for Culture and Religion
Where Spirit & Life Meet
Located on the Madawaska River near Burnstown Ontario, the Madawaska Institute is dedicated to exploring life-giving spiritualities and learning to live them out in daily life. Based within the Process Theology paradigm, we are committed to the transformation of society, church and self.
Religion is important for the transformation of society and cannot be left clinging to past formulations of faith and action that worked in the past but which no longer serve us. Institute members are striving to expand our understanding of what it means to be fully human by seeking new formulations of faith and more effective ways of action.
Members of the Institute seek creative, new ways of understanding our world and spirituality. We join with seekers who wish a fresh restatement of faith and action.
John Cobb Jr. has stated our guiding principle:
God’s work is always creative and always transformative; and that wherever creative transformation is occurring God is there.
This means we seek meaning at the interface of science and religion, political thought and social transformation, and biblical thought, interfaith understandings and ecological visions. We use models of organizational transformation, liturgical renewal and personal spiritual development in order to be effective agents in our life and work.
We seek to create a spirituality that helps us live meaningfully, to take ourselves and others seriously, and to form deep relationships in times of social chaos.
The Madawaska Institute offers workshops, seminars and opportunities for personal reflection, as well as retreats and spiritual consulting for individuals and groups. We have expertise in the following areas:
- Process Theology
- Ecological Theology
- Rethinking the Meaning of the Bible
- Interfaith Transformative Dialogue
- Science and Religion
- Jazz and Liturgy
- Preaching
- Organizational Transformation
- Spiritual Guidance
Previous Conferences
Dr. Philip Clayton - Transforming Theology (2009)
Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly -Transforming the Church (2009) Fire & Wind: Progressive, Pentecostal, Process Relational Theology for Church Renewal (2007)
Dr.Rita Nakashima Brock - Saving Paradise (2008)
Dr. John Cobb Jr. - Public Policy and the Common Good (2006)
Dr. David Griffin - Process Theology, Global Democracy & Peace (2003)
Dr.Marjorie Suchocki - Resurrection in a Despairing World (2004)
Upcoming Conferences
Fall 2010: Dr. Jay McDaniel - Jazz, Buddhism and Jesus
Spring 2011: Dr. Bruce Epperly with Dr.Catherine Keller - to be announced
Spring 2012: Dr. Sharon Betcher - to be announced
Director
The Rev. Dr. George Hermanson is a minister of the United Church of Canada serving in Ottawa. He received his doctorate from the Claremont School of Theology in California, his BA from the University of British Columbia and M.Div. in Ethics and Theology from Chicago Theological Seminary. He has studied with John Cobb and David Griffin. His doctoral work was a an interdisciplinary theory of the self as agent using Process Theology, Sociology and Psychology. Since 1978 he has been an active member in the Center for Process Thought and Process and Faith, and he was a member of the Jesus Seminar. With Peter Woods he has developed Jazz liturgies for worship. He has been a parish minister, director of Five Oaks United Church Educational Centre and Chaplain at UBC.
George Hermanson is available for small group workshops and personal spiritual retreats.
Membership
We invite you to become a member of the Madawaska Institute. Memberships help us plan future events and secure quality leadership.
To join: send your name, address, phone number and email to:
The Madawaska Institute
140 Fleming Drive,
Burnstown, ON K0J 1G0.
Annual memberships are $25, beginning January 1. Make cheques payable to The Madawaska Institute.
For more information contact George Hermanson using the Email George link in the left-hand side bar.
