Exploring the Evolution of Faith and Spirituality
with Victor Gross, Ph.D
This is the first in a series of classes that will look at the seeds of renewal and transformation in Judaism and other faith traditions; and will be a gateway into the curriculum of the Deep Ecumenism Institute.
Three seminal thinkers of the 20th & 21st centuries sowed essential seeds for the emergence of new reality maps for Judaism, the Jewish people, and Deep Ecumenism.
In this course, we will explore the enduring efforts of each of these spiritual leaders, and examine their foundational – though not exclusive – influence on the unfolding renewal of Judaism.
Martin Buber and his mystical period, his engagement with Chasidism, his efforts to foster what we now call Deep Ecumenism, and his attempts at Arab-Jewish reconciliation.
Abraham Joshua Heschel used an American vernacular to convey the treasures of Jewish mysticism, Chasidism, and the prophetic imperative, evoking the spiritual experience, and giving rise to a new language of practice and engagement in the world.
Reb Zalman took the language of mysticism, the spiritual practices of Chasidism, and the influences of his time period – including feminism, Gaia consciousness, transpersonal psychology and more – to provide possible blueprints for practice for the individual. His engagement in Deep Ecumenism, like Heschel and Buber, gave a generation the impetus to open to other faith traditions.
This offering is the first in a series of classes that will look at the seeds of renewal and transformation in Judaism and other faith traditions; and will be a gateway into the curriculum of the Deep Ecumenism Institute.
Dates & Times
6 Wednesdays, August 17 – September 21
5:00 – 7:00 pm, Eastern Time
(4–6pm Central / 3–5pm Mountain / 2–4pm Pacific)
Rabbi Victor Gross, Ph.D is a congregational Rabbi and educator dedicated to paradigm shifting. He was a founding faculty, Director of Studies, and teacher of Deep Ecumenism, Jewish History, and Jewish Thought in the ALEPH Ordination Programs. He served on the faculty and Academic Affairs committee of the Fox Institute for Creation Spirituality. Victor is the author of Educating for Reverence: The Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heschel.