Public Lecture: Susan S. Phillips – Movements of Our Hearts: Holding Hope and Grief

You’re invited to Regent’s 2024 Evening Public Lecture series! Join us in the chapel or tune in online to explore theology, culture, and much more with this year’s summer faculty.

To livestream this and other Evening Public Lectures, visit us at rgnt.net/live.

ABOUT THE LECTURE

In the past few years people have lamented the weight of grief in the world and how it leaves us paralyzed. In response, we numb and distract ourselves. How can our hearts hold an awareness of the suffering in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and the parts of the planet experiencing ecological devastation, as well as our own personal losses and unmet hopes? Psychologists write about confusing forms of grief: ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief.

As a spiritual director I notice the movements of people’s hearts as they turn toward God, the deeper self, and the neighbor in love—and as they turn away. Certain practices cultivate reflection on the movements of the heart, spiritual direction being one of them. Centuries ago, Ignatius of Loyola invited Christians into a daily prayer practice of reviewing the day for the sake of awareness of the heart’s spiritual movements and the moral kindling of conscience. Over time, this practice enhances gratitude for what has been, present-moment attunement to what is, and hope for what will be, all grounded in growing trust in the One Who is Love. This evening we will reflect on this practice, and the collateral practices of journaling, spiritual autobiography, and spiritual listening friendships.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Susan S. Phillips has served as Executive Director at New College Berkeley since 1994, and prior to this role was the Academic Dean. Dr. Phillips is keenly interested in how we live our faith in daily life, drawing insight from the diverse fields of the social sciences, biblical spirituality, and practical theology. She is a sociologist and meets regularly with individuals for spiritual direction. She teaches in a wide range of contexts, serves as supervisor for spiritual directors, and consults for Christian organizations. In addition to being a regular contributor to Summer Programs at Regent College, she teaches at the Graduate Theological Union, Fuller Theological Seminary (Northern California), and San Francisco Theological Seminary (Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction). Dr. Phillips sat on the Board of Governors at Regent College for eight years and on the editorial boards of Radix, Presence, and Reflective Practice. Her most recent book is The Cultivated Life: From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy. With her husband Steve, she worships at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, and has served there as an elder.

Dr. Phillips is teaching Contemplative Listening from May 13 to 24 as part of Regent’s 2024 Summer Programs.

ONSITE AND ONLINE

You can attend this lecture in Regent’s chapel, or watch it live online at rgnt.net/live. A video recording will be available for free online for a limited time after the event.