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Sacred Activism
July 14-25, 2008
A choice of weeks is available – see details of the timetable below. Can be taken as a one or two week course.
Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, Andrew Harvey
Participants will develop and understanding of the principals of Sacred Activism. They will discuss visions of the world and how to deal with global crisis through Sacred Activism, sustainable wellbeing, environmental ethics and religion.
Course Overview
The world’s spiritual leaders and religions are responding to the environmental crisis in ways that affect the nature of their ethical teachings and the kinds of projects they support. The potential inherent in the coming together of activism and spiritual wisdom is tremendous, and this course will explore the challenges and the opportunities of such a fusion.
The course is intended both for those who have been or are on a spiritual journey and wish now to become socially active, and for activists who wish to develop spiritual wisdom and compassion to strengthen and inform the work they do.
Teachers
Mary Evelyn Tucker is Professor of Religion at Bucknell University, USA and Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology. She is author most recently of Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter their Ecological Phase.
John Grim is a visiting scholar at the Institution of Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, USA and Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology. He previously taught courses in Native American and indigenous religions, religion and ecology, ritual, and mysticism in the world’s religions.
Andrew Harvey is an internationally renowned religious scholar, writer, teacher, and the author of over 30 books, including the critically acclaimed Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi, the award winning Journey to Ladakh and the best-selling The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (co-author).
Timetable/Course content
Week 1: July 14-18, 2008
Monday Arrival by 1pm. Introduction to each other and College; Gaia theory and Schumacher philosophy.
Tuesday-Friday
Sacred Activism
Andrew Harvey: “The one hope for the future lies, I believe, in Sacred Activism – the fusion of the deepest spiritual knowledge and passion with clear, wise, radical action in all the arenas of the world, inner and outer. We have very little time in which to awaken and transform ourselves, to be able to preserve the planet, and to heal the divisions between the powerful and the powerless. Let us go forward now with firm resolve and profound dedication.”
Andrew Harvey will present his vision of the contemporary world crisis in both its desperate and its positive aspects. He believes that its central, fundamental, and most urgent meaning is to call us all to a new way of being and doing in the world, the way of Sacred Activism. Sacred Activism is the fusion of the most profound and most grounded mystical knowledge, stamina, and peace with focused, wise, radical action in order to support life, preserve the environment, ensure human rights, protect all animal species, and transform the political, economic, and cultural systems that engender war and ensure the continuation of obscene and devastating poverty. Andrew will use his widely publicized documentary film, Sacred Activism, to convey clearly and concisely his understanding of our contemporary crisis and of the birth taking place within it, including the five kinds of service that need to be fused together to create Sacred Activism. He will also describe the Seven Laws of Sacred Activism, those vital principles of intention and practice that express and exemplify his understanding of the wisdom teachings of the primary mystical traditions, east and west. Additionally, Andrew will share his profound understanding of the holistic sacred practices that Sacred Activists will need to ground themselves in, in order to become strong, calm, courageous, and wise enough to remain centered, compassionate, creative, and active in extreme and difficult situations.
Week 2: July 21-25, 2008
The emerging alliance of religion and ecology for sustainable well-being
Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim: The environmental crisis has raised important ethical questions regarding the deleterious human impact on ecosystems, on natural resources, on species extinction, and on climate change. Serious questions are being raised regarding the nature and behaviour of the human in this regard as we continue to undermine the life systems of the planet. Clearly new human-Earth relations are needed. The world’s religions are beginning to respond to this crisis in a variety of creative ways from forest restoration to river clean-up and from advocating alternative energy to seeing global warming as a moral issue. New forms of environmental ethics are arising from within the world’s religions and cultural systems. Discussions this week will explore the problems and promise of religious involvement in environmental issues. The role of theory and practice will be discussed as the religions develop new theologies, interpretations of scripture, rituals, and ethics that respond to the growing needs of our planet and its ecosystems. The Harvard project on world religions and ecology identified many of these creative efforts in their series of conferences, books and web site. See www.environment.harvard.edu/religion
Departure after lunch on Friday.
Can be taken as a one or two week course.
Course Fees
For businesses: One week £1,100 Two weeks £1,700
For individuals, NGOs & Educators: One week £900 Two weeks £1,400
These include accommodation, food, field trips and all teaching sessions.
How to make an application – click here
For further information about Schumacher College please see About the College
New feature – reserve your place now
To provisionally reserve a place for 5 days, email us your contact details and the name of the course admin@schumachercollege.org.uk
We will hold the place for five working days for reservations – three weeks before a course or earlier. After five days we will automatically offer your place to someone else if we have not received your application.
Schumacher College is part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and as a charity (company no. 1485560, charity no. 279756). Registered office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL, UK.