Intensives allow for a more intimate deep-dive into a specific topic. With the fluxuations in religious practices it becomes important for religious leaders to gain an understanding of how we can be interspiritual within the context of diverse society. Thesis topics and proposals will be discussed and practiced for all MDiv students as well as peer-review workshops and discussions. Scroll down for more about this intensive.
Required pre-intensive meetings: Jul 9 at 11:00 AM ET; Jul 23 at 11:00 AM ET; Weekend online component: August 12-14.
Pay to Register Now
Nietzsche famously declared “god is dead, and we have killed him,” but humans the world over continue to pursue or create paths to understanding existence which we have traditionally called “religion.” Western scholars have mainly tended to categorize all such paths into one of what they called “world religions,” even though a large swathe of people and their more fluid beliefs or practices were largely ignored. Even today, theologians, anthropologists, philosophers and even the average person all posit a range of definitions of the word “religion,” unable to come to an understanding which might underpin our discussion of the subject. Codifying such a definition might be useful, but that achievement seems increasingly unlikely given the shifting landscape of contemporary religion. To better understand the society and culture in which Cherry Hill Seminarians live and will graduate, we must examine the phenomena of “multiple religious belonging,” and “interspirituality.”
Peer review is not just the arduous process of submitting a paper for publication just to have it critiqued a million times over before the possibility of acceptance. Peer review is also the process of gaining valuable insights into your research and writing that will ultimately assist you in your thesis development and direction. The sessions at this intensive will examine how to do a peer review for your colleagues and how to accept that feedback from others, in a productive and constructive way. We will discuss, model, and practice a specific guide that can be used throughout the thesis process.
Professors:
Margo Wolfe, Ph.D. – is the Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary. She earned her Ph.D. at Walden University in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and has taught at several universities in her hometown. She has over 25 years of experience leading Pagan groups in Northwest PA and New York and has served in multiple organizations including the Sisterhood of Avalon. In addition, Wolfe has liturgical experience in the larger religious community, has presented at various festivals and conferences such as Sirius Rising and PantheaCon, and is published in several Pagan anthologies. In her spare time, she creates large-scale interactive and immersive art installations with her partner.
Holli Emore, M.Div.-is Executive Director of Cherry Hill Seminary, an international distance education program. Committed to building interfaith relationships, both locally and globally, she serves on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina [until recently] and often teaches public groups about the rapidly-growing Pagan religions. Emore has been a regional resource for law enforcement, victim services, criminal justice classes and others since 2004. She served the American Red Cross as a volunteer chaplain in Disaster Spiritual Care. She is the author of Constellated Ministry – A guide for those serving today’s Pagans.
Keynote Address by Adrian Bird, Ph.D.-Dr. Adrian Bird currently serves as Assistant Professor of History at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte, N.C., teaching courses in history and inter-religious encounters. He has lived in a variety of diverse international settings, including Zimbabwe, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. A particular focus of Adrian’s life journey has been work within and alongside marginalized communities, including the displaced children of Zimbabwe, the Dalits of India, and the neglected children within the United States. Each context has formatively shaped Adrian’s life and work. Adrian and wife Julie, a Pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), have two teenage children, Nathan and Lydia. Over the last several years, Adrian served on the Executive Board and as Chair of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina, an experience which he calls life transformative in many ways. Dr. Bird will deliver the keynote address on Friday evening, August 12.
