FALL 2010 CLASSES AND EVENTS
THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: THE REIGN OF GOD AND THE EMPIRE OF CAESAR
Wednesday evenings, September 1 – October 6
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Project H.O.M.E. - 1515 Fairmount Avenue
The Gospel of Luke was probably written for a mixed community that included many socially privileged members who were enjoying the benefits of empire – which means it is perhaps the most relevant Gospel to the North American church. This six-week study will explore how Luke seeks to subvert the claims of Caesar while calling on a community to live out the alternative community of the reign of God. We will look at specific themes of Luke's theology, including social reversals, inclusion of sinners and enemies, forgiveness and mercy, and many radical teachings on money and possessions. We will explore what it means to live out the reign of God in the midst of American empire today. The course will be facilitated by Will O’Brien, coordinator of The Alternative Seminary. The cost for this course will be $40, or whatever you can afford.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Will O’Brien at 215-842-1790 wobrien@alternativeseminary.net by August 15, 2010.
SATURDAY MORNING SEMINARY
The Alternative Seminary occasionally offers Saturday morning sessions on a variety of provocative topics. All of these events will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon at Project H.O.M.E., 1515 Fairmount Avenue and will feature a light breakfast.
PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL
Saturday morning, April 24
PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL is a documentary film chronicling an astonishing and courageous campaign of nonviolence that brought down a dictator and ended a war. In 2002, thousands of Liberian woman, both Christian and Muslim, banded together with a conviction that the violence ravaging their country must stop. Armed only with the power of prayer and their convictions, their efforts helped bring an end to a brutal fifteen-year civil war. This award-winning film conveys the power of women, of grassroots activism, of faith, and of nonviolent peacemaking. After watching the film, we will discuss how this story can empower us in our efforts to bring peace to our troubled world. A light breakfast will be served. A $10 donation is requested to cover costs (though if you can’t pay, please feel free to come anyway!).
SPECIAL EVENT
JFK, Obama, and the Unspeakable
An Evening with Jim Douglass
Wednesday, October 6
7:00 p.m.
Project H.O.M.E., 1515 Fairmount Avenue
What does it mean to be transformed as president of the United States, at the edge of total nuclear war, into a peacemaker? John F. Kennedy’s turn toward peace, resulting in his assassination, provides a parable of the Unspeakable for President Barack Obama and ourselves in the midst of our escalating war on terror. Can we discover hope for our enlightenment and resurrection as one human family through the dark truths of Dallas?
In his powerful book, JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James Douglass explored John F. Kennedy’s transformation from a conventional Cold Warrior to someone determined to pull the world back from the edge of apocalypse – a transformation that led to his assassination by those determined to kill the vision. Only by unmasking these forces of the “Unspeakable,” Douglass argues, can we free ourselves and our country to pursue that vision of peace.
Jim Douglass is a long-time author and activist who has articulated some of the most powerful theology of nonviolent peacemaking through such books as The Nonviolent Coming of God and Resistance and Contemplation. He and his wife Shelley run a Catholic Worker house of hospitality in Birmingham Alabama for homeless families.
Join us for a compelling evening of discussion and reflection on critical issues facing us as people of faith.
To RSVP or for information, contact Will O’Brien at wobrien@alternativeseminary.net or 215-842-1790.