One of Sarum College’s newest Visiting Scholars, Professor Gillian Ahlgren recently published her book, Faces of Metanoia. There is a fantastic opportunity to discuss the themes of this book with, and learn from, Gillian in our exciting upcoming courses, the information for which can be found below.

Gillian and the Dom Gregory Dix Lecturer in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College, Dr Michael Hahn, comment on the book and the upcoming courses below.

Faces of Metanoia: A Fresh Approach to Exploring Relationship with God

Gillian T. W. Ahlgren

The instinct to explore relationship with God does not necessarily come from an other-worldly place.  In fact, for many of Christianity’s greatest spiritual leaders, turning to God came from a space of lament and even despair, as they sensed how “lost” the human community around them seemed.  Incredible to think that the desire for God is somehow connected with a human gut instinct, in which we sense that there has to be a better way of proceeding, there has to be something more to life than what we are currently experiencing.

In Faces of Metanoia: God’s Call to Life-Changing Relationship in the Lives of Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero, I explore this paradox in the lives of these inspiring figures, identifying the discontent of the human spirit as an “unexpected invitation” to relationship with God.  Troubled by what they saw in the world around them, Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, Dorothy Day, and Oscar Romero allowed their sense that something was not right to lead them to learn more directly from God what might lead to a more humane, fulfilling and sustainable way of living out our humanity.  One of the major points of the book is to show that becoming someone who can encourage and inspire others to collaborate in the work of making the world a better place is not above or beyond any one of us.  The path of metanoia is open and available to us all.  As I state at the outset of the book:

You may not know exactly what the word “metanoia” means, but if you feel discouraged, disheartened, or overwhelmed by life in today’s world, it is quite possible that part of you yearns for it.  Looking out at our world, it is hard not to see the missed opportunities, lack of collaborations, willful abandonment of principles, needless cruelty, and growing fatalism that tempts us to think that there is little we can do to change the reckless chaos around us. (Faces of Metanoia, pp. 11-12)

By exploring successive stages of growth on the path to friendship and collaboration with God, Faces of Metanoia gives us a fresh way of seeing some of the figures who have inspired us before even as it invites us to a way of life that brings fulfillment and joy.  I hope you will join me in an exploration of the lives of Francis, Clare, Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero, as we consider what metanoia might look like today.  You can register for a five-week online course through this material, beginning on June 3.  More information is available here.  You might also consider attending the in-person overnight retreat, “Eyes to See: Turning toward God” on July 21-22.  More information is available here.

Faces of Metanoia: Transforming our Relationships with God and the Entire Created World

Michael Hahn

Gillian Ahlgren has long been one of the leading voices in the study of Christian mysticism and contemplation. Working with a vast knowledge and experience in a wide range of texts from these traditions, Gillian’s attention in her recent writings and her wider work (in terms of leading retreats and pilgrimages and in working with survivors of trauma) asks the questions: what might we learn from these voices?; and how do they inspire us to work for real change in the world? These questions are central to Faces of Metanoia and, indeed, to the entire Christian vocation. As Gillian beautifully teases out through exploring the four voices we hear from in this present book, a call to change is necessarily both about a transformation of our relationship with God and (intrinsically linked to this) a transformation of our relationship with the rest of creation (human and non-human).

By tracing the phases of metanoia through the four remarkable Christians in this book (two from the thirteenth century and two from the twentieth), Gillian provides very helpful windows into their lives, the challenges they faced and observed, and how this transformed their relationships. The book is beautifully written, and is eminently approachable for all, regardless of their level of experience reading the mystics, and (I think) regardless of how connected or unconnected people currently might feel themselves to the Church. The reflective questions found throughout each stage of the book allow readers not just to learn about these four voices, but also to consider themselves and where they might find God. It would also work very well for group study, prayer or reflection. We are incredibly lucky to have Gillian as part of our community here at Sarum, and this online course is a wonderful opportunity both to learn from and be in conversation with Gillian.

Faces of Metanoia is available at Waterstones, Amazon, and bookstores everywhere.