Winter-Spring 2007
Radical Optimism: Practical
Spirituality in an Uncertain World
by Beatrice Bruteau (Sentient Publications, 2002)
"The deepest truth is our union with the Absolute, Infinite Being, with God. That's the root of our reality. And it is from that root that my optimism is derived. I want to look at reality from the root out into the branches, so to speak. It seems to me that situating ourselves somewhere on the periphery, amongst the twisting twigs and the fluttering leaves, gives un an inaccurate slant on things. It makes us identify with what I have called our 'descriptions', but shift our sense of identity to the root, to our real self, to the source of our being in God, and all looks very different. This book is about a way of obtaining this radical optimism by means of contemplation." — Beatrice Bruteau |
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All sessions will be on Thursdays from 10 AM to 12 noon at the Holy Cross Church Parish Hall, 1740 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA. The series fee, including the book and all handouts, is $50 per person; financial aid is available. When arrangements can be made, we provide audio recordings of some of these presentations for the convenience of those who missed them. Click the blue links below as they become available to review the presentations. Be patient while the MP3 files download, as they are large (around 5-6 MB each in size). You can listen through your computer with headphones or speakers.
| DATE | TOPIC | PRESENTER |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 18 | Registration and overview | Alice MacDonald, MA |
| Jan. 25 | Chapter One: Leisure |
Beatrice Bruteau, Ph. D. *video-recorded presentation |
| Feb. 1 | Chapter Two: Stillness Fr. Bennett's presentation, part 1 Fr. Bennett's presentation, part 2 |
Fr. William Bennett, OHC, Mt. Calvary Monastery |
| Feb. 8 | Chapter Three: Meditation |
Mary Sue Anderson, Christian Meditation Teacher |
| Feb. 15 | Chapter Four: The Finite and the Infinite | Beatrice Bruteau, Ph. D. *video-recorded presentation |
| Feb. 22 | Chapter Five: Sin and Salvation Barbara Marx Hubbard's presentation, part 1 Barbara Marx Hubbard's presentation, part 2 |
Barbara Marx Hubbard Fndtn. for Conscious Evolution |
| Mar. 1 | Chapter Six: The Heart of Jesus, Root of Reality |
Beatrice Bruteau, Ph. D. *video-recorded presentation |
| Mar. 8 | Chapter Seven: The Communion of Saints | Fr. Virgil Cordano, OFM |
| Mar. 15 | Chapter Eight: Trinitarian Manifestation | Beatrice Bruteau, Ph. D. *video-recorded presentation |
| Mar. 22 |
Reflections & Closing Liturgy |
Collective wisdom |
Spring Series
"A Spirituality of Heart"
with
David Richo, Ph.D.
David Richo, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist who leads popular workshops at
the Easlen Institute and around the country. He is the author of several
books, including How to be and Adult, Catholic Means Universal, Mary
Within, and his latest book, The Sacred Heart of the World: Restoring
Mystical Devotion to our Spiritual Lives. He lives in Santa Barbara and
San Francisco, Ca.
| DATE | TOPIC | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| May 10 | Sacred Heart of the World Presentation Pt. 1 (Pt. 2 unavailable) |
Devotion to the Sacred Heart has evolved from our childhood images of personal relationship to/with Jesus to a more communal consciousness of Christ present as the heart of the world. |
| May 17 | Restoring Mystical Devotion to our Spiritual Lives Presentation Pt. 1 Presentation Pt. 2 |
Mystical experience is accessible to everyone. The Catholic mystical tradition brought an unusual consciousness to Theology not always acceptable to the official Church. |
| May 24 | A Spirituality and Theology of Life After Death Presentation Pt. 1 Presentation Pt. 2 |
What is the teaching of the Church on life after death? How, historically have we understood heaven, hell, purgatory, as well as what is meant by the "rapture" and resurrection of the body? Where do we go from here? |