Children in the Snow: Reclaiming a Poetic Faith with Mark Oakley | Second Saturday April 12th 2025

Описание: What does it mean to be Christian in the 21st century? In this profound and poetic Second Saturday Conversation, theologian and poet Mark Oakley reflects on the urgency of wonder, the sacrament of language, and the role of poetry in faith. Drawing on thinkers like Marcus Borg, Emily Dickinson, and George Herbert, Oakley challenges us to reclaim mystery, metaphor, and beauty in our spiritual lives.

Whether you’re within the Christian tradition or simply exploring the sacred through story and symbol, this talk is a timely invitation to embrace complexity, seek resonance over relevance, and discover a language worthy of transformation.

Presented as part of the "Through a Glass Darkly" program year

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0:00 – Introduction: Christianity for the 21st Century
2:21 – Remembering Marcus Borg
9:45 – Mark Oakley: “Children in the Snow”
12:06 – The Power of Poetry in Faith
19:52 – Resonance vs Relevance in Religious Language
27:26 – Interpreting Jesus: Parable as Poetic Disruption
36:06 – Why Literalism Fails: Jesus as a Verbal Artist
44:03 – Poetic Language as Spiritual Formation
52:07 – Snowfall, Stillness, and Spiritual Awakening
54:30 - Plenary
1:30:00 – Final Poem: George Herbert’s “Love III”

#MarkOakley #SecondSaturday #PoeticFaith #ChristianityToday #MarcusBorg

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About The Marcus J Borg Foundation:
Marcus J. Borg was an author of great import that explored historical and biblical topics and applied them to modern Christianity. To clarify some of his thoughts, here is a list of progressive Christian values.

Intellectual integrity and scholarship
• Elegance and clarity of thought
• Graciousness and humility
• Compassion and understanding
• Awe, wonder and gratitude for the privilege of our experience of life
• The art of asking the open-ended question
• Inquiry and conversation that engages both head and heart
• Theological education that is accessible and transformative

The work of Marcus J. Borg allows the foundation to explore and articulate a meaningful and faithful Christianity for the 21st century. Above all, the values Marcus brought to his work we want to bring to ours.

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