Abstract
1. Room 203: “The Role of the Body in Religious and Nonreligious Spiritual Practices" with Jen Kilps, Ph.D., Network Executive, Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN)
As humans, we long for understanding and connection with what is wonderous, transcendent, or divine. In Western culture there is an emphasis on the mind as the primary vehicle to access wonder and divinity over and above that which we perceive via the body and its physical senses. Spiritual practices that engage physicality provide another way of knowing, or experiencing, that wonder. Movement, scent, voicing sound, listening, meditation, and touch all offer means of understanding that are found in religious traditions around the world. In this session, participants will explore several of these practices and cultivate their our own 'senses' of wonder.
Jen Kilps currently serves as the Network Executive for the Minnesota Multifaith Network. She has spent the entirety of her career organizing faith communities and volunteers around issues of peace and social justice. Jen has worked for the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in WI, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services Program, and the national Church World Service Refugee Resettlement Program. Jen holds a doctorate in theology from the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where her research focused on the topic of hospitality. She has taught World Religions and Anthropology of Religion. Jen currently serves on the Collegeville Institute Multi-Religious Fellows Advisory Board, is an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) facilitator and trained as an End of Life Doula through the University of Vermont’s Medical School. She considers interfaith work her vocation.
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2. Room 201: “Cultivating Curiosity through Storytelling and Active Listening for Empathetic Interfaith Engagement” with Jane Ulring, Managing director of Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University
Curiosity is a foundational skill for forging trusting relationships, as well as a powerful antidote to biases that cause harm and severely limit collaboration across and within difference. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to practice and build their curiosity skill set (with special regard for meaningfully engaging religious/spiritual/worldview diversity) through guided self-reflection and storytelling.
Jane Ulring is the Managing Director of Augsburg University’s Interfaith Institute, where she manages campus based and regional interfaith programming, and develops congregational and community partnerships. Her work is committed to cultivating a thriving interfaith campus community inclusive of a wide range of traditions, voices, and forms of practice and belief. Jane’s personal passions lie at the intersection of interfaith activism, care for creation, and mutual healing from colonial violence. She is committed to work braiding religious diversity, public service, and justice for Earth’s communities. She is a fierce advocate for sacred play and when she's not at work you'll find her rock climbing, making music, walking in the woods, and communing with trees. Jane Ulring holds a B.A. in philosophy from Augsburg University and a Master of Divinity in social ethics from Union Theological Seminary.
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3. Room 205: “Navigating Difficult Conversations: Communication for Interfaith Peacebuilding” with Najeeba Syeed, El-Hibri endowed chair, full professor and executive director of Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University
In this session, interaction with the speaker and between participants will be emphasized. This is a skills-based workshop that focus on 1) diagnosing the stage of conflict from discomfort to crisis, 2) developing intervention plans for addressing difficult conversations, 3) practicing foundational skills for managing interfaith conflicts and conversations, 4) designing encounters that foster trust and care in times of trauma. Participants will use case studies from their own lives and from the speaker's toolbox. Be ready to interact, enjoy and have fun as we spend time together learning and growing together.
Najeeba is the inaugural El-Hibri endowed chair, a full professor and executive director of Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University. She has been a professor, expert practitioner and public speaker for the last two decades in the fields of conflict resolution, interfaith studies, mediation, education, deliberative democracy, social, gender and racial equity.
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4. Room 204: “Liberative Leadership in Diverse Societies” with Rev. Michael Le Buhn Jr., MDiv., Manager, Spiritual Care, Allina Health West Region
The dictionary definition of liberation includes the process of freeing someone from something that limits their control over their own life. Liberating leaders co-create a culture where everyone's wholeness is invited. This is achieved by the leader's example of being her whole self, thus empowering others to do likewise. Liberative leadership is challenging and requires a tremendous amount of self-examination, self-knowledge, and cultural humility. The benefits are immeasurable, however, as it creates a sense of belonging, enables genuine connection and trust on the team, and discourages injustices from going unaddressed. In this session, participants will discuss becoming liberating leaders by examining three areas of leadership together: social location and biases, accountability and restoration, and leading with vulnerability.
Michael Le Buhn Jr. serves as the Manager of Spiritual Care for Abbott Northwestern and the West Region of Allina Health. He is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and received his Masters of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN). His undergraduate degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois (Urbana/Champaign, IL). Michael previously worked as a chaplain at Open Table Nashville, a non-profit that serves people experiencing homelessness. His experience serving as a hospital chaplain includes intensive care, palliative care, COVID-19, mental health, chemical dependency, and trauma one. Michael is a veteran of the United States Army and former Soldier of the Year for the White House Military Office. His awards and decorations include a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Badge, and a Presidential Service Badge. Professional interests: Public theology, trauma informed care, health equity, Community Health, and Interfaith ministry. Personal interests: comic books, gardening, vegan cuisine, live music, and stand-up comedy.