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There is no doubt that Huston Smith is the most
eloquent and accessible contemp- orary authority on
the world’s great religions. At 86, Smith says of his
latest book, “Now I’m winding down, and I wanted to
write one last book on religion. I wanted it to be
mine! That’s why I wrote it, to honor my own
heritage.” A recent review in the SFGate says
of The Soul of
Christianity, “The book presents the basic beliefs
and essential teaching of Christianity while making a
passionate argument for why religious belief matters
in today’s world, a world that he believes has been
seduced by secularism, science and
greed.”
Now you have an opportunity to read and discuss
this eloquent book about Christianity that is the
culmination of more than 50 years of study.
The
discussion will be led by Transformations' Sister
Gertrude Maurer, SSJ,
who has nearly 50 years of dedication to living a
Christian life, holds a doctorate in American
literature, has served as an educator, retreat and
spiritual director, and minister for justice in the U.S.
and Ghana. She has a way of breaking down ideas
into a logical framework, relating the information to a
broader context from her rich knowledge of scripture
and spiritual practices and drawing out discussion
that can help you integrate the lessons learned into
everyday life.
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THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
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We hope you will forward this e-mail newsletter to
friends and colleagues. The programs are offered in
an abbreviated form from our brochure to make it
easy for you to “cut and paste” into your parish or
office newsletter. And yet, handy links to our Web
site give you an easy way to quickly read more
details.
NOTE: To cut and paste, just highlight the
text you want to use and click “edit,” then “copy.”
Create a new e-mail or Word document, place a
curser at the top and click “paste.” And there it is!
You might want to add: Transformations is located at
3427 Gull Road. To register call 269.381.6290 ext.
310.
Your help in sharing news about Transformations is
appreciated.
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Click here
to forward this email to a friend or colleague
How To Register ...
-
Register Online
- By Phone: 269-381-6290 x310
- By Fax: 269-381-4616
- By Mail: 3427, PO Box 02, Nazareth, MI 49074
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IT’S GETTING COOLER. TIME
TO CURL UP WITH A GOOD BOOK?
The leaves are turning. Jackets are needed on
chilly mornings. Days are getting shorter. Instead of
spending our free time out of doors, the time is
nearing for us to once again take our lives indoors.
For many of us, that means spending more time with
a good book.
Since 2003, Transformations has offered a good book
for reading and discussion each fall and winter. This
fall the book selection is The Soul of Christianity:
Restoring the Great Tradition by Huston Smith
(Harper, San Francisco, 2005).
Three Thursdays,
October 12, 26 and November
9
Spiritual Literacy: Books You Have Been Meaning
to Read
The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great
Tradition by Huston Smith
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. $20 for three sessions
Facilitated by Gertrude Maurer,
SSJ
Perhaps you read Huston Smith's
most well-known book in college, The World’s
Religions, or The Religions of Man as it
was known when it was published in 1958. Since
then it has been translated into 12 languages and
has been described as the best one-volume book on
the world’s religions (Library Journal).
Huston Smith's latest book, The Soul of
Christianity, is a
passionate and illuminating exploration of the
common
faith of the first millennium. It not only presents the
basic beliefs and essential teachings of Christianity,
but also illustrates the link between religion and
spirituality and argues why religious belief matters
today. “He believes that the myth of endless
progress through science-powered technology has
run out of steam and that the times are ripe for a
retrieval of first millennium Christianity and its voices
of peace, justice, and beauty.”
Smith
has a
way of capturing both the history and the essence of
the religions he studies and writes about,
emphasizing the inner—rather than the
institutional—dimensions of these religions.
Thomas More urges
readers to "...make it the core of their home library.”
Others have commented that "...he writes about
each religion with care and grace, as if he himself
were a member of each faith.
In a September 19,
2005 interview with David Ian Miller for the
SFGate, Smith said, “I've spent the last 50
years or so steeping myself in the world's religions,
and I've done my homework. I've gone to each of the
world's eight great religions and sought out the most
profound scholars I could find, and I've apprenticed
myself to them and actually practiced each faith.”
To read the full interview in SFGate, go to:
www.sfgate.com
Selections from past Spiritual Literacy
series:
Holy Longings: The Search for a Christian
Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser(Fall 2003)
Listening to the Heartbeat of God by J. Philip
Newell (Winter 2004)
Wrestling with Grace: Spirituality for the Rough
Edges of Daily Life by Robert Corin Morris (Fall
2004)
Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace by
Kent Nerburn (Harper, San Francisco) (Winter 2005)
God’s Politics by Jim Wallis (Fall 2005)
Five Stages of the Soul by Harry R. Moody
(Winter 2006)
Go to
www.transformationscenter.org for book
reviews and a link to other resources.
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Other October and
November
Programs
SOLD OUT!
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The 5th Annual Community of
Caregivers Gathering on Friday, October 6 Spirituality
of Caring: The Rewards and Risks with Dominic
Vachon, M.Div., Ph.D. sold out again! Watch for next
year’s conference and register early.
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Christian Mystics Series
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Thursdays: October 19, November 16, December 14,
2006, January 18, February 15, March 15, 2007
Christian Mystics From Medieval to Modern
7:00–8:30 p.m. O’Brien Room
$7 per session facilitated by Marcella Clancy,
SSJ
More that 50 people attended the first session on
September 21. Here’s what they had to say:
“Exceeded my expectations.”
“Marcella is so well versed in her topic.”
“Very compelling.”
“I enjoyed it immensely.”
“She was excellent.”
“Well presented and quite wonderful.”
Learning about the
mystics can help us to be more open and attuned to
possibilities. Sr. Marcella Clancy has studied mystics
from medieval to modern. Her style is engaging, her
research extensive.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Julian of Norwich and Mechtild of
Magdeburg
Thursday, November 16, 2006
St. Catherine of Sienna and St. Ignatius of
Loyola
Thursday, December 14, 2006
St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the
Cross
Thursday, January 18, 2007
St. Theresa of Liseaux and St. Teresa Benedicta
of the Cross
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Simone Weil and Etty Hillesum
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Song of Songs
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Dreams Workshop
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Saturday, October 28, 2006
Dreams: The Language of the Soul
Laura Smith, SSJ, retreat and spiritual director
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. $40
(includes lunch)
The Bible gives us many examples of dreams as
instruments through which people hear both God and
echoes of their own souls.
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Pray With Your Body As Well As Your Mind
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Friday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m. (check in at 6:00)
to Saturday, November 4 at 4:00 p.m.
Praying with Our Whole Selves
Nancy Diment, Registered Yoga Teacher and Physical
Therapist, and Betsy Meagher, SSJ
$110 includes Friday snack, Saturday meals,
materials and a private guest room.
Commuters $85
Experience the restfulness of a retreat based on
listening to the wisdom of the body.
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On-the-Level with the 12 Steps
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Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Working the 12-Steps: A “Mini Retreat” for Men
and Women in Recovery
Fr. James O’Leary 6:30 p.m. -
9:30 p.m.
$15 if registered before October 24, $18
thereafter.
There are always new levels to explore in the 12
Steps. Discovering these new levels is a teachable
skill.
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