Does it feel like you are pushing water uphill? That your institution (parish, university, committee, or community) will never budge? You see that institutional change is needed, whether due to inequalities, ineffectiveness, or ineptitude, but you are not sure where to begin or how to assess what needs to be done to bring about such change.
On Thursday, 19 January 2023 at 1400 UTC, Dr Elizabeth Liebert will illustrate how systems work to preserve the status quo and demonstrate how the ‘Social Discernment Cycle’ can assist in overcoming this resistance and discern the steps to institutional change. Dr Liebert, Professor Emerita of San Francisco Theological Seminary, member of the Doctoral Faculty at Graduate Theological Union, and a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, has taught for well over three decades on topics such as culture and mission, spiritual practices, and discernment. Her current research centers on aspects of the academic discipline of Christian Spirituality, and, in particular, on the practice of discernment, both personally and in institutional settings.
In preparation for the webinar, be sure to review the introduction to Dr Liebert’s book, The Soul of Discernment: A Spiritual Practice for Communities and Institutions (Westminster John Knox, 2015).
NB: This webinar is a precursor to a possible workshop in the summer of 2023, depending upon whether Society members are interested. A survey of interest will be taken during the webinar.
