The Cleveland
Ecumenical Institute
for
Religious StudiesOur Mission
The mission of The Cleveland Ecumenical Institute for Religious Studies is to offer educational opportunities for people who desire an ecumenical search for spiritual truth and a deeper relationship with God.
Our Commitments
- We are committed to providing learners a level of study that enhances the efforts of local congregations.
- We are committed to providing a faculty that is academically responsible.
- We are committed to providing a setting for Christian learning in dialogue with other great world religions.
- We are committed to learning in an atmosphere that fosters relationships between people of different faith traditions.
Our Goals
- To provide you outstanding local teachers and professors as well as nationally known speakers who teach courses and provide special lectures on Biblical Studies, Spirituality, Ethics, Comparative Religions, and Theology and Culture.
- To provide you classes which focus on discussions of assigned readings with opportunity to have questions answered and learn from one another. There are no prerequisites, no examinations, and no written assignments.
Scholarship aid is available for courses and special events.
Contact Pam Kestner for information at 216-291-1367; email ecumenical_institute@yahoo.com
Winter 2008 Courses
Download BrochureThe Holy Spirit in the Bible: How God Works in the World
Rev. George Smiga, STDEight Saturdays, January 12 – March 1, 2008 | $120 | 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Forest Hill Church Presbyterian | 3031 Monticello Boulevard | Cleveland HeightsThe entire Bible testifies to the reality of God’s Spirit. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is present and active. This course will trace the various ways in which the scriptures describe God’s Spirit and from those descriptions discuss how believers understand God to be engaged in the world. Not only will the course provide historical background from the various books in which the Spirit appears; it will also compare the descriptions of the Spirit between the two Testaments and invite the participants to identify the role of the Spirit in their own lives and in the Church today.
Rev. George Smiga, STD, received his doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome and teaches as part of the scripture department of St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe. He is the author of Pain and Polemic: Anti-Judaism in the Christian Gospels. He is a priest and the pastor of St. Noel Parish in Willoughby Hills. Fr. Smiga is one of the Institute’s most popular professors.
Maintaining Hope: Spirituality and the End of Life
Joanne Sheldon, MSN and Patrick Gibbons, Ph.D.Four Saturdays: February 23 – March 15, 2008 | $60 | 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
First Baptist Church | 3630 Fairmount Boulevard | Cleveland HeightsHope has been defined as the expectation that one’s beliefs will be fulfilled. Yet what is hope like when one has a terminal illness or is in the dying process? Spirituality is very important for maintaining hope while we live the dying process. We will explore several dimensions of spiritual care that can be extended to the suffering and dying. Our primary focus will be on the Judeo-Christian tradition of spiritual care, but we will also explore Eastern religious traditions of spiritual care.
Patrick Gibbons, Ph.D., received his doctorate in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. His specialization was in the area of ethics. He has been a Spiritual Care Coordinator for the Hospice of the Western Reserve for the past three years. Joanne Sheldon, MSN, received her MSN from St. Joseph’s College in Maine. She has many years experience as a hospice nurse. She received her M.Ed. from Cleveland State University and is currently Education Coordinator for Hospice of the Western Reserve. She has made multiple presentations and written articles concerning spirituality and the end of life. She is also a Certified Spiritual Director.
For Clergy and Social Justice Workers
The Church’s Mission of Solidarity with the Poor
Rev. Donald H. Dunson, Ph.D.Tuesday, February 12, 2008 | $40 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Trinity Cathedral | 2230 Euclid Avenue | ClevelandThis workshop will explore the gospel mandate and the Church’s mission of solidarity with the poor, marginalized and underdeveloped peoples of the world. Varied readings will enable those in ministry to develop and apply ethical principles through an analysis of specific global communities. Consideration will be given to the plight of children in under-developed countries and economies jeopardized by AIDS, poverty, and inadequate access to health care. Special emphasis will be given to the plight of child soldiers worldwide. The grave social, economic, and political issues which our African brothers and sisters face today will be highlighted.
Rev. Donald H. Dunson, Ph.D., is a moral theologian on the faculty of St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe. He earned a doctorate in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium in 1994. Recently, his research has been focused on the plight of vulnerable people. In 2001, he lived in East Central Africa while documenting the plight of AIDS orphans, homeless children, child soldiers, and sexually exploited youths. His book, No Room at the Table: Earth’s Most Vulnerable Children, is currently in its fourth printing.
Archeology and the Bible
Rev. John R. Spencer, Ph.D.Four Tuesdays: January 29 – February 19, 2008 | $60 | 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church | 2747 Fairmount Boulevard | Cleveland HeightsWhether it is searching for the ruins of Jericho, asking if “Solomon’s stables” are indeed Solomon’s, studying the community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, or grappling with claims about burial remains from Jesus’ family, archeology has proven a fickle friend to the Bible. Sometimes the “historical” claims of the Bible find correspondence with the results of archeology, and sometimes archeological remains raise serious questions about the “historical” statements in the Bible. This course will discuss the philosophical relationship of archeology and the Bible, explore the nature of archeology itself, look at several examples where archeology and the Bible interact, and then see how archeology can illuminate our understanding of the biblical world.
Rev. John R. Spencer, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biblical Studies and Interim Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at John Carroll University. He did his doctoral work in Biblical Studies at the University of Chicago. His most recent publication is an article on the ostraca from tell el-Hesi. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Tell el-Hesi Joint Archaeological Expedition and the Board of Trustees of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, and he is currently the President of the Cleveland Archaeological Society. He has worked on several archeological excavations, including Tell el-Hesi and Ashkelon, and has lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East.
Religion and Violence: Untangling the Roots of Conflict
Co-Sponsorship of a Videoconference of the 38th National Theological Conference at Trinity Institute New York
Speakers: James H. Cone and Susannah Heschel, Tuesday; James Carroll and Tariq Ramadan, WednesdayMonday, January 21 – Wednesday January 23, 2008 | $25 for one day | $40 for both days | no charge for the evening of January 21
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church | 2747 Fairmount Boulevard | Cleveland HeightsWhile people of faith raise prayers for peace, stories of religiously fueled violence fill the news. Is violence an inescapable result of religious commitment, or is it a distortion, a human projection on a God in whom there is no violence? Do the solutions lie within the traditions themselves? Through keynote presentations and small group theological reflection, this interfaith gathering will provide opportunities to deepen understanding, build community and explore how religion can be a powerful force for peace.
James H. Cone forged black liberation theology in the crucible of the civil rights movement. He is the Charles A. Briggs distinguished professor of Systematic Theology at Union Seminary in New York City; James Carroll is a bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction, a former Roman Catholic priest, and a lifelong activist for peace. Tariq Ramadan writes and speaks on the future of Islam in pluralistic society. He is currently senior research fellow at St. Antony's College (Oxford), Dosishisha University (Kyoto, Japan) and the Lokahi Foundation (London); Susannah Heschel holds the Eli Black Chair on Jewish Studies at Dartmouth. She is the author of On Being a Jewish Feminist, and an anthology of essays by her father Abraham Joshua Heschel; Katharine Jefferts Schori (preacher) was elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2006.
Mark your Calendar for this Spring Time Event:
Women Witnesses: Praying with Julian, Clare and Teresa
Rev. Clover Beal and Alison Benders, Ph.D.Saturday, April 12 2008 | $40 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Forest Hill Church Presbyterian, Bodwell Hall | 3031 Monticello Boulevard | Cleveland HeightsUsing the witness of three great Churchwomen, this Saturday class encourages intellectual as well as spiritual growth. Through the guidance of Julian of Norwich, Clare of Assisi, and Teresa of Avila, the retreat-like format promotes the integration of minds and hearts through learning, prayer, and group reflection. With a focus on informed contemplation, each of the three sessions during the day will begin with a presentation on one of the women mystics, followed by guided meditation or prayer. Each session ends with an opportunity for group discussion and reflection to share and enhance the participants' experience and understanding of the power of women's witness.
Rev. Clover Beal is a Pastor at Forest Hill Church and Alison Benders, Ph.D. is Dean of the Graduate School at Ursuline College.
To register for CEIRS courses, please use the registration form or contact Pam Kestner at 216-291-1367; email ecumenical_institute@yahoo.com
