006).
Each seminar will begin on Sunday evening with registration and dinner. Then each morning, Monday through Friday, will begin with breakfast at 8:00 a.m., followed by class time from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon, a break for lunch until 1:30 p.m., then resume class time until 3:30 p.m., after which, the clergy will have the rest of the day to themselves. On Friday, the seminar will conclude with lunch. All residential students will stay in the New Building where each sleeping room has two twin beds, individual heat and air conditioning controls, and a private bath. The seminars will meet in the adjoining McRae Room—a fully-equipped meeting room, and meals will be served in the air-conditioned, St. Mary’sDining Room.
Fee: New Building: $900; Commuter: $400
Each seminar is limited to 20 residential participants.
For more information and to register, please visit our website at stmaryssewanee.org, call 931.598.5342, or email us at reservations@stmaryssewanee.org
