Towards a Loving God
Open and Relational Theology
Facilitated by Rev Nathan DeMay
9:30am - 5:00pm ET | Sunday, December 15, 2024
Workshop Credit Cost: 1 credit (Click Here to Purchase a Credit Package)
à la carte Price: General Public - $125.00; One Spirit Alumni - $100.00
Instead of learning about how God is all powerful, judgmental, and emotionally broken, this workshop will explore the idea that God is the Most Loving; that all of the Universe, including God and humanity, are in profound interconnected relationship; and how these ideas inform our living in positive ways.
This workshop is a radical re-understanding of our relationship to the Divine. It helps us to move from a place of passivity to activity. We become active partners with the Divine in healing, helping, fighting oppression, caring for the Natural world, etc. It moves us away from “serfs” under an Imperial God, to co-collaborators.
You will receive an overview of process theology, explore the ideas of Open and Relational Theology as proposed by Dr. Thomas J. Oord, Dr. Shari Kling, and others, and understand how these ideas can apply to real life, either as ministers or simply caring human beings.
Who this workshop is for
This workshop is for anyone who is interested in process theology generally, and Open and Relational Theology specifically, people who work in caring professions, and social justice agents. This workshop will inspire you to connect your spirituality with your actions in the world, and to frame an understanding of the world that encourages a cooperative collaborative praxis with both the Divine and other humans.
What you’ll explore
An overview of Process Theology
An overview of Open and Relational Theology (ORT) and its application to social justice and change-making activities
The main concepts of ORT and how these ideas affect ideas around praying
The application of these ideas in real life scenarios
What you’ll experience
Register for this one-day workshop to explore Open and Relational Theology and its application to social justice. Together, we’ll explore poetry, centering prayer, workbook questions, and participate in small group sharing and large group sharing.
Following this workshop, you’ll understand how to be the Divine Presence of Compassion and Love in the lives around you, and how to be that Presence in undoing oppression.
About the Facilitator
Rev. Nathan DeMay (he/him) is an ordained Interfaith Interspiritual minister and graduate of OneSpirit Seminary in New York City. He is also a certified Church Executive and has a certificate in Companion Animal End-of-Life Doula work from the University of Vermont Professional Certificate program. He is multilingual and holds a BS in International Business from Illinois State University. Having been enchanted by the natural world his entire life, he loves animals and the environment. Nathan offers ministerial services to anyone needing them in the metro-Chicago area. He lives in the Western Chicagoland Suburbs with his husband, Rob and their wonderful rescue beagles Charlie and Piper.
Where can I access the workshop?
All One Spirit workshops are hosted on Hylo - our online community platform. Workshop access will be provided via email after registration is complete. Please check your spam and/or promotions folders for your confirmation email from One Spirit. You will be guided to create a Hylo account, if you don’t already have one.