Monastic Institute 2007 / School
of Theology Seminary of Saint John's University
Each summer the School of Theology·Seminary
of Saint John's University sponsors a Monastic Institute to provide
continuing education and spiritual enrichment for American monastics
and all interested in monastic spirituality and practice. This
year's Institute, co-sponsored by Monastic Interreligious Dialogue,
is devoted to interreligious dialogue. Among the presenters were
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North
America, Kusala Bhikshu of the International Buddhist Meditation
Center in Los Angeles, and Fr. Pierre-François de Béthune,
Secretary General of Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique/Monastic
Interreligious Dialogue.
Welcoming
the Other: A Path to Holiness and Peace.
July 1 -
July 5 , 2007
Saint John's School of Theology·Seminary
Collegeville, Minnesota
Background and Purpose
In October 1973, in Bangalore, India, Christian and non-Christian
monastics came together for the first time in history to talk
with one another about the most basic issue of the monastic life,
namely, the experience of God (or of the transcendent). The success
of this meeting prompted Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli, Prefect of
the Secretariat for Non-Christians (now the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue), to ask Abbot Primate Rembert Weakland
to encourage Benedictines to take the lead in interreligious
dialogue because, as he put it, “monasticism is the bridge
between religions.”
In response to this request from the Holy See, monastic organizations
to promote dialogue were founded in 1978: MID (Monastic Interreligious
Dialogue) for North America; DIM/MID for Europe (Dialogue
Interreligieux Monastique, MID for German and English speaking
countries). Thus, what had been the mission of individuals like
Jules Monchanin, Henri Le Saux, Bede Giffiths and Thomas Merton
was now given institutional status within the monastic world.
Although these organizations have been in existence for almost
30 years, the ministry of interreligious dialogue is still regarded
by many monastic men and women as a work for specialists. This
year’s Monastic Institute is an effort to help monastic
communities see interreligious exchange as an important contemporary
expression of the monastic charism of hospitality that can, indeed
should, be practiced by all who are called to the monastic life.
During the course of the Institute participants will be given
an opportunity to come up with concrete proposals for what they
hope to do when they return to their respective monasteries.
They will be encouraged to report back to MID when their communities
have actually engaged in an act of hospitality to local Muslims,
Buddhists, or members of another religious community. This
information will be featured on MID’s website: www.monasticdialogue.org
Presenters
Schedule
Sessions each
day:
9-12 (half
hour break)
1-4
(half hour break)
Altered
schedule on July 4
Evenings:
Presentations on Muslim and Buddhist religious and
cultural practices.
Sunday, July 1, 6:00 PM
Opening banquet in the Great Hall:
William Skudlarek, MC / Welcomes
from Fr.
Mark Serna (President of MID), William
Cahoy (Dean of the School of Theology) Abbot
John Klassen, Prioress
Nancy Bauer
- Introduction of presenters
- Short presentation by Fr. Pierre-François de Béthune on why interreligious dialogue is so important for monastics
Monday, July 2:
BUDDHISM [at
Saint Benedict’s Monastery]
- What it means to be a Buddhist [Ven. Kusala Bhikshu]
- What it means to be a Buddhist monastic in contemporary America
[Rev. Vivian Gruenenfelder]
Evening: Presentation
on Buddhist meditation practices -
by Ven. Kusala Bhikshu and Rev. Vivian Gruenenfelder
Tuesday, July 3:
ISLAM
- What it means to be a Muslim
- What it means to be a Muslim woman in contemporary America.
Evening Presentation:
The reading (chanting) of
the Qur’an
Wednesday, July 4
*Special schedule
to allow for attendance at the July 4th parade in Saint Joseph
- Hospitality in the biblical tradition [Sr. Sarah Schwartzberg,
OSB]
- Hospitality in the Catholic monastic tradition [Fr.
Pierre-François
de Béthune]
- Contemporary expressions of Catholic monastic hospitality
toward other religions [Sr. Sarah and Fr. Pierre]
- Issues that are more “theoretical/theological” will
be addressed in the question/answer period. Members of
the MID Board especially will be ready to ask questions such
as the following:
- “You have told us about the Spiritual Exchange programs
between European and Japanese monastics. Have these programs
actually help evolve a deeper theological investigation
of such basic issues for Catholics as the centrality of Jesus
Christ or the meaning of ‘salvation’?”
- “How would you answer someone who says we need to be
careful about interreligious dialogue, because our faith could
be weakened by too much contact with people of other religions?”
Evening:
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Thursday, July 5:
SUMMARY AND PROPOSALS
- Questions; observations; concluding presentations.
- Brainstorming and actual proposals for ways in which American
monastic communities can become involved in interreligious
hospitality.
- Lunch (conclusion of the Institute)
Saint John's School
of Theology·Seminary
Collegeville, Minnesota 56321
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