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Religion Students Experience Life in Monastery
Students in Prof. Kolp's Religion Seminar spent a weekend at the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University in Louisville and Merton's monastery (Gethsemani) in Kentucky near New Haven. Merton (1915-1968) was a Trappist monk, poet, social activist and student of comparative religion. Students experienced firsthand what the monastic life is like and shared comments about the pilgrimage:
"Gethsemani was stepping into a different world. It was an opportunity to see people living what we study in class,and realize how fulfilling and powerful such a lifestyle could be. I learned about spirituality and faith, about myself, and about all the wonderful friends made on the trip - Thomas Merton included. It was definitely the opportunity of a lifetime, and nothing I will be quick to forget."
Laura Dunson, Class of 2013, Major: Religion
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to travel to Gethsemani and spend time at such a holy and beautiful place. It was an incredible weekend of silence, laughter, and friendship"
Rachel McDonald, Class of 2012, Major: Religion/Philosophy
Deshpande Consortium for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Higher Education- June 12-13, 2013
Alan Kolp was invited to be on a panel focused on entrepreneurship on liberal arts campuses. The event, held in Boston, was an intimate gathering of higher education practitioners, academics and faculty. The two-day event symposium included presentations, panel discussions and keynote talks examining critical areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Thirteenth General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society- June 13-16, 2013
Alan Kolp lead a Session entitled: "Merton: From Cloister to Classroom" at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. .
Dallas Benedictine Experience- June 19-22, 2013
Alan Kolp will be co-leading a monastic experience at the 16th Annual Benedictine Experience. The event will be held at the Catholic Conference and Formation Center in Dallas, Texas. Topics will include:
* Benedictine Practices for the Laity: Stability (Centered and Being Centered)
* Benedictine Practices for the Laity: Obedience (Hearing, Being, and Doing) and
* Benedictine Practices for the Laity: Conversion of Life (The Process is the Goal)
More details can be found here: http://www.benedictfriend.org/article/33/benedictine-experiences/texas-catholic-conference-center
The Cleveland Ecumenical Institute for Religious Studies- April 2013
Alan Kolp recently taught a course entitled: "A Quaker Looks at Thomas Merton" that ended on May 8th. The discussion focused on: "Everyone has a particular framework when reading Thomas Merton. A Quaker looks at Merton’s spirituality and sees his experiential foundation that led Merton to Catholicism and the monastic life. A Quaker appreciates Merton’s spiritual growth, his spiritual depth and double quest; namely, to find God and one’s true self, for these are every human’s goals.."
2013 Lectures:
The 2013 Faith & Life Lectures have concluded. Featuring Stephanie Paulsell, attendees enjoyed listening to her discussions about "Lost in the Mystery of God and Reading St. Therese". In addition, the following Religion Majors/Minors participated in a panel discussion with Stephanie Paulsell and Alan Kolp to discuss "Resources for a Contemporary Spirituality."
Laura Dunson
Matthew Gesicki
Johnathon Jackson
Sophia Kemble
Sophia Viglione
Click on the links below to view the Lectures:
Lost in the Mystery of God
Reading St. Therese
Resources for a Contemporary Spirituality
SSCS 20th Anniversary Celebration: November 16th, 2012
Alan Kolp and John Gordon spoke at The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality's twentieth anniversary celebration on Friday, November 16, at the University of Chicago Divinity School. They presented on the following topic: "Spiritus as a Pedagogical Resource, A Festival of Short Papers on Spiritus Articles Used in the Classroom."
Multimedia Available
DVDs from the Baldwin Wallace Chair in Faith & Life Lectures are available. If interested, please contact Carrie Drozdz, Secretary to the BW Chair, (440) 826-2193.
Thomas Merton Lecture
Alan Kolp presented a lecture entitled "Merton and the Quakers: A Favorable Notion" at the May meeting of The Cleveland Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society.
A New Publication
Alan Kolp is pleased to announce the release of a new book, Innovation with Integrity: Following the B.R.I.C. Road, co-authored with Peter Rea and Pierre Everaert (2011). If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact Alan.