May 02, 2023 06:30 PM - May 23, 2023 08:30 PM
Made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer.
Generous scholarships are available for this course funded by the Trust. To apply for a scholarship, click here.
IDEAL FOR: All levels including beginners
Class Dates: May 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2023
Class Time: Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30PM Eastern Time (US)
Join Gabriela De Golia and Ellie Hutchison Cervantes for a rich and thoughtful exploration of Christianity and Contemplative Mysticism. This four-week online course is designed for anyone interested in Christianity and/or Mysticism—including devout Christians, Christian-curious, folks wishing to heal their relationship with Christianity, or those seeking new ways to engage with their faith and relationship with God.
The term “religion” derives from the Latin words “re,” meaning return, and “ligio,” meaning connection. Religious traditions can support us in remembering and restoring our connection with Self, Other, and the Sacred.
Yet over many centuries, the Christian Church has suffered from, and contributed to massive and harmful relational ruptures. The Church has actively partaken in the furtherance of violent systems such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and imperial colonialism (to name but a few). Because of this, our faith–and those interested in Christianity–are in desperate need of healing and restoring our connections with ourselves, others, and God.
This four-week course seeks to begin an exploration of the following questions: how might we further reconnect with Self, Other, and God? What might a process of remembering and re-membering (that is, piecing back together) these sacred relationships look like? And who in the Christian tradition can help guide us on this healing journey?
Throughout four intentional zoom sessions, we will create a sacred, community-based space to explore these questions. Gabriela and Ellie are skillful facilitators who offer a gentle, kind, and warm environment where all voices are valued. Our sessions will include guided contemplative practices, teaching, discussion, and opportunities for Q&A. We will explore the teachings of numerous Christian and Christian-adjacent thinkers and theologians.
Participants will be introduced to liberation theologies– which emphasizes social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples. Additionally, we will explore Contemplative Mysticism—the belief that God is not “out there” but rather a presence that can be sensed within the body and experienced at any time.
By the end of the four weeks, participants will have learned practices to support them in embodying a liberatory faith and discovered tools to repair their relationship with God, their faith, and themselves.
All sessions will be recorded—if you are unable to join us live you are still encouraged to register and watch the recordings at your own pace! Optional “Fellowship Café”
In between each formal class session, the facilitators will host an optional, virtual “fellowship café.” This will be a space where students can gather informally for an hour to share musings on what they’ve been learning, ask questions that weren’t addressed in class, and talk more about how they’re experiencing the course materials and practices.
Café Hours: Sundays 5/7, 5/14, and 5/21 from 6:30-7:30 PM Eastern Time (US)
Optional “Study Buddy” Pairings
As part of this course, we will provide students with the option of being randomly paired with another classmate so they can serve as “study buddies” for one another. The details of how each pair will go about supporting each other will be self-directed rather than managed by the facilitators. Our hope is that these pairings will help build community amongst the class cohort and provide participants with additional opportunities to integrate course learnings.
Tuition:
$175 – covers all the expenses of the program and supports others who cannot afford to attend
$125 – covers most of the expenses of the program
$75 – covers some of the expenses of the program
Generous scholarships are available for this course funded by the Trust for the Meditation Process! All are welcome to apply. To apply for a scholarship, click here.
Program Format:
Online Course
Skill Level:
All Levels
Category:
Mindfulness, Spirituality
Gabriela De Golia (she/her + they/them) is a white, queer, and disabled spiritual care provider, writer, artist, and facilitator living in Middletown, CT. Having been steeped in Christian, Zen Buddhist, and ancestral animistic traditions of Western Europe, she moves fluidly and joyfully within many sacred landscapes.
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