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Mary J.
Streufert, Ph.D. Director, Justice for Women, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America Sunday November 13, 2011 at 8:45 AM – 10:00
AM "Jesus Christ Beyond
the Divide: A Christian Feminist Proposal"
Feminists often have dilemmas over Jesus. These dilemmas are personal and institutional, but at
the root of most of the dilemmas is the problem that the Christian tradition can wittingly and unwittingly not only proclaim
God’s maleness, but also elevate human males at the expense of all others. Christian feminists look for constructive and faithful ways to speak about, understand, and confess Jesus Christ,
and over the last several decades they have created various christological proposals. Positively, feminist
Christians have posed important and crucial challenges to the christological tradition. Nevertheless, much
feminist christology has not yet developed models that are deeply rooted in confessing Jesus as human and divine and at the
same time disrupt an exclusively male God and the correlation to human male priority in religion and in society. Three seeming paradoxes will guide the explorations
of this session: the historical Jesus and the symbolic Jesus; the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ;
and the meanings of “male and female” in current scholarship. Out of these apparent binaries
develops a provisional feminist christology that takes us beyond each of these divisions and is rooted in scriptural affirmation
of identity in Christ through baptism. You can expect some interesting images!
Talking to Goddess
Dr.
D'vorah J. Grenn, Ph.D. presents the incubation and birth of Talking to Goddess:
A collection of blessings, invocations, prayers, chants, oriki, and discussions with Spirit contributed by 72 women from 25
different spiritual traditions. In this workshop women will have the opportunity to read and discuss their favorite pieces,
or a prayer they are just reading for the first time.
D’vorah J. Grenn, Ph. D., is founder and director of The Lilith Institute (1997) and
Voice of the Spirit (1998), a San Francisco Bay Area women's spirituality/study circle and lecture series. She is co-director
and executive core faculty in the Women's Spirituality MA Program and was founding kohenet/priestess of Mishkan Shekhinah
(2007), a movable sanctuary honoring the Sacred Feminine in all spiritual traditions. Dr. Grenn’s dissertation, “For
She Is A Tree of Life: Shared Roots Connecting Women to Deity” was an inquiry into Jewish women’s religious/cultural
identities, beliefs and ritual practices among the South African Lemba and United States women. Her other writings include
Lilith's Fire: Examining Original Sources of Power, Re-Defining Sacred Texts as Transformative Theological Practice (Feminist
Theology Journal, 2007); and “Claiming The Title Kohenet: Examining
Goddess Judaism and the Role of the Priestess” – A paper presented at “Women and the Divine” Conference,
Liverpool and later published in the Women in Judaism Multidisciplinary Journal. Her ongoing work explores the role of the ancient and contemporary priestess and women’s
modern ritual practices. Her class "Protective Magic" -- on amulets and incantations - will be taught in Spring
2012 at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (ITP) in Palo Alto. Write dgrenn@itp.edu for more information. (Books will be available for purchase at the conference)
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Shiloh
Sophia McCloud Shiloh Sophia
is a visionary artist and teacher living in the vineyard lined hills of Northern California who thinks of life as a great
adventure! Her work is dedicated to providing images of beauty and inspiration that invite us to see what is possible for
our lives and encourage us towards our own dreams. Owning galleries and painting has been her full time gig for over fifteen years and
she has represented over 100 women artists. The Shiloh Sophia Gallery is located in Healdsburg, California. In 2006 she founded a school called
Cosmic Cowgirls University, which is also a woman owned company, and creative tribe and community. Shiloh coaches artists
and visionaries and has a certification program for artists and practitioners to teach the Color of Woman Method of Intuitive
Painting and Intentional Creativity. Shiloh is a poet and a published author and her books, cards and prints can be found at many independent bookstores
in the US. She is often known as the Art Doctor or Minister of Sacred Art. You will find her almost every
morning painting in her nightgown while she sips tea in her red thread café studio with her
rascally black kitty Santiago. Paintings: www.shilohsophiagallery.com
Writings: www.ourladyoftheredthread.com
Courses: www.cosmiccowgirlsuniversity.com
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Divine Feminine in Songs and Stories of Faith Communities
by Dr. Jann Aldredge-Clanton Participants in this workshop will explore ways faith communities can contribute to liberation and justice through
including female divine names and images in songs and stories. Author and pastor Jann Aldredge-Clanton will draw from her
new books Changing Church: Stories of Liberating Ministers (includes the story of Pastor Stacy Boorn), and Inclusive
Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice. Through hearing excerpts from stories of “liberating ministers,”
participants will confirm the importance of the Divine Feminine to social justice and discover practical ways to include Her
in the rituals of faith communities. Through singing hymns that include the Divine Feminine, participants will feel the healing
and liberating power of inclusive liturgy. Moving beyond theological theory to ritual experience, we convert our imaginations
and our actions to support a new egalitarian culture. Songs and stories of the Divine Feminine will contribute to a paradigm
for justice and empowerment. This workshop will be practical and interactive, focused on where participants are in the process
of helping their faith communities bring female divine imagery into worship. Jann Aldredge-Clanton, Ph.D., is a feminist theologian, ordained minister, author, teacher, and activist. Currently
she serves as an adjunct professor at Perkins School of Theology and at Richland College in Dallas, Texas, and travels widely
as a conference presenter. She is a founder and leader of New Wineskins Feminist Ritual Community and Dallas Workers’
Rights Board. Jann received the B.A. degree from Louisiana Polytechnic University, the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas
Christian University, and the M.Div. from Southwestern Theological Seminary. For more than twenty years, Jann has taught and
written books on feminist theology and inclusive worship. Her most recent books are Changing Church: Stories of Liberating
Ministers (Cascade Books, 2011) and Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice (Eakin Press,
2011). Her other books are Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions (Wipf & Stock,
2010); Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians (Eakin Press, 2006); Breaking Free: The Story of a Feminist
Baptist Minister (Eakin Press, 2002); In Search of the Christ-Sophia: An Inclusive Christology for Liberating Christians
(Twenty-Third Publications, 1995; Eakin Press, 2004); Imagine God! A Children's Musical Exploring and Expressing Images
of God (Choristers Guild, 2004); In Whose Image? God and Gender (Crossroad, 1990, 2001); Praying with Christ-Sophia:
Services for Healing and Renewal (Twenty-Third Publications, 1996); Counseling People with Cancer (Westminster
John Knox, 1998); God, A Word for Girls and Boys (Glad River, 1993). http://www.jannaldredgeclanton.com/
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"The Unconscious Mind By Design
--How to Minimize 'Serving Two Masters.' "
by Shamana Cea Hearth In a sound-slide show Cea Hearth will
present: - Aspects
of the conscious and unconscious (often referred to as the Masculine and Feminine minds)--guess which wins in the "end?"
- Discovering points of conflict between
the conscious and unconscious minds
- Exploring techniques of easing, even erasing the conflicts to promote harmony
- Utilizing the conflicts to fuel creativity
in the process of promoting harmony
- Spiritual guidance for "mastering the masters, mastering the minds"--creating "single-mindedness"
for easier achieving, manifesting and creating happiness/success
- Participants will improve consonance in conscious/unconscious in the areas
of prosperity, self-criticism and conflict-resolution
Bio: Cea
T. Hearth, M.Ed., Priestess and Shamana, is a National Board recognized educator, and presenter of metaphysical/spiritual
workshops, as a component of her business in alternative healing, Hearthstone Alternative. Previous topics have been internal
dowsing techniques (deviceless dowsing); styles of meditation/visualization, such as Impact Meditation, Inner Temple Meditation,
the Meditation of the Unfolding Fist, and Developing the Panoply of Self, an exploration of psycho-synthesis, embracing the
divergent aspects/characters within the self. Ms. Hearth is also a musician, playing the banjo, guitar, and percussion, with
one CD of original songs, "Hearthsongs," produced so far, and a single song CD soon-to-come.
She is author of several books, including two novels, exploring the bleed-through of a past-life into a present life
(Precious is the Night and Bright Shade and Shadow), and a book of dowsing grids, Dame Apothecary's Compendium
of Natural Remedies. For more, please visit her web-site at www.hearthstonealternative.com.
Kundalini Yoga Friday 11am- Kundalini Yoga
for Stress Reduction Sunday 9am- Kundalini Yoga Pranayam: The Power of the
Breath
Sunday 1:15- Kundalini Yoga Sound Healing Circle:
Explore the healing power o f sound through the chanting of ancient, sacred mantras in a safe and fun group space. All sound is vibration, all life is vibration. The frequency at which
we vibrate, i.e. the sounds we listen to and make, greatly influence our consciousness the quality of our
thoughts and emotions and even our physical health. Kundalini Yoga mantras are composed of basic phonetic
sounds common to all languages and have been used to invoke the presence of the Divine for centuries. No
experience necessary! No musical skills required! Just bring your curiosity and your
desire to be deeply moved and healed.
Alison Newvine became a teacher in order to share her passion for Kundalini Yoga with others. “Through this practice,
I experience the Goddess within myself and feel my heart open into a love for all human beings that is deeper and stronger
than I was able to feel before. I know I am blessed to have received these teachings and to be able to share this sacred
art with others.” She began teaching in August, 2010, completed her training at the Guru Ram Das Ashram in San
Francisco in March, 2011 and is a certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor through KRI (Kundalini Research Intitute). She
is committed to bringing her enthusiasm and love for Kundalini Yoga to as many people as she can, offering her services in
fitness centers and by donation in churches and community centers. SPIRIT-CENTERED CREATIVE WRITING The heart of this workshop is the guided meditation. It creates a calm, centered
place from which we will do in-class writing. Lana Dalberg has been teaching spirit-centered writing classes at herchurch
and other venues for the past decade. She holds an MFA in Writing and a MA in Theology.
Hildegard of Bingen: Medieval Visionary
The progressive Catholic theologian Father Louis Bouyer, in his book Woman and the
Church, wrote, “the mystery of woman…is the mystery of creation redeemed, completed and espoused by God himself.”
Hildegard had much to say about the feminine face of God. In this workshop we will explore Hildegard’s own writings
on this subject to discover the richness of her unique perspective. Was Hildegard a feminist, as some have asserted, or was
she, like most medieval writers, too devoted to a restrictive ecclesiastical hierarchy to be an advocate for women? Rev. Sr. Elena Kelly, OSH, served two terms as President
of the Interfaith Council of San Joaquin County, is a co-chapter leader of Marriage Equality San Joaquin, Vice Chair of the
Peace and Justice Network, and Director of the Stockton Transgender Alliance. She is also the Founder and Abbess of the Order
of St. Hildegard, an intentional community of transgender religious women who are devoted to spiritual growth and social justice.
Binging the Guadalupe into your own spiritual practices Dr. Kimberly Rae Connor A native of Washington, DC, Kimberly Rae Connor attended Gettysburg
College in Pennsylvania where she received a B.A. in English in 1979. In 1981 she earned an M.A. in Literature and Theology
at the University of Bristol, England, and completed her graduate studies at the University of Virginia, receiving a Ph.D.
in Religion and Literature in 1991. Connor has taught
various courses in religion and literature in a variety of settings, including an independent high school, a community college,
a state university, and a liberal arts college. Connor's academic interests focus on African American religious life and cultural
production. She has written two books on African American culture, Conversions and Visions in the Writings of African American
Women (University of Tennessee Press, 1994) and Imagining Grace: Liberating Theologies in the Slave Narrative Tradition (University
of Illinois, 2000) that was selected by Choice as an outstanding academic title for 2000. Connor has received grants for her work from The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities,
The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Jesuit Foundation and The Lilly and Luce Foundations. In addition to her books
she has published articles, reviews, and encyclopedia entries on topics related to African American religion and literature
and multicultural pedagogy. Connor is the board-appointed Chair of the Publications Committee of the American Academy or Religion
(AAR), editor of the Academy Series, a joint publishing venture of the AAR and Oxford University Press. She is also Associate
Editor for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.
Every Wednesday morning, Connor is pirate,
leading field trips at 826 Valencia, a local non-profit dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills,
and to helping teachers get their students excited about the writing.
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