Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Shalem Institute, this collection of experiential and academic essays offers modern contemplative reflections from new and renowned voices in spiritual leadership.
Founded in 1973 by the Rev. Dr. Tilden H. Edwards, Jr., Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation offers retreats, workshops, and groups centered around contemplative spirituality. The culmination of half a century of charitable ministry, this commemorative anthology features essays written by Shalem graduates, as well as current and former board members and program directors. Its release will coincide with the Shalem Institute’s 50th anniversary.
Co-edited by Shalem graduate and board member Westina Matthews, Shalem’s Executive Director Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney, Shalem’s Director of Operations and Online Learning, Soul Food takes an inclusive and contemporary approach to contemplative living and leadership. Designed in alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, this vital book spotlights authors of different ethnicities, faith backgrounds, and gender identities, while consistently centering the development of day-to-day practices designed to deepen engagement with the divine. With essays from notable contributors from Shalem’s past and present, such as Tilden Edwards, the institute’s founder and former director; Gay Byron, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University; and Carl Mc Colman, well-known Christian mystic and spiritual director, this collection looks to the future, set to serve as an invaluable resource in spiritual formation for the next 50 years, and beyond.
Table des matières
Foreword
Valerie Brown
A Note from the Founder
Tilden Edwards
Introduction
Westina Matthews, Margaret Benefiel, and Jackson Droney
Led by Starlight Down a Marvelous Road
Winston Breeden Charles
Part 1: Welcoming and Belonging
God’s Pronouns: A New Translation of a Mystical Classic Invites Us Into the Beautiful Mystery of Gender
Carl Mc Colman
Listening for the Holy
Sarah Forti
Contemplative Collegiality: Caring for the Souls of Black Biblical Scholars
Gay L. Byron
From Censorship to Contemplation: Silence in Queer Life
J. M. Smith
Toward a Decolonising Spiritual Direction Practice: Weeping, Gnashing Teeth, and Opening to the (Ancient) New
Althea Banda-Hansmann
I Am
Joanne Youn
Tell Me about Mary’s Rage
Amanda Lindamood
To Heal What Ails Us: Belonging through Group Spiritual Direction
Melanie Dobson
Part 2: Holy Awe
A Thousand Paths to Contemplation
Westina Matthews
Seeing with the Eyes of the Heart: Social Justice and the Art of Spiritual Guidance
Phillip Stephens
Coming to Our Senses: Embracing Wonder and Gratitude
Leah Moran Rampy
Embodying Contemplative Leadership: Howard Thurman and Feeding the Timeless Hunger of the Human Spirit
Lerita Coleman Brown
Considerations of Recovery, Centering Prayer, and Social Justice Action
Anita-Yvonne (AY) Bryant
What Your Tender Heart Knows
Marcelle Martin
Embodied Contemplation of Deep Time: Resourcing for Spiritual Resilience
Kolya Braun-Greiner
A Contemplative View of Resilient Aging
Elaine Voci
Summer Day of the Owls
Dana Lee Simon
Contributors
Vision Statement 2025
Acknowledgements
A propos de l’auteur
J. M. SMITH lives in Washington, D.C. and enjoys writing at the intersections of social justice and contemplative life.