Love that headline. I'm the founder (in 1982) of the Giraffe Heroes Project, a nonprofit that honors people who stick their necks out for the common good, as the magnificent Berrigans so clearly did. There are hundreds of stories of brave, compassionate people at www.giraffe.org. Enjoy!
What a retreat. I just bought Gordon Oyer's book in part to read about your weekend's prototype. (The book also fits nicely with some research I'm doing.) Thank you for the recommendation. If you have the energy and inclination, I'd love to read more about your experience at this retreat and/or in the peace movement.
"As Grace Lee Boggs told us, the time has come to grow our souls.” I'm interested in learning about the growth that happens when we enter public spaces together. I've been impressed by Józef Tischner's remarks about spiritual growth in revolution: “Revolution is an event in the realm of the spirit. Each person has changed. In the new person, there is no trace of the clay from which were formed the former slave, vassal, work force. People cannot, even if they want to, regain their former shape. They now have different bones."
The last two bulleted observations also struck me. Thanks for this report.
Thanks for these kind comments. My experience in the peace movement, I have to say, is pretty much limited to this retreat. (I won't count marching in an antiwar protest in downtown Austin many years ago.) And Kirkridge is practically a shrine to the peace movement, especially from the Catholic side.
I love your quote from Tischner--is this from The Spirit of Solidarity? Pete Davis and I find his reflections on the Solidarity movement to be very powerful--and apt.
And I look forward to keeping up with your good work!
Well, I've done none. I've been part of protests, but not for peace, per se. I'm looking forward to what Oyer's book can tell me about what these four thinkers find at the intersection of faith and protest.
I found that Tischner quote in a terrific book, The Ukraininan Night: An Intimate History of Revolution by Marci Shore. The quote made me wish to read the entire work from which Shore quoted. The book turned out to be Tischner's Spowiedź rewolucjonisty. There is no English translation that I could find, and I know no Polish. I bought the book anyway. Each time I meet someone who knows a little Polish, I mention the book. I don't know why. Maybe I expect them to translate the book for me? I think the book is my idea of a good-luck charm.
I will scout out the Shore book, sounds great. As it happens, I know a guy at U. of Notre Dame, Artur Rosman, who is Polish-American and just published a translation of Tischner's Philosophy of Drama. I want to do an episode with Artur so that he can talk about Tischner and the ethos of the Solidarity movement. I wonder if we could raise some dough and get Artur to translation the book you mention (which Mr. Google Translate tells me means "Confessions of a Revolutionary"). I'd love for Solidarity Hall to publish it!
I recently contributed to Elle Griffin's book project over at The Elysian and, from an investor standpoint, learned about wefunder.com. We could do this if Artur were interested in the project. I wonder how he might see the value of translating what I'll now refer to as "Confessions of a Revolutionary." I'd love to be a part of such a venture.
I've only recently been learning about Solidarity. Particularly helpful has been David Ost's book Solidarity and the Politics of Anti-Politics. What Ost describes as "anticipatory democracy" -- ignoring the rulers as much as possible while modeling an alternative political community -- seems much like Paul's strategy with his Jesus assemblies.
I'm well into that podcast episode interviewing Artur -- enlightening and helpful. Thanks!
Love that headline. I'm the founder (in 1982) of the Giraffe Heroes Project, a nonprofit that honors people who stick their necks out for the common good, as the magnificent Berrigans so clearly did. There are hundreds of stories of brave, compassionate people at www.giraffe.org. Enjoy!
Aha! Now I know where I heard that phrase. Thanks, Ann!
Wow, thanks for sharing this with all of us, Elias. You have a deep and beautiful life!
What a retreat. I just bought Gordon Oyer's book in part to read about your weekend's prototype. (The book also fits nicely with some research I'm doing.) Thank you for the recommendation. If you have the energy and inclination, I'd love to read more about your experience at this retreat and/or in the peace movement.
"As Grace Lee Boggs told us, the time has come to grow our souls.” I'm interested in learning about the growth that happens when we enter public spaces together. I've been impressed by Józef Tischner's remarks about spiritual growth in revolution: “Revolution is an event in the realm of the spirit. Each person has changed. In the new person, there is no trace of the clay from which were formed the former slave, vassal, work force. People cannot, even if they want to, regain their former shape. They now have different bones."
The last two bulleted observations also struck me. Thanks for this report.
Thanks for these kind comments. My experience in the peace movement, I have to say, is pretty much limited to this retreat. (I won't count marching in an antiwar protest in downtown Austin many years ago.) And Kirkridge is practically a shrine to the peace movement, especially from the Catholic side.
I love your quote from Tischner--is this from The Spirit of Solidarity? Pete Davis and I find his reflections on the Solidarity movement to be very powerful--and apt.
And I look forward to keeping up with your good work!
Well, I've done none. I've been part of protests, but not for peace, per se. I'm looking forward to what Oyer's book can tell me about what these four thinkers find at the intersection of faith and protest.
I found that Tischner quote in a terrific book, The Ukraininan Night: An Intimate History of Revolution by Marci Shore. The quote made me wish to read the entire work from which Shore quoted. The book turned out to be Tischner's Spowiedź rewolucjonisty. There is no English translation that I could find, and I know no Polish. I bought the book anyway. Each time I meet someone who knows a little Polish, I mention the book. I don't know why. Maybe I expect them to translate the book for me? I think the book is my idea of a good-luck charm.
I will scout out the Shore book, sounds great. As it happens, I know a guy at U. of Notre Dame, Artur Rosman, who is Polish-American and just published a translation of Tischner's Philosophy of Drama. I want to do an episode with Artur so that he can talk about Tischner and the ethos of the Solidarity movement. I wonder if we could raise some dough and get Artur to translation the book you mention (which Mr. Google Translate tells me means "Confessions of a Revolutionary"). I'd love for Solidarity Hall to publish it!
Here's Artur in action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-yZUyO7TQE
I recently contributed to Elle Griffin's book project over at The Elysian and, from an investor standpoint, learned about wefunder.com. We could do this if Artur were interested in the project. I wonder how he might see the value of translating what I'll now refer to as "Confessions of a Revolutionary." I'd love to be a part of such a venture.
I've only recently been learning about Solidarity. Particularly helpful has been David Ost's book Solidarity and the Politics of Anti-Politics. What Ost describes as "anticipatory democracy" -- ignoring the rulers as much as possible while modeling an alternative political community -- seems much like Paul's strategy with his Jesus assemblies.
I'm well into that podcast episode interviewing Artur -- enlightening and helpful. Thanks!