PRAIRIE GROUP PROGRAMS/PAPERS
Below is a list of all papers delivered at Prairie Group, since the beginning of its inception. Some papers have links to them and have been saved as a PDF. Other papers may be found in the archives at Meadville Lombard Seminary in Chicago. All papers were delivered except as noted at Pere Marquette Lodge, Grafton, IL.
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Prairie Group Topics
Religion and Art at the 29-31 January 1951 meetings (Thad Clark, Scribe)
“Philosophy of Art” by Jack Hayward; Thad Clark, Responder
Aesthetics: Beethoven’s Third Symphony by Arthur Foote
“Marxist Theory of Art” by Aaron Gilmartin
”Von Ogden Vogt’s Art and Religion“ by Lester Mondale; Robert Raible, Responder
Aesthetics: J. S. Bach’s Protestant music by Max Gaebler
Summary and critique by Leslie Pennington
Myth and Symbol . . . in Religion at the 05-07 November 1951 meetings
“Symbol and Ritual in Culture” by Frank Holmes
“Social Psychology of Symbolism” by Lester Mondale
“Symbolism in Religious Discourse” by Napoleon Lovely
Aesthetics: “The Mass and Its Music” with recordings by G. Richard Kuch
“Practical Applications” byArnold
Westwood
Summary and critique by Robert Sonen
Religious and Social Implications of the Small Group at the 10-12 November 1952 meetings
Religion, Democracy and the Small Group” by Max Gaebler
The Nature of the Small Group in Contemporary America
by Hartley Ray
“The Liberal Church
and the Small Group” each by Leslie Pennington and Robert Raible
Aesthetics: Modern religious music recordings by Jack Hayward
Summation and critique by James Adams
Leadership in Church and State at the 09-11 November 1953 meetings
with a special theme Ministerial Leadership in Principle and Practice
“General Sociological Analysis of the Leadership Role” by Arnold Westwood; Ed Buehrer & Bryan Allin responders
“The Role of the Minister” by Arthur Foote; Randall Hilton & James Hornback responders
“The Role of the Rabbi” [by not noted]
“Abraham Lincoln’s Conception of the Political Leader” [by not noted]
Science as a Source of Verification for Liberal Religion at the 08-10 November 1954 meetings
“A Critical Evaluation of Cohen’s Thesis” by Don Thompson
“Science as a Basis for Values” by Jeff Hornback; John Wolf and Phil Schug responders
“Religion and Architecture” by Jack Hayward and Max Gaebler
Summation and critique by Thad Clark and John Fordon
Democracy as a Source of Verification for Liberal Religion at the 07-09 November 1955 meetings
“The Democratic Faith and Liberal Religion” by Ken Smith; Arthur Foote & Waitstill Sharp responders
“The Democratic View of Man” by Bryan Allin; James Adams & Ed Redman responders
“British Unitarianism, 1955” by Leslie Pennington
Summary and critique by Wallace Robbins and Thad Clark
Jewish/Christian Traditions as a Source for Verification of Liberal Religion: Unitarianism and the Meaning of Christmas at the 12-14 November 1956 meetings
Panel with historical background:
“Non-Christian Origins of Christmas” by Leslie Pennington
“Christmas in the Biblical Story and Its Early Christian Meanings” by Waitstill Sharp
“Christmas and the Reformation” by Chris Moore
“Christmas in Unitarian Preaching and Church Life” by Randall Hilton; Leslie Pennington, Waitstill Sharp & ChrisMoore
responders
“Uses of Myth and History in Liberal Religion” by Jack Hayward; Randall Hilton responder
Aesthetics: “Christmas and the Arts” by Arthur Foote
Is a Metaphysical Basis Necessary to Religion? at the 11-12 November 1957 meetings
“The Relevance of Metaphysics” by Frank Holmes; Lex Crane & Donald Jacobsen responders
“Whitehead’s View of Reality and the Place of Intuition” by John Wolf; Byron Kelham & John Morris responders
“Dewey’s Theory of Knowledge” by Thad Clark; Peter Raible & John Morris responders
“Social Science and the Scientific Method” by Max Gaebler; Homer Jack & Horace Westwood responders
“The Minister’s Responsibility to Interpret to His Congregation What is Happening in Science and Philosophy” by Charles Phillips
Existentialism at the 10-12 November 1958 meetings
“The Meaning of Existentialism for Liberal Theism” by Martin Greenman
“The Meaning of Existentialism for Liberal Humanism” by John Morris
“Existentialism in Picasso” by Jack Hayward
“An Appraisal of Albert Camus” by John Cyrus
“Existentialism in Job and Ecclesiastes” by Arthur Foote
The Meaning of Evil at the 09-11 November 1959 meetings
“The Jewish Tradition” by Napoleon Lovely
“The Christian Tradition” by Alan Deale
“The American Tradition” by Sidney Mead
“The Psychiatric Tradition” by Khoren Arisian
The Meaning of Love in the Human Experience at the 14-16 November 1960 meetings
“Love in the Bhagavad Gita” by Horace Westwood; Thad Clark & John Wolf responders
“Love in the Synoptic Gospels” by Peter Raible; Thad Clark & Napoleon Lovely responders
“Love as Described in the Psychiatric Schools” by Carl Wennerstrom; Thad Clark & Ed Redman responders
“Love as Taught by the Liberal Churches n the Beacon Press Publications in Religious Education” by Vincent Silliman; Thad Clark & John MacPhee responders
Humanism at the 13-15 November 1961 meetings
“Humanism: Origins and Types” by Thad Clark; Jack Hayward responder
“American Humanism through the Manifesto” by Ray Bragg; Randall Hilton responder
“Present Day Humanism” by Khoren Arisian; Jim Curtis responder
“Humanism and the Future” by Ellsworth Smith; Clarke Wells responder
Existentialism and Religious Liberalism at the 12-14 November 1962 meetings
“Critical Review: Part One” by Hugh Kennedy
“Critical Review: Part Two” by Webster Kitchell
“Critical Review: Part Three” by Paul Killinger
“The Meaning in some Current Architecture” by Bryan Allin and Jack Hayward
The Nature of Law and Civil Disobedience at the 11-13 November 1963 meetings
“The Nature of Law” by John Wolf; Richard Nash responder
“Natural Law” by Clarke Wells; Waitstill Sharp responder
“Civil Disobedience” by Chris Raible; John Cyrus responder
“A Liberal Reading of Dante’s Divine Comedy” by Jack Hayward
Summary by Webster Kitchell and Paul Killinger
The Nature of the Religious Experience at the 09-11 November 1964 meetings
“Freud, Jung, Allport” by Arthur Foote; Thomas Smith responder
“Bergson, Whitehead, Hocking” by Waitstill Sharp; Alan Deale responder
“Schleirmacher, Kierkegaard, Otto” by Webster Kitchell; Malcolm Sutherland responder
Cognition and Linguistic Analysis at the 01-03 November 1965 meetings
“How Do You Verify the Content of Religious Experience?” by Alan Deale; Jack Hayward responder
“How Does Our Attempt to Verify the Content of Religious Experience Relate to Religious Language?” by Robert Reed; Frank Holmes responder
“Is There Any Real Content in Religious Language? (or is this merely manipulation of symbols?)” by John Godbey; Emil Gudmundson responder
“Logical Atomism, Positivism and Religious Experience (including; How does religious language effect the nature of religious experience?)” by Kenneth Helms; James Hutchinson responder
Urbanism and Religion at the 08-10 November 1966 meetings
“Secular Urbanism as a Way of Life” by Thad Clark; Max Gaebler responder
“The Radical Christian Response to Secular Urbanism” by Jack Hayward; Russell Bletzer responder
“The Secular Response to Secular Urbanism: a) Progressive Governmental; b) The New Left” by John Wolf; Alan Deale responder
“The Liberal Religious Responses to Secular Urbanism” by Richard Nash; Arthur Foote responder
Report on the UU Center for Urban Ministry in Chicago
by Ron Engel & Neil Shadle
Worship and the Doctrine of the Church at the 07-09 November 1967 meetings
“The Changes Since Vatican II in the Roman Catholic Church” by James Wilkes; John Wolf responder
“Worship: Expression and Exploration in Religious Liberalism” by Arthur Foote; John Cyrus responder
“Private Worship; or Zen Again; or Inward HO!” by Robert Tapp; William Weir responder
“The Radical Christians, Marshall McLuhan and Worship” by Malcolm Sutherland; Fred LeShane responder
Toward a Doctrine of the Liberal Church at the 11-14 November 1968 meetings
“Clues from the Past for a Doctrine of the Liberal Church
” by Joseph Nerad
“To Provide a Beloved Community of Memory and Hope” by Alan Deale
“The Liberal Church
as Community for Social Transformation” by David Johnson
“In Praise of Diversity, or How Many Things to How Many Men?” by Chris Raible
“Winning Men to Ultimate Commitment” by William Weir
“The Doctrine of the Church Emerging from the Ecumenically Oriented Churches” by Max Gaebler
The Church and Culture: Involvement and Transcendence at the 10-13 November 1969 meetings
“The Liberal Church
as the Chaplain of American Civil Religion” by Ron Engel
“Meaning of Transcendence and Immanence” by Frank Schulman
“Who or What is Our Christ?” by Jack Hayward
“Incarnating Our Christ in Contemporary Culture” by Robert Lehman
“Democracy,” “Covenant” and “Dissent” at the 09-12 November 1970 meetings (Jack Hayward, Scribe)
“The Historical Roots of ‘Democracy,’ ‘Covenant,’ and ‘Dissent’” by James Madison Barr; John Godbey responder
“Democracy, Covenant and Dissent in the UUA” by Paul Beattie; Emil Gudmundson responder
“Democracy, Covenant and Dissent in University Contexts” by Max Gaebler; John Cyrus & David Johnson responders
“The Decline and Fall of the American ‘ Roman Empire
by Bruce Clary; William DeWolfe responder
“The Role that the Liberal Religious Institution (Church) Should Play” by Dick Langhinrichs; Robert Reed responder
Festivity and Fantasy at the 08-11 November 1971 meetings
“Homo Ludens in Christian History” by Jim Wilkes; Neil Jordahl responder
“The Role of the Fool in Religion” by Peter Baldwin; Michael O’Kelly responder
“Counterculture as a New Manifestation of Feast and Fantasy” by Bart Gould; John Robinson responder
“Transcendence through Feast and Fantasy” by John Cyrus; Fred Campbell responder
“Feast and Fantasy for Unitarian Universalists” by William DeWolfe; Roy Phillips responder
Preaching at the 13-16 November 1972 meetings
“The Context of Preaching” by Fred Campbell; Charles Eddis responder
“The Current State of Preaching” by Neil Jordahl; Robert Latham responder
“The Case for Preaching” by Roy Phillips; Paul Beattie responder
“Preaching, Free Speech and Responsible Communication” by Robert Reed; Max Gaebler responder
Aesthetics: “The Aesthetics of Preaching” by Jack Hayward: John Wolf responder
Liberal Religious Education at the 12-15 November 1973 meetings
“Dewey, Fahs and the ‘Discovery Method’” by Paul Henniges; Bryan Allin responder
“What is ‘Religious’ about Religious Education?” by Robert Latham; Steven Johnson responder
“Are We Failing Our Children?” by Edward Harris; Maryell Cleary responder
“The Family as a Focus of Adult Planning” by Russell Bletzer; Robert Lehman responder
“Toward Religious Education that Works” by John Wolf; Charles Eddis responder
Greek Tragedy at the 11-14 November 1974 meetings
“Aeschylus’ View of the Human Condition” by Max Gaebler; John Godbey responder
“Sophocles’ View of the Human Condition” by Webster Kitchell; Roy Phillips responder
“Euripedes’ View of the Human Condition” by Jams Madison Barr; Ron Engel responder
“The Pagan View of Greek Tragedy” by Paul Beattie; John Cyrus responder
“A Biblical Response to the Greek Tragedy” by Neil Shadle; Dick Langhinrichs responder
“Tragedy in the Modern World” by Jim Wilkes; Ron Knapp responder
Nietzsche at the 10-12 November 1975 meetings
“Friedrich Nietzsche: Erratic Genius” by Paul Beattie; John Wolf responder
“Nietzsche’s View of Art and History” by Earl Holt; Fred Campbell responder
“Nietzsche’s Existential Thought – Some Second Thoughts” by Charles Eddis; James Madison Barr responder
“The Animal with Red Cheeks: Shame and the Sacred n Nietzsche” by Carl Schneider
“A Theological Response to Nietzsche” by Frank Schulman; Calvin Knapp responder
Adams, Jefferson and the American Covenant at the 08-10 November 1976 meetings
“The Idea of Covenant” by Kim Beach; Frank Gentile responderAdams
Doctrine of Man” by Wes Hromatko; Fred Campbell responderJefferson’s
Doctrine of Man” by John Robinson; Robert Reed responderAdams
View of the American Covenant: a Two Hundred Year Perspective” by John Young; Max Gaebler responderJefferson
’s View of the American Covenant: a Two Hundred Year Perspective” by Steven Johnson; Gertrude Lindener responder
Jonathan Edwards and the New Awakening at the 07-10 November 1977 meetings
“Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening” by Edward Harris; James Madison Barr responder
“The Rationalist Reaction to Edwards and the Great Awakening” by Frank Gentile; John Godbey responder
“The Great Awakening as Narcissism” by Gertrude Lindener; Earl Holt responder
“The Cultural and Religious Meaning of the New Awakening” by Jack Hayward; Russell Bletzer responder
“Does Liberal Religion Need Awakening?” by John Wolf; Paul Beattie responder
Christological Influences on Contemporary Unitarian-Universalism at the 13-16 November 1978 meetings (at Thompson Retreat Center.St. Louis
“The Unitarian/Universalist Rejection of the Christ” by Russell Bletzer; Barbara Merritt responder
“Christology and Liberal Liturgics” by John Cyrus; Ruppert Lovely responder
“Liberal Christianity Today” by Fred Campbell; Neil Shadle responder
“’The ‘New Being’ in Contemporary Unitarian Universalism” by Roy Phillips; Ron Knapp responder
Cosmology and Religion at the 05-08 November 1979 meetings
“Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Cosmologies: Challenge and Support for Religion” by Ed Harris;
Doak Mansfield responder
“Twentieth Century Cosmology: Origin and Destiny of the Universe” by John Godbey; John Robinson responder
“Cosmology and Cosmic Evolution: Is there a Law of Nature?” by Ron Knapp; Michael O’Kelly responder
“Cosmology and the Cosmic Questions: The Implications of Twentieth Century Cosmology for Theology” by Ruppert Lovely; David Maynard responder
Sociobiology and Evolutionary Theory at the 10-13 November 1980 meetings (atThompson Retreat Center St.
Louis)
“Is Religion in Our Genes? The Biological Basis for Religion” by Michael O’Kelly; Frank Gentile responder
“The Promise of Sociobiology” by George Briggs; Charles Eddis responder
“Darwin
’s Descendents: Evolutionary Thought Since the Origin” by Barbara Merritt; John Wolf responder
“A Theological Response to Sociobiology” by Earl Holt; Jack Hayward responder
The Divine Comedy at the 09-12 November 1981 meetings
“Dante’s World” by David Weissbard; Barbara Merritt responder
“Inferno” by Frank Schulman; Gertrude Lindener responder
“Purgatorio” by Jack Hayward; Jay Atkinson responder
“Paradiso” by Charles Eddis; John Robinson responder
“The Meaning of the Comedy for Our Times” by Max Gaebler; Roy Phillips responder
Ralph Waldo Emerson at the 08-11 November 1982 meetings
“The Intellectual and Theological Environment” by Frank Gentile; John Buehrens responder
“Myths and Ministry of Ralph W. Emerson” by Frank Schulman; John Godbey responder
“Doctrine of the Soul” by David Maynard; Lindsay Bates responder
“Individualism/Institutionalist” by Sylvia Falconer; Calvin Knapp responder
“Impact of Ralph W. Emerson on American Culture” by Jay Atkinson; George Briggs responder
Martin Luther at the 14-17 November 1983 meetings
“Background of the Reformation” by John Buehrens; Elizabeth Leavitt responder
“Biography of Luther (The Man and His Ministry)” by Lindsay Bates; Dick Allen responder
“Luther’s Commentary on Romans” by Roy Phillips; Ruppert Lovely responder
“Luther’s Table Talk” by Scot Giles; Laurel Hallman responder
“Luther as a Resource for Contemporary Unitarian Universalism” by John Wolf; Earl Holt responder
William Shakespeare at the 12-15 November 1984 meetings
“Current Themes in Shakespeare Studies” by Elizabeth Leavitt; Fred Campbell responder
“How Tragic are the Tragedies?” by Dick Allen; Marjorie Montgomery responder
“How Tragic are the Tragedies?” by John Robinson; Ron Knapp responder
“The Question of Identity in Shakespeare” by Gertrude Lindener-Stawski; Daniel Budd responder
“Winter’s Tale: Shakespeare’s Answer to Easter” by Paul Beattie; Ed Harris responder
Thomas Merton at the 11-14 November 1985 meetings
“World and Spirit – the Lifelong Tensions of Thomas Merton” by Dale Robinson; Dianne Arakawa responder
“The Social Conscience of Thomas Merton” by Cal Knapp; Frank Carpenter responder
“Merton in the Western Mystical Tradition” by Jay Atkinson; Duke Gray responder
“Looking Eastward” by Barbara Merritt; David Weissbard responder
“The Imitation of Merton” by Daniel Budd; Max Gaebler responderSt. Paul
at the 10-13 November 1986 meetings
“Barriers to Our Understanding Paul” by Frank Carpenter; Earl Holt responder
“Justification by Faith” by Ruppert Lovely; Jack Hayward responder
“Law and Grace for Paul and for Us” by Charles Eddis; Janet Newman responder
“Woman, Man and Nature” by Dianne Arakawa; Tim Jensen responder
“Individual and Church” by John Godbey; Berkley Moore responder
William Blake at the 09-12 November 1987 meetings
“Blake and His Time (biography & context)” by Fred Campbell; Kendyl Gibbons responder
“Innocence and Experience” by Gertrude Lindener-Stawski; John Robinson responder
“Rationality and the Human Spirit” by Earl Holt; David Maynard responder
“Prophecy and Eschatology” by John Wolf; Frank Schulman responder
“Blake’s Religion” by Roy Phillips; Scot Giles responder
Ecclesiology and the Doctrine of Covenant at the 14-17 November 1988 meetings
“Dimensions of Covenant: Legal, Spiritual, Social” by Jack Hayward; Susan Weickum responder
“Implicit Models for a Local Congregation in Our History and Movement” by Kendyl Gibbons; Burton Carley responder
“Covenants of Ministry: Vocation, Profession, Collegiality” by Laurel Hallman; Davidson Loehr responder
“Associational Covenants: Implicit Models of Relationship Between and Among Our Congregations” by Tim Jensen; Leonora Montgomery responder
“The Wider Covenant: Implicit Models of Relationship to the ‘Church Universal’” by David Maynard; Eric Haugen responder
William James at the 13-16 November 1989 meetings
“William James: A Biographical Introduction” by Brent Smith
“The Varieties of Religious Experience: Human Nature and Its Connection with ‘Something More’” by David Weissbard; Daniel Budd responder
“Will Belief and Faith: How Reality Grows” by Leonora Montgomery; Ed Harris responder
“Pragmatism: The Cash Value of Truth” by Dick Allen; Jim Eller responder
“An Hospitable Home for the Human Spirit: Pluralism and Religious Community” by John Robinson; Scot Giles responder
Evil at the 05-08 November 1990 meetings (Earl Holt, Scribe)
“Classical Views of Evil: Judeo-Christian and Hindu” by Burton Carley; Gary James responder
“Psychological Perspectives on Evil” by Daniel Budd; Joan Kahn-Schneider responder
“Illuminations of Evil in Literature” by Ed Harris; Sydney Morris responder
“Evil in American Liberal Religious Thought in the Decades before Niebuhr” by John Godbey; Lindsay Bates responder
“Evil and Ambiguity in American Liberal Religious Thought after Niebuhr” by Dianne Arakawa; John Wolf responder
Feminism and Liberal Theology at the 18-21 November 1991 meetings
“The Feminine Experience in Contemporary America” by Susan Weickum; Mary Moore responder
“Woman and Man in Biblical Theology” by Charles Eddis; Marianne Hachten-Cotter responder
“Competing Views of History: Paganism and Biblical Theology” by John Wolf; Kendyl Gibbons responder
“Feminist Considerations for Liberal Worship and Religious Education” by Lindsay Bates; Earl Holt responder
“The Liberal Church Beyond Male/Female Conflict” by Laurel Hallman; Eric Haugan responder
The Biological Basis of Human Nature at the 09-12 November 1992 meetings
“Human Biology and the Concept of Free Will” by Davidson Loehr; Roy Phillips responder
“Human Biology, Human Nature and Sources of Value” by Berkley Moore; Gertrude Lindener-Stawski responder
“Genetic Engineering: Shall We Breed Salvation by Character?” by Scot Giles; Brent Smith responder
“Is there a Biological Basis for the Sacred?” by Max Gaebler; Ruppert Lovely responder
“Are Cultural and Community Needs at War with Human Biology?” by Barbara Merritt; Ron Knapp responder
Interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures at the 15-18 November 1993 meetings
“Midrashic and Talmudic Method” by Bill Haney; John Godbey responder
“Myths of Origin” by Sydney Morris; John Robinson responder
“The Sagas of the Patriarchs” by Jan Knost; David Maynard responder
“The Epic of King David” by Mary Moore; Calvin Knapp responder
“The Book of Job” by Gary James; David Weissbard responder
Homer at the 14-16 November 1994 meetings
“The World of Ancient Greece” by Leonora Montgomery; Max Gaebler responder
“The Powerful, the Seductive and the Barbaric in Homer” by Jack Hayward; Davidson Loehr responder
“The Hero’s Journey” by Earl Holt; Lindsay Bates responder
“Helmet and Hearth: On Conflict and the Nature of Domestic Relationships” by Brent Smith; Charles Eddis responder
“Salvation in a Tragic World” by David Maynard; John Wolf responder
The Voices of the Female Mystics at the 06-09 November 1995 meetings
“Establishing a Methodological Framework” by Daniel Budd; Marianne Hachten-Cotter responder
“The Medieval Female Mystics: Hildegarde of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Theresa of Avila” by Laurel Hallman; John Godbey responder
“The Non-Western Female Mystics: Mirabai, Rabiah, Lalla” by Barbara Merritt; Bill Haney responder
“A Contemporary Female Mystic: Simone Weil” by Ruppert Lovely; Eric Haugen responder
“A Contemporary Female Mystic: Annie Dillard” by Burton Carley; Kendyl Gibbons responder
The Religious Roots to Our Democracy: Jefferson and Adams at the 11-14 November 1996 meetings
“Context: Jefferson and Adams; Children of the Enlightenment” by John Wolf; Fred Campbell responder
“Context: Abigail Adams – An Insiders Viewpoint” by Eric Haugan; Glenda Walker responder
“The Theology of Jefferson and Adams” by Kendyl Gibbons; Dick Allen responder
“Not Included” by David Weissbard; Cynthia Johnson responder
“Modern Implications: Systemic Affects of the Founding Visionaries” by Roy Phillips; Leonora Montgomery responder
Herman Melville at the 10-12 November 1997 meetings
“Melville in the Context of the American Renaissance” by Charles Eddis; John Robinson responder
“Melville’s Religious Thought from Redburn to Billy Budd” by Gertrude Lindener-Stawski; Jack Hayward responder
“Melville on Race, Class and Gender” by Cynthia Johnson; Mary Moore responder
“Melville’s Impact on American Literature” by Dick Allen; Max Gaebler responder
“Melville’s Relevance to Contemporary Unitarian Universalism and Liberal Religion” by John Buehrens; Ruppert Lovely responder
Reinhold Niebuhr at the 16-19 November 1998 meetings
“Biography I: 1892-1939” by Mary Moore; Berkley Moore responder
“Biography II: 1940-1971” by Danny Reed; Barbara Merritt responder
“Reinhold Niebuhr’s Personal Vision” by Suzanne Meyer; Earl Holt responder
“Reinhold Niebuhr’s Social Vision” by John Robinson; Burton Carley responder
“Reinhold Niebuhr, Liberal Religion and the Free Church” by Jan Knost; Brent Smith responder
Hasidim at the 15-17 November 1999 meetings
“The Heresy of Hasidism: What Was/Is It? (An Historic View)” by Berkley Moore; David Maynard responder
“The Role of the Zaddik in Hasidism” by Gary James; David Weissbard responder
“Fervor in Hasidism” by John Weston; Laurel Hallman responder
“Not Concerned with the Mysteries of Heaven but with Your Life and Mine” by Bill Haney: Daniel Budd responder
“What Can Unitarian Universalists Learn from the Hasidic Approach (Piety, Prayer, Mysticism) to the Holy? What is Hasidim’s Appeal to Religious Liberals Today?” by Glenda Walker; Roy Phillips responder
Rethinking the Unitarian Universalist Relation to Christianity at the 06-09 November 2000 meetings
“The Unitarian Relationship to Christianity to 1960” by Frank Schulman; Earl Holt responder
“The Universalist Relationship to Christianity to 1960” by Dick Allen; Eric Haugen responder
“Unitarian Universalist Inclusiveness and the New Spiritual Marketplace, 1959-2000” by Charles Eddis; Laurel Hallman responder
“Unitarian Universalist Diversity: How inclusive can we be? Are there any limits to what outlooks and philosophies we can or ought to include?” by Barbara Merritt; Burton Carley responder
“Where do we go from here? Have we been true to our heritage? What are the implications for worship, preaching and ministerial education? Should we strengthen or weaken out ties to Christianity?” by Leonora Montgomery; Ruppert Lovely responder
Job at the 12-15 November 2001 meetings
“Pastoral Responses to Job” by Ruppert Lovely; Nicole Kirk responder
“Theological Responses to Job” by Laurel Hallman; Gary James responder
“The Impact of Job on the Jewish and Christian Traditions” by John Wolf; Max Gaebler responder
“The Impact of Job on Art, Literature, Politics and Psychology” by Roger Bertschausen; Gertrude Lindener-Stawski responder
“The Tragic Sensibility in Contemporary Unitarian Universalism” by Daniel Budd; Suzanne Meyer responder.
Ritual & Worship at the 18-21 November 2002 meetings
“What Endures?” by Earl Holt; Mary Moore responder
“Anthropology of Worship and Ritual” by Dave Weissbard; Thandeka responder
“From the Book” by Berkley Moore; Kendyl Gibbons responder
“Elements of Style” by Roy Phillips; Bill Haney responder
“Worship WOW, Worship NOW: Contemporary Worship for Them, For Us?” by Marlin Lavanhar; Danny Reed responder
Neo-Transcendentalism at the 03-06 November 2003 meetings
“To the Root of Things” by Daniel O’Connell; Marlin Lavanhar responder
“Neo-Transcendentalism & Pragmatism: The Search for ‘Spirituality’ in Our Churches” by Roger Bertschausen; Rob Eller-Isaacs responder
“Searching for Neo-Transcendentalist Literary Expression” by Brent Smith; Sam Schaal responder
“Neo-Transcendentalism & Culture” by Gary James; Daniel Budd responder
“Making It Relevant” by Suzanne Meyer; Barbara Merritt responder
Together at the Well: Islam and Liberal Religion at the 08-11 November 2004 meetings
“Pillar I: Kalima – Creed” by Kendyl Gibbons; Bonnie Vegiard responder
“Pillar II: Prayer” by Laurel Hallman; Ruppert Lovely responder
“Pillar III: Zakat – Almsgiving” by Earl Holt; Jim Eller responder
“Pillar IV: Ramadan – Fasting” by Roy Phillips; Danny Reed responder
“Pillar V: Haji – Pilgrimage to Mecca
by Burton Carley; Charles Eddis responder
How Myth and Metaphor Function to Shape the Collective Imagination at the 14-17 November 2005 meetings
“The Grail Quest: Metaphor as Guiding Methodology” by Bill Haney; Roger Bertschausen responder
“In Chapel Perilous: Leadership as Heroic/Leadership as Collaborative” by Nicole Kirk; Brent Smith responder
“The Withering of the King: The King and the Land Are One” by Jim Eller; Bill Sasso responder
“The Center of the Table: What Do You See in the Center of the Table?” by Danny Reed; Mary Moore responder
“The Chalice as Embodied Sacrament: How does word become flesh?” by Jan Eller-Isaacs; Barbara Merritt responder
Abraham Lincoln at the 06-09 November 2006 meetings
“The Man and His Times” by Martin Woulfe; Berkeley Moore responderLincoln
’s Politics” by Eric Haugan; Jennifer O’Quill responderAmerica
’s Original Sin: Slavery & Race Relations” by Bonnie Vegiard; Alan Taylor responderLincoln
’s Virtues and the American Covenant: Theology & Rhetoric” by Brent Smith: Earl Holt responderLincoln
’s Lasting Influence” by Daniel Budd; Sydney Morris responder
Things Commonly Believed Among Us Today at the 12-15 November 2007 meetings
“We Covenant: An Exploration of the History of Covenant from the Mayflower Compact and Cambridge Platform to the Purposes and Principles of 1985” by Burton Carley; Jack Bryant responder
“Conflicts and Covenants in Unitarianism and Universalism 1860-1900: The Unitarian ‘Issue in the West’ and the Universalist Freedom Clause Removal (1870) and Reinstatement (1890)” by Alan Taylor; Kathleen Rolenz responder
“William Channing Gannett: One Man’s Role in Resolving Creedal Issues in the West (Syracuse to Saratoga, 1866-1894)” by Roy Phillips; Kendyl Gibbons responder
“The Use and Misuse of the Purposes and Principles Statement (1985-2007)” by Marlin Lavanhar; Khleber Van Zandt responder
“Things Commonly Believed Among Us Today” by Daniel O’Connell; Wayne Arnason responder
The Radical Reformation at the 10-13 November 2008 meetings
“What’s So Radical About the Radical Reformation” by Khleber Van Zandt V; Earl Holt, responder
“Pioneers of Anti-Trinitarianism: Socinus and Servetus” by Kathleen Rolenz; Bill Neely, responder
“The Mother of Revolution: The Radical Reformation and Its Decline” by Gary James; Josh Snyder, responder
“The Heritage of Unitarianism in Transylvania-
How the Church Survived” by Jack Bryant; Mary Moore, responder
“The Legacy” by Barbara Merritt; Suzanne Meyer, responder
Universalist Theology at the 2009 meeting
“Universalism: a Faith for This, or Any, Time” – Roger Bertschausen No response
“Love Beyond Belief” – Thandeka “Standing on the Side of Constraint”response by Brent Smith
“Heaven within, Among, and Beyond” – Bill Neely Response by Nicole Kirk
Sympathy for the Devil: Sin and Evil in Contemporary Universalism” – Daniel Budd
“Go Ahead; You Know You Want To” response by Kendall Gibbons
“Universalist Call to Evangelism: Testimony as Spiritual Practice” – Jennifer Owen-O’Quill
“Sitting on the Franchise” response by Marlin Lavanhar
Howard Thurman – Meeting of the 2010 Prairie Group
“The Life and Slow Death of Liberal Churches in America” – Sydney Morris
Response by Earl Holt
“Child of God: Howard Thurman’s Social Political Contexts” – Daniel Kanter
“Deep River of Faith” response by Marlin Lavanhar
“What’s Love Got to Do With It? – the Mysticism of Howard Thurman” Wayne Arnason
“Unity with One’s Fellows: Howard Thurman’s Theological Lineage” Josh Snyder
Response by Nicole Kirk
“What Grounds Our Hope? – Would UUism be Relevant to Howard Thurman Today?” Laurel Hallman
Response by Mary Moore
Apocolyptic Thinking at the 2011 Meeting
For Bibliography/Reading List, click here.
Unveiling to the End – Bill Haney; Respondent: Nicole Kirk
Salutary Crises: When Hope and History Rhyme, writer: Rob Eller-Isaacs
Salutary Sacramentalism: Response by David Keyes
“What Are the Contemporary Aesthetics of Apocalyptic Thinking?”- Daniel OConnell
Respondent: Matt Johnson-Doyle
The Way the World Ends; – Reverend Burton Carley
Respondent: Earl K. Holt III
Personal Testimonies: Writers: Kendyl Gibbons, Justin Schroeder, Martin Wolfe
Pentacostalism – Gathering of the 2012 Prairie Group
Prairie Group Assignments
“A Legacy of Ambivalence and Suspicion: Awakenings, Revivals and Spiritualism in 18th and 19th Century Congregational Life” Alan TaylorResponse by Burton Carley
Spirit Filled Worship” Justin Schroeder; Response by Jennifer Owen-O’Quill
“Yes, Let’s!” response by Khleber VanZandt
“Aha! And Awe – Movements of the Spirit in All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa” Marlin Lavanhar
“Aw-Shucks” response by Mark Christian
“The Gospel of Inclusion and the Promise of the Spirit” – Janne Eller-Isaacs
Prayer – November 4-7, 2013 meeting
Note: As the papers are received, the names of the papers will replace the description of these papers. kcr-editor
1. Prayer in daily life. Author: Mark Christian. Response: Thomas Perchlik. (Note: Mark was unable to be at Prairie Group this year. Thomas Perchlik offered the paper and Matthew Johnson offered a response.)
2. Inter-religious understandings of prayer. Author: Josh Snyder. Response: Martin Woulfe.
3. To whom do we pray? Author: Jim Eller. Response: Sydney Morris
4. How does prayer work? Author: Nicole Kirk. Response: Bill Neely.
5. Praying with the people Author: Kathleen Rolenz. Response: Luke Stevens-Royer.
Schleiermacher – 2014
1. Feelings of dependence and freedom. As we know, central to Schleiermacher’s thought is the feeling of absolute dependence. And yet Schleiermacher remains committed to a sense of freedom. Explicate Schleiermacher’s sense of freedom, dependence, and the feeling of religion. Then comment on the limitations of Schleiermacher’s own freedom, according to his biography (recalling that his work was censured) and socio-political context. The author of this paper should provide it to the author of the second paper as soon as possible. Author: Mary Moore. Respondent: Daniel O’Connell.
2. Unitarians, Universalists, and Schleiermacher. The transcendentalists and other early Unitarians and Universalists incorporated Schleiermacher’s concepts about feeling, religion, and freedom for their own context. Describe and comment on how Schleiermacher’s concepts translated into a more individualistic social and religious environment. The author and respondent of this paper may find it helpful to read The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menard, and to review the first paper. Author: Burton Carley. Respondent: Molly Housh Gordon
3. Schleiermacher’s transient and permanent. In On Religion (Speeches) Schleiermacher’s description of religious feeling is mostly without doctrinal content. Yet in his preaching and in his later more orthodox work, God, Jesus, and traditional doctrines take a more prominent place. Reflect on the transient and the permanent in Schleiermacher’s theory, and in particular on the space for religious pluralism and orthodoxy. How can Schleiermacher be useful in a pluralist, and particularly in a non-theistic, contexts? Author: Bill Neely. Respondent: Janne Eller-Isaacs
4. Today’s cultured despisers. Compose, ala Schleiermacher, a response to today’s cultured despisers of religion: the disillusioned, the uninterested, the militant atheists, and, of course, the “spiritual but not religious.” Author: Roger Bertschausen. Respondent: Justin Schroeder.
5. Once More With Feeling. How and if does Schleiermacher’s theory matter for our own spiritual practice and ministry? In our efforts (and should we make such efforts?) to bring a sense of feeling and awe into our worship, small groups, teaching — and our own spiritual practice as ministers — is Schleiermacher helpful to us now? How so? Author: Luke Stevens-Royer. Respondent: Bret Lortie
Aesthetics: Marlin Lavanhar Chaplain: Thandeka
Papers Presented on “Sin and Confession” 2015
Paper 1: A Short History of Sin—How has the concept evolved, especially in western religious tradition? Presenter: Tamara Lebak; Respondent:Aaron White
Paper 2: Sin and Psychology—Why do we feel guilty, and should we?
Presenter:Daniel Budd; Respondent:Thandeka
Paper 3: Collective Sin—If groups can sin, can groups be absolved?
Presenter:Molly Housh Gordon; Respondent:Barbara Gadon
Paper 4: Sin and Power—How does relational context determine sin,with focus on ministerial misconduct?
Presenter: Matthew Johnson, Respondent:Bonnie Vegiard
Paper 5: Atonement and Absolution—How can we deal with the various forms of sin in a life-giving way?
Presenter:Rob Eller Isaacs; Respondent: Ruth Mackenzie
Chaplain: Luke Stevens-Royer Aesthetics: Roger Bertschausen
2016 Prairie Group: African Theology
Our exploration of African Theology begins. This immense topic will be narrowed by our papers and interests. The goal of this course of study is to familiarize ourselves with as much African Theological approaches as possible knowing that a whole continent, with many cultures and religions, and a history as long as the human being is difficult to completely grasp. Below you will see papers with assignments followed by readings. These readings are the required readings for the whole of Prairie Group and tied to each essay (yes it’s different this year.) Recommended readings follow at the bottom of this document. Happy reading!
Paper One: Get us started, what is the scope of the study?What possible pitfalls and opportunities does this course of study make available to UU ministers serving churches? What most interests you? Without writing the other four papers, take us on a theological reflection about the assumptions in ‘African theology’ and how it impacts us today.
- Paper: Danny Givens
- Response: Barbara Prose
Required Readings
- Essay by James Cox: Methodological Views on African Religion (attached)
- Essay by Elias K. Bongmba: African Theology (attached)
Paper Two:Describe African religions and rituals as represented in African literature.Include the group selections of Things Fall Apart by Achebe and The River Between by Thiong’o, as well as other works determined by the paper writer.Describe the beliefs, practices, and social structures that the religious images and descriptions in the literature reflect.
Response: Sydney Morris
Required Readings:
- Things Fall Apart, by Chuinua Achebe
- The River Between, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o
- Essay Chapter 5, “Orality, Literature, African Religions,” by Jonathan A. Draper and Kenneth Mtata (attached)
- Essay Chapter 6, “African Rituals,” by Laura S. Grills (attached)
Paper Three: Explore the unique contribution of African women theologians to a global feminism. What models do African women theologians offer us in resisting patriarchy?What correctives to Western feminism do they offer us?
Required Readings;
- Daughters of Anowa: African Women & Patriarchy or Introducing African Women’s Theology by Mercy Amba Oduyoye
- Essay: Feminist Theologies in Africa by Sarojini Nadar (attached)
Paper Four: Explore the themes of resistance and resilience as they emerge in both African theology and Black Theology in the United States. How does the historical and contemporary relationship between African theology and American Black theology contribute to a vision of liberation in both theological traditions?
Required Readings:
- Prophetic Rage: A Postcolonial Theology of Liberation by Johnny Bernard Hill—(Introduction and Chapter 5 only)
- The Cambridge Companion to Black Theology Edited by Dwight N. Hopkins and Edward P. Antonio ( Pp. 3 – 165 only)
Paper Five: Explore African UU communities and how they interpret UU theology. What are the promises and pitfalls for UU communities in Africa? The paper writer should consider contacting African UU ministers and exploring these topics with them, as well as listening to or reading sermons from African UU’s for perspectives on the realities and possibilities of African expressions of UUism.
Response: Roger Bertschausen
Chaplain: Ruth McKenzie
Aesthetics: Janne Eller-Isaacs
Required Reading:
- The UU World article, “One Tribe, One People,” by Scott Kraft
- Familiarity with the web site, www.icuu.net (particularly the “News Articles” page)
- familiarity with the web site, www.international.blogs.uua.org (scroll through for African UU stories and information),
- “Watering the Seed of UUism in Burundi and Africa.” A sermon by Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana (www.a2u2.org), Jan 12, 2014,
- a sermon TBD by Rev. Mark Kiyimba.
Recommended Readings:
- Chinua Achebe, The African Trilogy (books 2 & 3), N.Y., Everyman’s Library, 2010
- Mariama Ba, So Long a Letter—Waveland Press May 21, 2012
- Johnny Bernard Hill, Prophetic Rage: A Postcolonial Theology of Liberation – entire book
- E. Thomas Lawson, Religions of Africa: Traditions in Transformation Paperback – 1998
- Sulayman S. NyangIslam, Christianity and African Identity – Kazi Publications January 1, 2007
| Paper 1 – A Broad Context of Faith and EmpireIntroduce this year’s topic by elaborating on what “empire” is. What makes it attractive? What are its demands and costs? And how have faith and empire challenged, weakened, and strengthened each other over time.Writer – Matthew Johnson, Respondent – Tamara LebakPaper 2 – Ethics and EmpireWhat are some ethical frameworks and questions for use in assessing, challenging, and replacing empires, empire-aimed institutions, or empire-centered thinking within ourselves? How can liberal religion use ethics to obstruct empire?Writer – Nicole Kirk, Respondent – Gary JamesPaper 3 – Non-Western Understandings of EmpireWestern civilization is not alone in living with and under empires. Similarly, the response to empires has not always come from a Judeo-Christian starting point. What are some of the uniquely non-western responses to empire? In what ways do they differ from, and are similar to, Western responses to empire?“Here in the Heart of Empire” paper by Barbara Prose, “Laying Low and Laying Siege”respondent – Luke Stevens-RoyerPaper 4 – The Doctrine of Discovery and American EmpireAddress the history of United States Imperialism through colonization and westward expansion, including the involvement of our own Unitarian forebears in cultural assimilation efforts. Examine the theological and ideological underpinnings used to justify the genocide of native peoples, and what alternative theological understandings we might access for dismantling colonial structures and assumptions?Writer – Connie Grant, Respondent – “Colonization of the Mind and Atonement” by Rose SchwabPaper 5 – De-colonizing UUismImagine a Unitarian Universalism exorcised of the practices, assumptions, and mindsets of empire. What would it look like – and what would it take – to de-colonize Unitarian Universalism? You may wish to be in conversation with the author of Paper 2. Writer – Justin Schroeder, Respondent – Jennifer NordstromChaplain – Barbara Gadon; Aesthetics – Martin Woulfe |
| Faith and Empire – 2017 RequiredChrist and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times, by Jorge ReigerAfter Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace, by Sharon WelchSeeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society, by Sulak SivaraksaAn Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz”Under Our Charge: The Utes and the Unitarians” by Ted Fetter: http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/river/workshop15/178878.shtml“UUA Board Report and Resolution on the Doctrine of Discovery”: http://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/documents/boardtrustees/rrmc/120109_motion.pdfFaithful Resistance: Gospel Visions for the Church in a Time of Empire, by Rick Ufford-Chase, select the essays that most interest you”This is a Camp of Prayer and Ceremony” sermon by Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen:https://elizabethbuffingtonnguyen.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/this-is-a-camp-of-prayer-nguyen.pdfProphetic Resistance Podcast: “Resisting the Logic and Impulse of Empire” by Rev. Jin S. Kim:http://propheticresistancepodcast.libsyn.com/website/episode-9-rev-jin-s-kimExcerpt from Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun (to be sent)“Spirituality and Liberation: A Buddhist-Christian Conversation,” Masao Abe and Paul F. Knitter (provided)Highly RecommendedNo More Heroes: Grassroots Challenges to the Savior Mentality, by Jordan Flaherty”Indigenous Youth Are Building a Climate Justice Movement by Targeting Colonialism,” byJaskiran Dhillon:http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36482-indigenous-youth-are-building-a-climate-justice-movement-by-targeting-colonialismFamiliarity with resources on the #StandingRockSyllabus:https://nycstandswithstandingrock.wordpress.com/standingrocksyllabus/“The Ideology of Cultured Despair,” (chapter six of A Feminist Ethic of Risk,) by Sharon Welch.God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now, by John Dominic Crossan |
Paper 1 – A Broad Context of Faith and Empire
Introduce this year’s topic by elaborating on what “empire” is. What makes it attractive? What are its demands and costs? And how have faith and empire challenged, weakened, and strengthened each other over time.
Writer – Matthew Johnson, Respondent – Tamara Lebak
Paper 2 – Ethics and Empire
What are some ethical frameworks and questions for use in assessing, challenging, and replacing empires, empire-aimed institutions, or empire-centered thinking within ourselves? How can liberal religion use ethics to obstruct empire?
Writer – Nicole Kirk, Respondent – Gary James
Paper 3 – Non-Western Understandings of Empire
Western civilization is not alone in living with and under empires. Similarly, the response to empires has not always come from a Judeo-Christian starting point. What are some of the uniquely non-western responses to empire? In what ways do they differ from, and are similar to, Western responses to empire?
“Here in the Heart of Empire” paper by Barbara Prose, “Laying Low and Laying Siege” respondent – Luke Stevens-Royer
Paper 4 – The Doctrine of Discovery and American Empire
Address the history of United States Imperialism through colonization and westward expansion, including the involvement of our own Unitarian forebears in cultural assimilation efforts. Examine the theological and ideological underpinnings used to justify the genocide of native peoples, and what alternative theological understandings we might access for dismantling colonial structures and assumptions?
Writer – Connie Grant, Respondent – “Colonization of the Mind and Atonement” by Rose Schwab
Paper 5 – De-colonizing UUism
Imagine a Unitarian Universalism exorcised of the practices, assumptions, and mindsets of empire. What would it look like – and what would it take – to de-colonize Unitarian Universalism? You may wish to be in conversation with the author of Paper 2.
Writer – Justin Schroeder, Respondent – Jennifer Nordstrom
Chaplain – Barbara Gadon; Aesthetics – Martin Woulfe
Required Readings
Christ and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times, by Jorge Reiger
After Empire: The Art and Ethos of Enduring Peace, by Sharon Welch
Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society, by Sulak Sivaraksa
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
“Under Our Charge: The Utes and the Unitarians” by Ted Fetter: http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/river/workshop15/178878.shtml
“UUA Board Report and Resolution on the Doctrine of Discovery”: http://www.uua.org/sites/live-new.uua.org/files/documents/boardtrustees/rrmc/120109_motion.pdf
Faithful Resistance: Gospel Visions for the Church in a Time of Empire, by Rick Ufford-Chase, select the essays that most interest you
“This is a Camp of Prayer and Ceremony” sermon by Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen:
Click to access this-is-a-camp-of-prayer-nguyen.pdf
Prophetic Resistance Podcast: “Resisting the Logic and Impulse of Empire” by Rev. Jin S. Kim:
http://propheticresistancepodcast.libsyn.com/website/episode-9-rev-jin-s-kim
Excerpt from Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun (to be sent)
“Spirituality and Liberation: A Buddhist-Christian Conversation,” Masao Abe and Paul F. Knitter (provided)
Highly Recommended
No More Heroes: Grassroots Challenges to the Savior Mentality, by Jordan Flaherty
“Indigenous Youth Are Building a Climate Justice Movement by Targeting Colonialism,” by Jaskiran Dhillon:
Familiarity with resources on the #StandingRockSyllabus:
“The Ideology of Cultured Despair,” (chapter six of A Feminist Ethic of Risk,) by Sharon Welch.
God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now, by John Dominic Crossan
2018 Prairie Group: Octavia Butler
Program Team: Molly Housh Gordon, Josh Snyder, and Justin Schroeder
Paper #1: An artist’s work emerges out of the life and times that they have lived. Share with us the narrative of Octavia Butler’s life. In what ways does that narrative connect or diverge from the stories and experiences in her novels?
Note: this paper will be shorter (3000 words) than other papers to allow time for programming on Monday evening. (Collected Articles at Octavia Butler’s website may be helpful content for this paper.)
Paper prepared by: Kendyl Gibbons. Response: Mary Moore
Paper #2: Introduce us to Afrofuturism as an artistic genre and address its potential or actual use as a prophetic strategy or tradition.
Paper prepared by: Rose Schwab. Response: Daniel Kanter
Paper #3: Explore the theology – and the theodicy – of the Earthseed Chronicles. What do the characters and their scripture teach us about agency & connection, trauma & resilience?
Paper prepared by: Jennifer Nordstrom. Response: Nic Cable
Paper #4: Explore the meaning of memory and ancestry in Butler’s Kindred. How might our own deep re-examination of our ancestry and the memories/stories of our past, remembered, or reconstructed, help us minister more effectively in the present?
Paper Prepared by: Ruth MacKenzie. Response: Brian Mason
Paper #5: So What? Now What? How might the practices of Emergent Strategy and the theme’s from Butler’s writing live in and shape our ministry (whether community or congregational life)? What old habits and practices might they replace?
Paper Prepared by: Marlin Lavanhar. Response: Ashley Horan
Worship/Chaplain: Rob Eller-Isaacs Aesthetics: Danny Givens
Required Readings
Parable of the Sower (Earthseed Chronicles Book 1) by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Talents (Earthseed Chronicles Book 2) by Octavia Butler
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L. Womack
Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown
Podcast – “Let the Ancestors Speak” from How to Survive the End of the World
Podcast – “The Earthseed Series with Adrienne Maree Brown” from The Lit Review
*Positive Obsession – essay by Octavia Butler
Further Resources/Suggested Further Reading
Collected Articles at Octavia Butler’s website
Entire Podcast Series – How to Survive the End of the World
Bloodchild by Octavia Butler (Short-story collection)
Fledgling by Octavia Butler
Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements by Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha
Think Progress Afrofuturism Article
The World is a Miraculous Mess, and It’s Going to Be All Right, by Adrienne Maree Brown
HuffPo Afrofuturism Article
2019 Prairie Group: Comedy
PAPER #1: “The Task of the Prophet”
Paper – Nic Cable; Respondent – Luke Stevens – Royer
Walter Bruggemann writes, “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” How does the comedian/trickster/court jester use imagination, shock, humor, truth telling to engender a questioning of the current order of things, recognizing our grief, and evoking an alternative consciousness? How does comedy and prophesy intersect?
- Prophetic Imagination-Brueggemann
- Crazy Wisdom
- A Short History of Black Comedy
- Truthiness of Stephen Colbert
PAPER #2: Healing and Humor
Paper – Brian Mason; Respondent – Martin Woulf
The comedian, the joker often surprises us by taking us to places and traumas that are unspeakable. We are tricked into recognition, grieving, tenderness, and strength, laughing and crying all the way. Explore the relationship between healing and humor. Can humor take us deeper into the healing journey?
- Comparing Hannah Gatsby (Nannette), Chris Gethard
- Ali Wong
- Trevor Noah
- Tig Nataro
- People do want to hear those very personal stories
Paper #3: “Where Is the Line?”
Paper – Barbara Prose; Respondent – Matthew Johnson
While an important role of the comedian is to speak truth to power, is it possible to go too far with comedy? If so who decides where “the line” is? Some have asserted it is vulgarity, racist or sexist jokes, or critique of political power during war. This paper will explore what we mean by “crossing the line” in comedy, who determines where that line is, and in what ways comedians themselves are held accountable.
o Louis CK – Joe Rogan reaction
o Anthony Jeselnik
o Michael Richards apology
o White House Correspondents Dinners: Michelle Wolf & Stephen Colbert
o Margaret Cho/Jerry Seinfeld Netflix, Comedian and Cars getting coffee
Paper #4: The Minister as Comedian
Paper – Molly House Gordon; Respondent – Wayne Arnason
Like comedians, ministers stand in front of crowds of people to elicit an emotional response. For comedians that response is laughter; for ministers it is a wider range of emotions – inspiration, sympathy, or joy. Henri Nouwen says that ministers have to be both prophetic and pastoral. Comedians of various kinds have also taken on these roles at times. This paper will explore where the roles ministers take on are informed by comedy and comedians.
Chris Gethard – Career Suicide
Zen Radicals, Rebels and Reformers by Pearl Besserman
H. Nouwen – Wounded Healer
Ron Chernow WH Correspondence Dinner “The role of the comedian”
Readings for Prairie Group 2019
Videos/Clips/Videos:
Movie: Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Trevor Noah’s hour long stand up.) Available on Netflix.
Movie: Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark
Movie: Ali Wong: Baby Cobra
Movie: Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife
Movie: Nanette (on Netflix)
Movie: Career Suicide by Chris Gethard
Movie: Tig Notaro: Happy to Be Here (Netflix)
Movie: Jen Kirkman: Just Keep Livin’
Movie: “Private School Negro,” by W. Kamau Bell
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee S08 E02, Margaret Cho You Can Go Cho Again:
Michelle Wolf’s Full Comments at White House Correspondent’s Dinner, 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDbx1uArVOM
Stephen Colbert’s Full Comments at White House Correspondent’s Dinner, 2006: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X93u3anTco
Movie: Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden (on Netflix)
Clip: The Colbert Report: The Word: Truthiness: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/63ite2/the-colbert-report-the-word—truthiness?fbclid=IwAR1g_Ozv81IP2dgNkxaxnFb3UETtgoNmmqDQqESsRcNrqPO-RPkk2_2_toI
Hasan Minhaj’s Full Comments at White House Correspondent’s Dinner, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHLRj1LaPiQ
Hasan Minhaj’s “White People at Indian Weddings:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNx5tnqD9e0
Ellen Degeneres: “Relatable.”
Books:
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Essential Crazy Wisdom, by Wes Nisker
The Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brueggemann
Zen Radicals, Rebels and Reformers, Pearl Besserman
Wounded Healer, H. Nouwen
Articles:
“Louis C.K. and Men Who Think Justice Takes as Long as They Want It To,” by Roxane Gay:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/opinion/louis-ck-comeback-justice.html
“A Psychotherapist’s Plea to Louis C.K.,” by Avi Klien: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/05/opinion/sunday/louis-ck-comeback.html
“The Weaponized Comedy of Hannah Gadsby,” by Carina Chocano, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/hannah-gadsby-interview-796863/
Recommended:
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
King Lear by Shakespeare
Fun Home by Jeanine Tesori
Wisdom Archetypes: https://stottilien.com/2013/04/03/crazy-wisdom-the-archetype-of-the-fool-the-clown-the-jester-and-the-trickster/
Chaplain – Kathleen Rolenz and Ruth McKenzie will help on Monday night worship
Trauma – Prairie Group 2021
Session #1: Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care and Theology of Trauma
This first session is intended to establish guiding principles for this year’s Prairie Group:
1) In speaking of trauma, we must remember that we can never truly “speak” of trauma. Instead, trauma is specifically a thing that always eludes our ability to express it in words. Because trauma is always embodied, it can’t be understood through intellectual abstractions or through academic, spoken or written language only. It must be felt and performed.
2) We all are affected by trauma in some way. This may take several different forms, including intergenerational, historical/racial, personal or vicarious. For this reason, the topic may trigger physical and emotional reactions that may be unexpected, frightening, and even profound. It will be especially important to be gentle with ourselves and with others, and to make ample space for silence and for opportunities to observe our own physiological and emotional responses. Self-care and care for others’ well-being must take precedence over the rigors and expectations of tradition.
3) A trauma-informed ministry is one that emphasizes the particular over the abstract, renounces the goal of perfection, and decenters the Word to make space for the body, the gesture, and the silence that exceeds description.
Keeping all these things in mind, we hope that this first session will examine AND EMBODY a theology of trauma and trauma-informed pastoral care both through words and through ritual and silence. We hope that this first session will be as much a framing moment of pastoral care as it is about pastoral care.
Some questions to consider: How can we protect our own emotional/spiritual integrity and well-being as we witness the trauma of others? How can we maintain an awareness of our own trauma even as we help to heal others? What is there in our Unitarian Universalist faith that we can use as a resource in the healing of ourselves and others? How is the science of trauma supporting or complicating our understanding of the importance of non-anxious presence in pastoral care?
Paper: Janne Eller-Isaacs
Chaplain: Jennifer Nordstrom
Required Reading:
Serene Jones, Trauma and Grace
Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others (Parts Two and Four)
Fred Rogers, “Disasters: When Children Face Tragedy” syndicated article (1986).
Additional Resources (Optional):
Rita Nakashina Brock and Rebecca Parker, Proverbs of Ashes
Viktor Frank, Man’s Search for Meaning
Shelly Rambo, Spirit and Trauma
Session #2: The Unspoken Voice: Trauma Embodied
Trauma has long been dealt with by western medicine as something to be talked through or medicated. Many eastern traditions, on the other hand, have recognized that trauma lives in the body and is healed through the body. Medical studies now affirm this. How does this dialectic of trauma of the mind (Freud, et al) vs trauma of the body reflect a larger conflict between mind/spirit focused philosophy (Descartes, Augustine, etc.) and body-focused alternatives? How has this dynamic played out within our own UU heritage and in our congregations today? What are the implications for our anti-oppression work and decentering whiteness?
Paper: Alan Taylor
Respondent: Kim Mason
Required Reading:
Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score
Peter Levine, In an Unspoken Voice (ch. 1, 3, 12, 14)
Additional Resources (Optional):
Films: Atlantics (2019); Fearless (1993); Manchester by the Sea (2016); Marnie (1964); Moonlight (2016); Mystic River (2003); Ordinary People (1980); Room(2015)
Non-fiction books: Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery; Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
Session #3 Moral Injury: Trauma of the Conscience
Most often, we associate moral injury with participation in war, but, more recently, the term “moral injury” has been used to describe the experience of medical professionals who can save lives but are restricted by insurance and malpractice worries, those serving in law enforcement, and even citizens of the United States who are implicated in what is happening at our southern border, in our prisons, and among our most vulnerable populations. How can we apply the concept of moral injury to our ministries, whether in a chaplain or parish setting? How are we as religious professionals prone to moral injury?
Paper: Bill Neely
Respondent: David Schwartz
Required Readings:
Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini, Soul Repair
Johann Choi, Re-thinking/embodying Pastoral Theology: Ritual in the Care of Moral Injury in Veterans https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/xp68kg30k?locale=zh(ch. 2 and 5)
Film: Eye in the Sky (2015)
Additional Resources (Optional):
Rita Nakashina Brock and Rebecca Parker, Proverbs of Ashes
David Grossman and Loren Christensen, On Combat
Robert Meagher, Killing from the Inside Out
Konstantinos Papazoglou et al, “Moral Injury in Police Work” Leb, Sept. 10, 2019
Jonathan Moens, “On Top of Everything Else, the Pandemic Messed with Our Morals,” The Atlantic, June 10, 2021
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/06/pandemic-trauma-moral-injury/619129/
Jonathan Shay, Odysseus in America
Aesthetics Session – Trauma-Informed Yoga
Leader: Diana Davies
Session #4: The Healing that Never Ends: Intergenerational, Racial/Ethnic and Societal Trauma
How can clergy help process intergenerational trauma? What is our role and the church’s role in this? What is the connection between intergenerational/racial trauma and the social justice and pastoral work of the congregation? How do we nurture resilience in traumatized populations, including ourselves?
What is there in our Unitarian Universalist faith that we can use as a resource in the healing of ourselves and others? How can we utilize art in developing empathy and an understanding of intergenerational and racial trauma?
Paper: Sydney Morris
Respondent: Kathleen Rolenz
Required Readings:
Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands
One of the following novels:
Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing
Toni Morrison, Beloved
Tommy Orange, There, There
Additional Resources (Optional):
Wendell Berry, The Hidden Wound
Joy DeGruy, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Tirzah Firestone, Wounds Into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma
Sheila Wise Rowe, Healing Racial Trauma
Film: Shoah (Lanzmann); Two Distant Strangers (Free & Roe, 2020); Burning Cane (Youmans, 2019)
Graphic Novel: Art Spiegelman, Maus
Podcast: On Being with Krista Tippett — Rachel Yehuda: How Trauma and Resilience Cross Generations
Television Series: Watchmen (HBO)
Session #5: Cultivating Healing Grace in Our Ministries: Trauma-Informed Liturgy
Classic Freudian psychoanalysis puts the word/language at the center of healing (the “talking cure”); this kind of thinking is in keeping with our Congregational (Puritan) heritage, which puts the word at the center of worship (the importance of the sermon) as opposed to ritual. How might an awareness of trauma influence the way we incorporate ritual and other embodied experiences into worship? What is there in our Unitarian Universalist faith that we can use as a resource in the healing of ourselves and others? This paper shall include an embodiment of a liturgy of trauma.
Paper: Wayne Arnason
Respondent: Kendyl Gibbons
Required Readings:
Shelly Rambo, How Christian Theology and Practice are Being Informed by Trauma Studies https://www.christiancentury.org/article/critical-essay/how-christian-theology-and-practice-are-being-shaped-trauma-studies
Leslie Takahashi 2019 Berry St Essay: Truth Trauma and Transformation
Joan Huyser-Honig, “Trauma-Informed Congregations”
ICTG, Seven Key Traits of a Trauma-Informed Congregation
Additional Resources (Optional):
S. L. Bloom, Guidelines for surfing the edge of chaos while riding dangerously close to the black hole of trauma. Psychotherapy and Politics International. e1409 (2017)
Philip Browning Helsel,”Witnessing the Body’s Response to Trauma: Resistance, Ritual, and Nervous System Activation,” Pastoral Psychology. October 2014
Jill M Hudson, Congregational Trauma: Caring, Coping and Learning (chapter 6 “Worship as a Tool for Healing”)
Joelle Kidd, “A Gentle Invitation to Worship”
Karen Krogh, Love Is the Spirit
Hilary Jerome Scarsella et al, “The Lord’s Supper: A ritual of harm or healing?”
UUTRM Worship Service Elements Related to Critical Incident Response
Videos:
Worship in Times of Crisis and Trauma
Trauma, Culture Care and Public Worship
Other Texts Considered:
Melanie Brooks, Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma
Kelly Brown Douglas, Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God
David M. Carr, Holy Resilience: The Bible’s Traumatic Origins
Henry Giroux. The Violence of Organized Forgetting
Jules Harrell, Manichean Psychology
Carol Howard Merritt, Healing Spiritual Wounds
Alice Miller, Thou Shalt Not Be Aware: Society’s Betrayal of the Child
Fiction and Memoirs: Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; Alison Bechdel, Fun Home; Bernice McFadden, Praise Song for the Butterflies; Toni Morrison, God Bless the Child
Films: Monster (Jenkins, 2003); The Machinist (Anderson, 2004); How to Let Go of the World (Fox); The Fisher King (Gilliam, 1991)
Papers from Prairie Group 2022
Session #1 Sustainable Spirituality: Preaching and Pastoring within Climate Catastrophe
Paper: Matthew Johnson
Response: Eileen Wiviott
#2. Theologies of Climate Apocalypse
Paper: David Schwartz
Response: Sarah Gettie McNeill
#3 Entanglements
Paper: Luke Stevens-Royer
Response: Josh Snyder
#4 Indigenous Perspectives
Paper: Kim Mason
Response: Marlin Lavanhar
#5 Political Theology
Paper: Ashley Horan
Response: Jennifer Crow
(This presentation was offered as a combination of video conversation a between Revs. Horan and Crow, followed by small group discussion. A printed transcript of their conversation was available to participants.)
Prairie Group 