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Howard Thurman

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About|Details|What our students say|Tutor(s)|Related short courses

Home Short Courses Christian Spirituality Howard Thurman

About the Howard Thurman course

We often think that mysticism is a thing of the past, that the great mystics like Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich or Teresa of Avila are resigned to times long gone, and that mysticism died in the Reformations, the Enlightenment, or the Quietist Controversy. However, there are important mystical elements of all major world religions today including Christianity, and many 20th- and 21st-century figures exemplify mysticism.

This series looks at three prominent figures who have been described as modern or postmodern mystics: Mother Maria Skobtsova; Howard Thurman and Annie Dillard.

Each session is led by an expert on the figure discussed and will comprise of a 55-minute lecture, a 25-minute discussion of a set text (sent out two weeks prior to the session), and a 25-minute question and answer session.

To book all three sessions (10, 17 and 24 May) for just £24, select the ticket for course #2745 via the link at right. The May 10 session is Mother Maria Skobtsova; the May 24 session is on Annie Dillard.

Our second session is on Howard Thurman (1899-1981), a theologian and social activist who was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. Thurman’s mystical theology was inherently oriented to social action. With his Grandmother having been a slave in Florida, Thurman emphasised that he was conscious of segregation at every moment, with it being impossible for any African American to view mysticism as a way to escape from culture or to transcend differences. For Thurman, the purpose of mysticism was to remove ‘all that prevents God from coming to himself in the life of the individual,’ and ‘whatever there is that blocks this calls for action.’

About the Tutor
Dr Louise Nelstrop is Professor of Church History at the Protestant Theological University and a non-stipendiary lecturer in theology at St John’s College, Oxford. She is an expert on Christian mystical theology and is the editor of several books as well as the author of Christian Mysticism: An Introduction to Contemporary Theoretical Approaches (Routledge, 2009) and On Deification and Sacred Eloquence: Richard Rolle and Julian of Norwich (Routledge, 2019). She is founder and co-convener of the Mystical Theology Network, which organises annual conferences on mysticism around the world.

Book Event

Online ticket course # £10

This is an online course delivered via Zoom.

Available Tickets: 30
The Online ticket course # ticket is sold out. You can try another ticket or another date.

Details

Dates & Times

17 May 2023
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Category

Christian Spirituality

Course code

2746

Other Notes

A three-part series of online webinars.

Each session is £10; or, book all three for £24.

The first session begins on 10 May. To book all three sessions  before the series begins, select the ticket for course #2745 on this page.

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What our students say

Netflix, Theology and Pastoral Practice

Peter Butchers on his MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture student experience

How do cultural tropes, like those found in Black Mirror, help bridge the gap between what academic theology espouses and what the everyday Christian believes? In his research as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture, Peter Butchers explored platonic philosophy, digital theology and eschatology, and pastoral practice around death and dying.

Read more 

Rewarding Sabbatical Stay

The Revd Greg Syler, is Rector of Ascension & St. George’s, Resurrection Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC USA, spent part of his ministry sabbatical at Sarum College in spring 2022.

His account of the experience begins: ‘I loved spending nearly three weeks of my ministry sabbatical at Sarum College earlier this year.

Not only did I rest, and rest well in the comfortable care of the Sarum College staff, I experienced very significant renewal and fresh insights.’

Read more

The Road Not Taken

Sarum Graduate Mike Truman

January 2022

Five years ago, I told my Warden of Readers that I would not be renewing my licence when it expired in 2019, as I thought my faith was becoming too unorthodox for a Church of England licensed lay minister. As someone who knew me well, she challenged me to actively explore what I did still believe. Thus started the journey that ended last August with the dissertation completing my MA in Theology Imagination and Culture (MATIC) at Sarum College.

Read more 

Clergy Study Breaks

The opportunity for clergy to get away occasionally from their own context, to have an overnight stay in the beautiful setting of Sarum College and all that the Salisbury Cathedral Close offers is hugely valuable. All the clergy I have suggested who have spent 24hrs at Sarum College have benefit greatly from the experienced mentoring where they can talk, reflect, think, plan and pray.

The support and encouragement they receive is excellent and has a positive on their on going ministry. This is something the Diocese of Rochester encourages and supports financially in preparation for their clergy preparing for Extended Ministerial Development Leave (Sabbatical).

— Canon Christopher Dench, Diocese of Rochester Director of Formation and Ministry

Retreats and Private Stays

When I arrived, exhausted and sensitive, I was grateful not to be asked by Reception were I came from, whether I had had a good journey etc. That was the kind of hospitality I needed: a non-intrusive welcome that was found in ancient cultures and still survives in some societies today, where the host asks questions about a stranger and his journey only when the visitor has rested and been given food and drink.

— guest on a private stay

Biblical Study Breaks

I just found it very refreshing – as a leader of a church I don’t get as many opportunities to step out and do courses (my fault, not the church!) and so I loved it. I think it was run really well online – which is a difficult medium to work with.

Pádraig Ó Tuama (pictured) was outstanding in his balance of getting us to engage and sharing his learning. Also the quick availability of resources provided by Sarum College Librarian Jayne Downey was excellent.

— course participant, Story Theology: Narrative Approaches to Scripture

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Annie Dillard

24 May 2023

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Mother Maria Skobtsova

10 May 2023

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So Longeth My Soul

28 March 2023

Christian Spirituality Through the Lens of Bereavement This course explores the deep connection between the ...

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