Pacific School of Religion

 
Welcome • Courses • Instructors
Registration & More • Events & Worship

Saturday Workshop

Unleashing the Within: Spoken Word Poetry as Creative Arts Ministry
Lindsay, Richard; Evans, Mahsea; Peach, Rob
Dates & Times:  Saturday, July 13 (1 day), 10:00am - 4:00pm
Credits:  0.5 CEUs (5 contact hours)
Cost: NEW - OFFERED FOR FREE!  Donations welcome at the door.

Description: Spoken word is a form of rhythmic poetry based in hip-hop culture that is one of the most dynamic and important literary expressions of the new century. Often practiced in “poetry slams” at coffee shops, bookstores, and bars across the country, the community of spoken word transcends boundaries of race, class, ethnicity, age, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This workshop will examine the tradition, history, and practice of spoken word poetry as a means of creative ministry. The workshop is particularly recommended for anyone who works with youth and young adults as a way of understanding the rhythm of the younger generation. Workshop participants will develop their own rhyming style and perform for each other in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. No previous writing, speaking, or performing experience is necessary. Jump in, grab the mic, and surprise yourself with the power of your own voice!

Tuesday Night Talks

Tuesdays, PSR Campus, 7:00-9:00pm
Free and open to the public

We are excited to be able to welcome the general public to our campus for a series of lectures and conversations given by distinguished members of this year's Summer Session faculty and special guests.

The "Talks" will be held on Tuesday nights during Summer Session. They are free of charge, and open to the public. Receptions at 7:00pm (all welcome) and talks from 7:30-9:00pm.

July 2: Victoria Kolakowski

The Courtroom as Praxis: Reflections of a Seminary Educated Judge

Judge Victoria Kolakowski reflects upon her experiences as a superior court judge in California and how her education at PSR has supported and informed her in performing her judicial duties.

Victoria Kolakowski earned master’s degrees in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, public administration and divinity. She received a law degree from Louisiana State University. In 1990, Kolakowski moved to Berkeley, California. She served on the Oakland Budget Advisory Committee and was an administrative law judge for the California Public Utilities Commission. In 1994, the East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club named her Woman of the Year. In 1995, she received the Outstanding Woman of Berkeley Award. Kolakowski is the first openly transgender person to be elected a trial judge in the United States. In 2010, she campaigned for a judgeship on the Superior Court of Alameda County, California. She won by 10,000 votes. Her victory was significant, not only for the transgender community, but also for women, who occupy a small percentage of judgeships. She received Equality California’s Equality and Justice Award.

July 9: Jim Mitulski

This Is My Body... These Are Our Bodies: Eucharist as a Revolutionary Act

The first phrase ("This Is My Body") is the foundation for the Eucharist, the central act of Christian Worship.  What does worship, community Christianity look like when the second phrase ("These Are Our Bodies") is reverenced with the same fervor as the first?  All bodies are sacred - the female body, the male body, bodies of all colors and classes, transgender bodies, HIV-negative and HIV positive bodies, the migrant body and the settled body - to name just a few examples of bodies of sacred worth. Come celebrate the Body in this talk about Eucharist as a Revolutionary Act.

Rev. Jim Mitulski is PSR's co-director of worship and a campus pastor, as well as being pastor of New Spirit Community Church (www.newspiritchurch.org) which meets in the PSR chapel. Jim has been a pastor for 27 years, serving churches in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as being a Merrill Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School. He was pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco during the AIDS years from 1985-2000 and performed many weddings, in addition to many funerals. He holds a BA from Columbia University, an M.Div. from PSR, and an honorary doctorate in sacred theology from Starr King School for the Ministry.

July 16: Gene Robinson

Finding Your Prophetic Voice

The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, and graduated from the University of the South with a B.A. in American studies and history. He completed the MDiv degree in 1973 at the General Theological Seminary in New York, and was ordained deacon and then priest, serving as curate at Christ Church, Ridgewood, NJ. Robinson is a Senior Fellow at American Progress. He was elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire in 2003, having served as Canon to the Ordinary (assistant to the bishop) for nearly eighteen years.  He retired as bishop in 2013.

July 23: Miguel De La Torre

 What Would Jesus Eat?  Confessions of a Christian Vegan

Much have been written on eating healthy; but few examine how our Western American diet is causing hunger and oppression in the Global South.  This public lecture will concentrate on the global consequences of a meat-base diet - specifically to the world's bio-diversity, environment, land usage, and water rights.    

The Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado was elected President of the Society of Christian Ethics in 2012. Dr. De La Torre has been an expert commentator concerning ethical issues (mainly Hispanic religiosity, LGBT civil rights, and immigration rights) on several local, national, and international media outlets. A scholar-activist, Dr. De La Torre has written numerous articles in popular media. He writes a monthly column for Ethics Daily that continuously creates controversies for his unique approach of religiously analyzing social issues from the perspective of the dispossessed and disenfranchised.

July 30: Tafa Muasau

The Establishment of Methodism in the Samoan Islands & Ancient Ties between Samoa and Tonga

In this lecture the presenter attempts to establish that there were ties between the two island groups: that inter land voyaging was possible in the ancient past and the ties between the two Island groups contributed towards the arrival, the acceptance and the establishment of Methodism in the Samoan Islands.

Dr. Muasau is president of Kanana Fou Theological Seminary in American Samoa.  He is an important figure in theological education in Oceania and has been active in the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) Pacific branch for many years.  He is also a strong supporter of women’s leadership in the church.  Dr. Muasau holds a BD and MTh from Pacific Theological College.

August 6: Dwight Hopkins

Mapping Being Human: Black, USA, and China

This lecture draws on three sources to discern what are the possible characteristics to faciliate healthy being human today. Looking at African American folk tales, foundational western notions, and traditional Chinese perspectives, we will map the fluid components of being healthy community and healthy individuality in contemporary and global realities.

Dwight Hopkins is Director of MA Studies and Professor of Theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has authored Being Human: race, culture, and religion and Shoes That Fit Our Feet: sources for a constructive black theology. After graduating from public schools in Richmond, VA, Hopkins attended the 8th to the 12th grades at Groton School (an Episcopalian, all-boys boarding school); Harvard University (BA); Union Theological Seminary, New York (M.Div., M.Phil, Ph.D.); and University of Cape Town, South Africa (Ph.D.) He is ordained in the American Baptist denomination.

Listen to 2012 Tuesday Night Talks:
Peter Schneck
Hubert Locke
John Shelby Spong
Bob Johansen
Vivian Chavez
Devin Zuber
John Shelby Spong, David Hollinger, & Byron Williams

Listen to 2011 Tuesday Night Talks:
Mary Hunt
Debra Haffner
Yvette Flunder
Angel Mendez-Montoya
Rosemary Radford Ruether

PSR South Bay Summer Lecture Series at FCC San Jose

July 18, August 8, & August 22 at First Congregational Church of San Jose.
Talks from 7:30-9:00pm with a reception to be held afterwards (all welcome).

First Congregational Church of San Jose
1980 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California

We are excited to begin offering summer programming for the general public in the South Bay.  Join us for a short series of lectures and conversations given by distinguished members of PSR's Summer Session faculty and special guests.

The talks will be held on Thursday nights at 7:30pm during Summer Session. They are
free of charge, and open to the public, with receptions following the talks.

July 18: Jim Mitulski

Liberation Liturgies

Rev. Jim Mitulski is PSR's co-director of worship and a campus pastor, as well as being pastor of New Spirit Community Church (www.newspiritchurch.org) which meets in the PSR chapel.  Jim has been a pastor for 27 years, serving churches in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as being a Merrill Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School. He was pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco during the AIDS years from 1985-2000 and performed many weddings, in addition to many funerals.  He holds a BA from Columbia University, an M.Div. from PSR, an honorary doctorate in sacred theology from Starr King School for the Ministry.

August 8: Karen McClintock

Living Shamelessly

Karen A. McClintock, M.Div, Ph.D is a psychologist specializing in shame recovery. She teaches in the psychology department at Southern Oregon University. She is a national lecturer and workshop leader on shame and grace, healthy relationships, and sexual abuse prevention. Her books on shame recovery include a new book Shame-Less Lives, Grace-full Congregations, and her previous book Sexual Shame: An Urgent Call to Healing (Fortress Press).  She is an ordained United Methodist clergyperson with a passion for religious diversity and sexual diversity. Her passion is to rid people of debilitating shame, much of which is taught in religious ideologies and institutions. More information is available at: www.healthycongregation.com

August 22: Ann Jefferson

Singing the Dream: Spirituals & Gospel Music in the Civil Rights Movement

Rev. Ann Jefferson, a 33-year resident of the Bay Area, currently works as Program Coordinator of the Theological Education for Leadership (TEL) Program at Pacific School of Religion and co-director of Worship. Beyond PSR, Ann serves as Associate Pastor of Worship & Liturgy at City of Refuge UCC in San Francisco and has served as a musician and music director of several congregations throughout the Bay area. She brings 30+ years’ experience to her study and teaching of the history of African-American sacred music. She has taught numerous seminars in this subject area including: collaborative workshops with Linda Tillery (founder and artistic director of the Cultural Heritage Choir), several PSR courses, and a seminar on African-American women hymn and gospel pioneers at the 2010 annual conference of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada.

Additionally, she was a key planner of the African-American hymn festival for the Society’s conference held in Berkeley in 2008. In August 2010, she received a Heritage Keepers’ Award from the Friends of the Negro Spirituals.  Rev. Jefferson enjoys working with circles of learning and leadership to inspire hearts toward greater reflection, worship, and transformative action. She is also passionate about preaching and creating sacred liturgies and liturgical items customized for a variety of congregational, family, and community settings. This year it is her goal to engage in more of this creative work through her own venture, Rhythms of Grace Creations and she is planning to conduct more concerts in the future.