Adult Education

ADULT EDUCATION is a forum devoted to spiritual investigations. These programs run on the school calendar. For information or suggestions, contact Dan Beaupre, An Duclos, Diane Nancelivell, or Meg Vittum. Our programs run on the school calendar year and are generally held 9 am, Sunday mornings in the Upper Meeting Room at St. Stephen’s Church.

Sunday, February 2, 9 am

“Forgiveness and Politics”

by Ben Beese

DO WE HAVE TO FORGIVE POLITICIANS “seven times seven times?” Or should we say, with former president Bush, “Fool me once . . . you can’t get fooled again?” In her classic work of political theory, The Human Condition, Hannah Arendt described forgiveness as “a miracle” and one of two elements that make human society possible. 

FORMER ST. STEPHEN’S PARISHIONER and current PhD student, Ben Beese, will share his research on Arendt and lead a discussion about the role of forgiveness in our politics and culture today. Attendees are invited (but not required!) to read pp. 236-243 of The Human Condition, click here: 

https://archive.org/details/ArendtHannahTheHumanCondition2nd1998_201703).

Come with questions about the limits or applicability of forgiveness to politics in the world today.  

What’s Ahead…

4 Sundays, Feb 16, 23, March 16, and 23, at 4 pm: “Four Hebrew Prophets,” by Shalom Goldman of Middlebury College. We will study four biblical books, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah and consider the relevance of their teachings for our times.

2 Sundays, March 2, April 6, at 9 am: “Words of Faith,” by Henry R Carse. This series explores the language of our scriptures, our church liturgies and our personal prayers. We will question the origins of terms deemed holy, ask whether translations help or hinder our growth in faith.

3 Wednesday evenings, March 12, 19, 26 at 7 pm via zoom: “The Wisdom of Confession & The Shadow Self,” with Diane Nancekivell & Tom Baskett. There is wisdom in speaking outloud our faults and regrets. The rituals for confession, absolution and reconciliation are rooted in spiritual wisdom and have power to set us free. We will also consider the psychological side of confession with a focus on Jung’s notion of the shadow, “Dancing with the devil on your back.”

2 Sundays, April 6 and 13, at 9 am: The Book of Longings, written by Sue Monk Kidd. Diane Nancekivell will lead a discussion of this bold retelling of the New Testament through the eyes of a Galillean woman and scribe.

Programs from the past

We worship joyfully, intently, according to our tradition.