TWO EDUCATION OFFERINGS FOR ADULTS – FALL 2008

The Cloud of Unknowing.

During our Chat Fests during the summer, interest grew in exploring more fully the Anglican tradition of prayer and contemplation. Most of us know the great names of the 16th century Counter-reformation (Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, and others), but the 14th century also underwent an explosion of mystical writing. Meister Eckhart, Thomas a Kempis, Catherine of Siena, and others were all developing their teachings about prayer. The British Isles also experienced that burst of fervor, producing four great mystical writers, the most famous being Julian of Norwich and the unknown author of The Cloud of Unknowing. They are part of our heritage as Episcopalians and Anglicans.

So the folks attending the chat fests thought it would be worthwhile to read one of these two writers, and we settled on The Cloud.

The author of The Cloud is full of common sense and humor. Already there we begin to hear the pragmatic, no nonsense voice of the Anglican Middle Way. The “cloud” of the title is the cloud that surrounds God: we cannot “know” God. God is hidden by a “cloud of unknowing.” In fact, we must consciously “unknow” what we think God is. The author says all we can do is shoot our “dart of love” into that cloud, and he adds to that some gentle and practical suggestions about how to go about this. You will find him good company for your pilgrimage.

We will start on 24 September (not 17 September, as previously announced) and end on 15 October. Sessions will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., so those who wish can get to choir practice. Please locate a copy of The Cloud of Unknowing on your own. Johnston’s edition is a good one. When I checked, Amazon had 91 copies, starting at $2.00. If you would like to join us, please come on 24 September having read the first 12 chapters.

Syllabus for "The Cloud of Unknowing"
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Saint Cloud, Fall 2008

Update on Islam, religion and culture

The Christian Formation Committee thought it is time that we did some concentrated work on Islam and on the realities of the Somali community in our midst. I am in conversation with some of the Muslims in the area to set this up.

We will be using a Saturday, 11 October, to get a general overview of Islam: what its precepts and practices are, its history, its goals and values. We will schedule a few Sunday mornings after that to look at more focused and specific questions, such as the Somali practice of Islam and the circumstances of the Somali community in Africa and here. Did you know that 90% of those attending Saint Cloud’s mosque are Somali? It hearkens back to the Roman Catholic settlement of our region; probably 90% of the Roman Catholic immigrants were Germans. National culture gives a religion a specific flavor.

We will also spend three Wednesday evenings in November (5, 12, 19), looking at figures that appear in both the Bible and the Qur’an: Abraham, Moses, Mary, Jesus. In many ways, Christians and Muslims tell the same story, but in some profound and crucial ways we do not. According to the Qur’an, for example, Jesus did not die on the cross: God would never abandon a righteous man and a prophet to such a death. Understanding these divergences and why they exist and what is at stake in interfaith conversation is important, if we are ever to find peaceful companionship with our Abrahamic cousins.