‘Women and the Word’ preaching conference set for June

In celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the founding of the Dominican Order, Dominican Center at Marywood presents a week-long conference and retreat for women, men, preachers, hearers and doers of the Word. “Women and the Word: Preaching with the Mind, Eyes and Heart of a Woman,” is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 11 through Friday, June 15. Each day will begin with Morning Prayer with Preaching. Optional workshops, including storytelling, poetry, photography, music, movement and art, will be offered Monday through Thursday afternoons. Each day will close with Eucharist or Evening Prayer with Preaching.

Major presentations and speakers include:

Preaching with the Mind, Eyes and Heart of a Woman
(Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon)

How can women and men work as partners to bring feminist perspectives to preaching the Gospel? Monday we will explore some of the global realities of women’s lives and the importance of bringing women’s perspectives to the reading of Scripture. Tuesday through Friday, we will explore ways of reading the Scriptures and preaching with the mind, eyes, and heart of a woman from each of the four Gospels.

Presenter: Barbara Reid, OP, Professor of New Testament Studies, Vice President and Academic Dean, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago

Misunderstanding Judaism Means Misunderstanding Jesus (Tuesday, June 12, 7 to 9 p.m.)

Jesus of Nazareth followed the Torah of Moses, found inspiration in the Prophets of Israel, and founded a community of fellow Jews. Yet often Jesus is misunderstood as rejecting Judaism, and first-century Judaism is misunderstood as legalistic, misogynist, vengeful, and xenophobic. Correctly locating Jesus in his Jewish context not only brings new meaning to his parables, his politics, and his piety, it both prevents anti-Jewish teaching and opens a new path for Jewish-Christian relations.

Presenter: Amy-Jill Levine, PhD, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University and School of Divinity. Response and dialogue with Barbara Reid, OP.

Entrusted with the Word (Friday, June 15, 1 to 3 p.m.)

According to Vatican II’s Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, the Word of God has been entrusted to the entire church. This presentation will focus on the share of all baptized persons in the prophetic mission of the church and the charisms given by the Holy Spirit as the source of the authority to preach. Particular attention will be given to the experience of women since the time of the Second Vatican Council and how Dominican spirituality can be a resource for the preaching ministry of the entire church.

Presenter: Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame.

Costs

  • Program Fee: $300 ($360 after April 15, 2012). Includes continental breakfast Monday through Friday at Dominican Center.
  • Lodging: Options range from $22 to $69 per night.
  • Meals: Options range from $50–$90 for the week; Dominican Center can accommodate most special dietary needs.

Register online

Dominican Center at Marywood, 2025 Fulton Street East, Grand Rapids MI 49503. For more information, contact Mary Vaccaro at mvaccaro@dominicancenter.com.