The Festival Center
Upcoming Classes and Events
A Night with John Dear
Please join us on Thursday, March 8 for an evening with prominent peace activist and author Father John Dear. Dear will share excepts from his new book Lazarus Come Forth! How Jesus Confronts the Culture of Death and Invites Us into the New Life of Peace. An author Q+A and booksigning will follow, with copies of Lazarus Come Forth! and other of Dear's books available for purchase from The Potter's House. The Program begins at 7pm.
The raising of Lazarus in John’s Gospel is one of the most dramatic and poignant episodes in scripture. While traditionally read as a story about friendship and faith, Dear shows through his extended meditations how it also summarizes the persistent theme of the Gospel. If Lazarus represents humanity, the story of his raising is about the God of Life confronting the power of death itself, calling humanity to walk out of its tomb—the culture of violence and war—and into “the new life of resurrection peace.” According to Dear, the Gospel urges us to carry on this liberating work of Jesus today: to remove the stone that traps us in violence, to call each other out of our tombs, to unbind one another and set each other free to live in peace. In doing so, we will fulfill our vocations as disciples of Jesus and enter the fullness of life today.
John Dear, S.J., is a Jesuit priest and peace activist whose many books include Living Peace: A Spirituality of Contemplation and Action (Image, 2004) and The Questions of Jesus (Image 2004). Dear writes a weekly online column for The National Catholic Reporter. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Justice for the Mountains: Connecting Our Faith to Central Appalachia
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Every time we flip on a light switch we are connected to Central Appalachia, as much of the energy that powers our homes and workplaces comes from this coal-rich region. And in recent years much of this coal has been extracted through the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining (MTR). MTR not only devastates mountains, forests, and streams; it also harms community health, threatens cultural heritage, and impedes sustainable economic development. Come to learn about MTR from the Central Appalachian citizens struggling to end it and stay for a screening of the award winning film The Last Mountain. Together we will explore ways to join alongside their efforts for justice. Saturday, January 21Conference - 1-5pm Screening of The Last Mountain - 6pm Guest Speakers: |