Minutes of the Business Meeting of
The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Regency B
2:30-3:30 p.m.
The meeting was called to order at about 2:40 p.m., with an attendance of about 50 (about 70 attended the Presidential Address).
1. Introduction of new President: Joann Wolski Conn, President, introduced David B. Perrin, President-elect, to assume the Presidency, praising him for showing the charism of administration.
2. Approval of the Minutes of 2004 Meeting: Anita Houck, Secretary/Treasurer, asked for approval of the 2004 minutes, which had been circulated to the Board, posted on the website, and distributed at the meeting. They were approved by voice vote with no amendments, pending any corrections to come in the next few days.
3. Report of the Editor of Spiritus (Doug Burton-Christie, Editor): Doug offered thanks to the Society as the journal enters its fifth year.
a. Editorial Board: Completing terms on the Board are Arthur Holder of GTU and Elizabeth Dreyer of Fairfield University; joining are Claire Wolfteich, Amy Hollywood, Lee Schmitt, and Dwight Hopkins. Book Review Editor Matt Ashley is unable to be here, but invites suggestions on books to be reviewed, and to review.
b. Submissions: All submissions are blind reviewed by at least two, sometimes three, readers. In the past year the journal received 26 submissions, of which 5 were accepted, 17 were rejected, and 4 are pending.
c. Finances: The journal’s financial arrangement with Johns Hopkins University Press is distinct from the Society’s operating budget. JHUP provides $2000 twice a year for editorial expenses (e.g., copy editing and photography), which is usually exhausted by the year; about $3200 have been spent this year. d. Indexing: ATLA has a backlog of journals to index, but are now pruning list of currently indexed journals, and Spiritus has gotten through two levels of review to be added. Doug invites members to encourage ATLA to include Spiritus.
e. Promotion: JHUP engages in a promotional effort every two years, including this fall’s mailings; all members are encouraged to help promote the journal by letting Doug know about groups that might be interested in the journal.
Action: In response to a request, Doug will provide a model letter that could be sent to librarians.
4. Word of thanks: Dave reiterated thanks to Elizabeth Dreyer and Mark Burrows (in absentia) for editing 2004’s Minding the Spirit, a collection of articles from Christian Spirituality Bulletin and Spiritus.
5. Thanks to Board members: Dave extended thanks to outgoing Board members Michael Battle, Elizabeth Dreyer, and Mary Frohlich.
6. Report of the Nominations Committee: Dave reported that the Committee proposes
a. Two members to serve three-year terms on the Governing Board (2005-2008):
Ann Astell. Nomination ratified by show of hands.
Bradley Holt (in absentia while on pilgrimage in Israel). Nomination ratified by show of hands.
b. Vice President/President-elect (2005-2006):
Stephanie Paulsell. Nomination ratified by show of hands.
c. Secretary/Treasurer (2006-2009):
Reappointment of Anita Houck approved by applause.
7. Appointment of members of the Nominations Committee: Dave reported that the current members of the Committee were both appointed last year, and terms are normally three years each. In order to stagger the terms, one member has agreed to serve for a shorter term, and one for the longer term. These terms were approved by show of hands:
Lisa Hess (2004-2006)
Eileen Flanagan (2004-2007)
8. Appointment of Co-Chair of AAR Christian Spirituality Group: Dave announced that Arthur Holder is willing to serve a second term (2006-2008 inclusive: AAR terms are scheduled by calendar year). Reappointment approved by show of hands and applause.
9. Report of the Secretary/Treasurer: Anita reviewed the Treasurer’s Report, circulated at the meeting.
10. Report of the AAR Christian Spirituality Group
a. Wendy introduced the sessions to be held this year, Varied Voices; Ecology and Teilhard; and Spiritual Practices in Eastern Spirituality with Eastern Orthodox Studies. We’ve been successful most years in arranging co-sponsored sessions. Members are encouraged to submit proposals.
b. Discussion of possible topics for the 2006 Washington, D.C. meeting: Arthur encouraged submissions of panels (like this year’s panel on Teilhard), if directions are closely followed. In addition to the topics
o Gift of Latino spirituality to US spirituality (a similar topic was presented last year)
o Methodist spirituality, because Maryland was important in early Methodist history
o Connection between Christian God image and violence
o Role of the shaman in spirituality
o Political topics would be especially appropriate for DC and current history, including Sojourners community
o Cosponsoring a session on cognitive science and neuropsychology with Religion and Social Sciences (Wendy mentioned that the Mysticism group organized a similar session)
o Eventually, a co-sponsored session on practice, theology, formation with Practical Theology
o Before losing SBL affiliation, a session co-sponsored with an SBL group
o In addition to prophetic-type communities like Sojourners, also mainline organizations like Conference of Bishops that do social justice work
o Spirituality and human rights
o Within the political rubric, peacemaking and reconciliation
o Spirituality and globalization as a way to bring in many of these strands
o A session cosponsored with Person, Culture, and Religion on the pastoral psychology and theology interface: in psychotherapy, the word “spirituality” is used often to mask taking religious and theological perspectives seriously, so maybe the Christian Spirituality Group could give a richer understanding (we did cosponsor a session with them a couple years ago, but could do a new round)
o Communication between the academy and the pew, e.g., on same-sex marriage or other landmines in the church, how insights from the academy can be received by churches
o Spiritual experience of under 40’s who are outside our worship houses
11. Report of items under consideration by the Governing Board: Dave mentioned several items:
a. Friday sessions: The Board continues the review of the Friday members’ workshop, first introduced last year and held both years with very good participation. Support shown by show of hands.
b. Timing of sessions: The Board will evaluate the scheduling of Presidential address/business meeting, since we don’t control the final timing of our sessions given the expanded AAR session schedule.
c. “Report on Various Questions, SSCS and Spiritus” / Establishment of “Policies and Practices”: The Society has been in existence since about 1993, and this year the Board put together a report on the relationship between SSCS and the journal, as well as establishing policies, e.g., reviewing editor’s term and considering reappointment every five years.
d. Expansion of membership: Membership is lower than in the past, and higher than in the past.
e. Ongoing plans for website: We would like to expand the site and have been in dialogue with JHUP, which hosts the site. Members are encouraged to go to the site.
12. Suggestions of any items for further discussion by the Governing Board
a. Workshop: Think about how the workshop is distinctive from other things we’re doing, and whether (like last year) it should focus on teaching.
b. SBL/AAR: Will the Group stay as part of AAR? Wendy replied that the division is a fait accompli. Arthur reported that Christian Spirituality Group is part of AAR with no affiliation with SBL, so we have no choice.
c. Friday afternoon: This slot could be used for more than one program—e.g., teaching, group discussion—since our program as a society is quite limited; if people can get in for a 4-6 session, we could have more than one session at a time. We do have to schedule a business meeting.
d. SBL: Is there any possibility of having an additional meeting at SBL or regional meetings, if we have members in some regions? Wendy explained that we’d have to affiliate with SBL and then would have to pursue connections on the regional level; the same could be done on the local level with AAR. e. Display: The listserv mentions members’ books, and books could be displayed at the Friday session.
f. Future membership in the Society: The Board could consider offering an award and one-year subscription, in conjunction with schools of theology or grad programs in religious studies, to bring the Society to the attention of graduate schools
The meeting adjourned at 3:35.
Topics already submitted for 2006 AAR in Washington, D.C.
° Spirituality in a Consumer Society
° Formation for Social Commitment
° African-American Spirituality
° Spirituality and the Fostering of Virtue in Democratic Capitalism
° Vulnerability in an Invulnerable Nation
° Religion’s Role in Politics
° Franciscan Spirituality
° Evangelical Spirituality: central ethos guiding current politics
° Science & Spirituality, particularly entropy & chaos
° Contemplation as part of the American Experience
° The Shekhinah/Pneuma Nexus
° The Role of the Spirit in a Pan-Christian Future
° Discipline and Freedom in the Contemporary Search for God
° New Currents in Spirituality
° Conjugal Spirituality
° East and West
° History and practice of spiritual direction (or models)
Nominee biographies
Ann W. Astell is Professor of English and chair of Medieval Studies at Purdue University. She is the editor of three collections of essays on spirituality: Joan of Arc and Spirituality (2003); Lay Sanctity, Medieval and Modern (2000); Divine Representations: Postmodernism and Spirituality (1994). She is the author of five published books, including The Song of Songs in the Middle Ages (1990). Her sixth book, Eating Beauty: The Eucharist and the Spiritual Arts of the Middle Ages is forthcoming from Cornell University Press in 2006.
Brad Holt was ordained a Lutheran pastor after he finished his doctorate at Yale, as he was preparing to leave to teach at the Theological College of Northern Nigeria. The decade that he spent teaching there changed his world view and his view of Christianity, making both more world-oriented than USA-oriented. Since returning to the States in 1981, he has taught at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He has developed a spirituality course in the Religion offerings, and written a book for it that has now gone into its second edition: Thirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spiritiuality. In 2004 he completed two years of training as a spiritual director. His favorite writer is Julian of Norwich, but this summer he will participate in a six-week intensive seminar on St. Francis of Assisi, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Stephanie Paulsell (BA, Greensboro College; MA, PhD, University of Chicago) joined the faculty of Harvard Divinity School in 2001 as Lecturer on Ministry and was appointed associate dean for ministry studies in 2003. In 2005, she was appointed Houghton Professor of the Practice of Ministry Studies. Before coming to Harvard, she served as director of ministry studies and Senior Lecturer in Religion and Literature at the University of Chicago Divinity School. She studies the points of intersection between intellectual work and spiritual practice, between the academic study of religion and the practices of ministry, and between the contemplative and active dimensions of the vocations of minister and teacher. She is the author of Honoring the Body: Meditations on a Christian Practice and co-editor of The Scope of Our Art: The Vocation of the Theological Teacher. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Minutes of the Governing Board Meeting of
The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality
Monday, November 21, 2005
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 109A
Please send amendments or corrections to Anita Houck at ahouck@saintmarys.edu.
ArthurJoann
Present: Ann Astell, Doug Burton-Christie, Joann Conn, Joe Driskill, Arthur Holder, Anita Houck, Alan Kolp, Stephanie Paulsell, Dave Perrin, Wendy Wright. Absent: Bernadette Flanagan, Brad Holt, Claire Wolfteich.
The meeting convened at 7:10, with silence after the manner of Friends.
1. Dave welcomed new members present (Ann and Stephanie) and absent (Brad Holt); and expressed thanks to members rotating off: Elizabeth Dreyer, Michael Battle, and Mary Frohlich.
2. Society business
a. “Report on Various Questions, SSCS and Spiritus”: Copies of these and other documents, which had evolved during consultation over the past year, were distributed to Board members previously and available at this meeting as well.
b. Doug has been in conversation with Johns Hopkins’s Bill Breichner on reprinted materials. Dave has drafted a policy in consultation with Doug and others. Doug has presented this to JHUP. Final decision on this yet to be made.
Action: Dave will bring this back to the SSCS Board and Editorial Committee for further reflection.
c. Policies and Practices, SSCS: Dave reviewed the past ten years of Minutes and articulated policies and practices that had become part of the Society’s workings. Stephanie and Anita will discuss only outstanding issue 6.3, to solidify the interpretation of the Constitution. We may return to this later in the year for further discussion and revision.
d. SSCS website report and discussion; website maintenance/committee: The Governing Board will need to decide whether it wishes to use $400 to expand the website through Johns Hopkins, e.g., adding a researchable database. We’d like to think over this year about how to make the database searchable by interest, name, and so on, to recover some of the usefulness of the directory.
The downside would be cost and being sure this would be used. The website now is pretty useless, but could be used to (via the listserv) to invite people to respond to an article in a journal, to post announcements of new books and conferences, or to become a resource for information on spirituality. Wendy noted that the AAR is now offering web space to groups, and this could be linked to the Spiritus website. A subcommittee could explore this and report back later in the year.
Action: Subcommittee of Dave (liaison with JHUP), Doug (consultant), and Anita will examine possibilities. Their offer was accepted by acclamation.
e. SSCS membership expansion: Doug explained that JHUP sent out promotion flyers to some lists, including subscribers to Horizons and some AAR members, as this approach was helpful in the pasts. Subscriptions are down this year (see Treasurer’s Report), but we anticipate an increase due to the promotion. We will then need to pay conscious attention to doing our own promotion in the future. Sustained outreach will be important. More indexing could be possible, but support staff would be needed to do this, perhaps graduate students or the managing editor (who will receive $12,000 in a graduate student position from LMU). Doug asked for support from the Board on issues of promotion and outreach, for instance in identifying which groups to contact and how to get databases. MLA has a separate graduate student caucus, and perhaps we could consider facilitating such a group.
Action: Dave, Anita, and Stephanie will have a discussion and report back to Doug and the Board. Joe and Ann were asked to put together a brief report of suggestions, perhaps including the award proposed on Saturday at the Business Meeting (like CBQ’s subscription sent to the best student in each theological school), over the next three or four months, and Ann invites suggestions from Board members.
f. Clarifying Constitution: The Board postponed discussion of Constitution revisions to be considered at the 2006 Annual Meeting. Proposals included clarifying the process for appointing new members to the Nominations Committee; the term of Secretary/Treasurer; changes to the Policies/Practices document; and General Constitution presentation with article numbers and sub-numbers. However, the Board did express informal support for keeping as is the link between subscription and membership, rather than considering a provision to allow subscribers to opt out of membership.
Action: The Board will correspond on these issues over the coming year.
g. Candidates: The Board postponed discussion of possible candidates for Vice-President/President-elect and Christian Spirituality Group Co-Chair 2007-2009 (renewal of Wendy’s term).
h. Joann, prior to the meeting, discussed with Doug a renewal of his term as Editor of Spritus; Doug was thanked for his willingness to serve a second five-year term as Editor and commended for his excellent work; the Board approved his re-appointment (2006-2010).
Action: The Board will correspond on these issues over the coming year.
i. Review of Christian Spirituality Group by AAR in 2006: The Group will need to submit a self-study by 1 October 2006, drawing on annual reports, reviewing our purpose statement on the AAR site, and explaining our rationale. The Group will also host an assigned reviewer next year at each of our sessions, who will meet with the co-chairs and steering committee.
Action: Arthur will circulate the report once written.
j. Review of SSCS budget and discussion of stipends: In the future, Board members with expense accounts will be asked to cover their expenses for the Board and Editorial Board meals, and we’ll try to cover the expenses for others within the budgeted amount (currently proposed as $200 for Spiritus, $300 for Governing Board). The webmaster and –mistress are in the budget, and we will look at fitting in $400 for JHUP for increased web services. Anita did not think that the budget supported changes in stipends at this time, though Doug’s efforts certainly surpass our capacity to remunerate him.
k.Spirituality poster: Dave brought in pictures of an attractive and informative poster produced by the Catholic Health Association in Canada, which could be a model for an SSCS poster. Any proposal would be tied into the JHUP promotions with their approval.
Action: Dave will pursue this project as his time and interest allow.
3. Review of SSCS sessions: Members’ Workshop: The presentation was strong but needed a pedagogical focus; it was quite similar to Group panels.
4. Planning for SSCS sessions for 2006, Washington, D.C.
a. Consideration of rescheduling of events in light of AAR/SBL programming changes: The Board postponed discussion of scheduling the workshop, experiential session, Presidential Address, Business Meeting, and Governing Board meeting and meal.
Action: The Board will correspond on these issues over the coming year.
b. Possibilities for 2006 members’ workshop. Sessions on Sojourners or Church of the Savior were proposed. Whatever is done needs to preserve the focus on pedagogy. Arthur’s volume might serve as a point of reflection, and many contributors would be likely to be there. Frank McAloon and Arthur have used it in class. The volume is designed to give more than just history. The session could be centered on “How to approach the one-semester intro,” with bibliographical suggestions, syllabi, attention to different levels (undergraduate, graduate, theological school).
Action: Arthur and Joe will work on this.
c. Friday evening experiential session and reception. Suggestions included the St. John’s Bible, which will be at the Library of Congress during the AAR; the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; and the National Cathedral. Calligraphy could be integrated into the consideration of the Bible.
Action: A group will be identified to pursue ideas and arrange logistics for this session.
d. Review of this year’s SSCS publicity: It is possible for associated societies to be listed in the program book not as additional meeting; Anita requested it and it didn’t happen.
5. Christian Spirituality Group plans for 2006 Meeting:
a. Logistics
(1) Scheduling: Sunday afternoon will have three 90-minute sessions. Leaders of sessions are encouraged to opt for this. This is the prime time for AAR attendance.
(2) Appointment of steering committee: those who review the proposals and send feedback. Joe Driskill will continue for a 3rd year, with Alan, Stephanie, and Ann.
Action: Dave will ask Brad if he will serve, and will ask Claire if he declines.
b. Sessions
(1) Co-sponsorship possibilities: Three groups might be possible collaborators: Bonhoeffer (which has other options), Practical Theology, and Wesleyan Studies (includes United Methodist as well as other denominations that trace themselves back to 18th-century Wesleyan revival), which has been most insistent and might co-sponsor a session on communal practices of spiritual formation.
(2) Pre-arranged session: An invited paper session could focus on scholars noted in the field and/or emerging scholars, with an emphasis on methodology, perhaps with respondent; this would be appropriate for our review year to demonstrate our sense of who we are. Mary Frohlich suggested something on how scholars in different content areas approach a certain kind of material—demonstrated methodology rather than theory. We would have till March to assemble the session, while the call for solicited papers is due in December
Action: Doug and Stephanie will work on this.
(3) Major topics surfacing for general call: spiritual formation for social commitment (politics, civic virtue), evangelical spirituality (members from emergent church group; might have global interest); African-American spirituality (Africa is the suggested focus for AAR next year, so the third session could focus on Christian spirituality of Africa and African diaspora). We need to solicit proposals on at least twice as many topics as we need to fill; last year we had four topics.
6. A list was collected of people expressing interest in SSCS, with e-mail addresses.
Action: Some connection should be made with those who signed up. We also need to discuss with Bruce updating the outdated listserv.
SSCS Board Members (end of term noted in parentheses, ex officio members in italics)
Ann Astell (2008) (Roman Catholic)
Michael Battle (2005) (Episopalian)
Margaret Benefiel (2003) (Friends)
Roberta Bondi (2004; President, 2003-2004)
Mark Burrows (2000; President, 2002-2003) (UCC)
Douglas Burton-Christie (Editor, Christian Spirituality Bulletin and Spiritus) (Roman Catholic)
Stephen L. Chase (1998; Christian Spirituality Group Co-Chair)
Joann Wolski Conn (1996; President, 2004-2005) (Roman Catholic)
Lawrence S. Cunningham (1996) (Roman Catholic)
Elizabeth Dreyer (2005) (Roman Catholic)
Joseph Driskill (2006) (Christian Church-Disciples of Christ)
Bernadette Flanagan (2006)
Mary Frohlich (2005) (Roman Catholic)
Bradley Hanson (President, 1999-2000) (Lutheran-ELCA)
Brad Holt (2008) (Lutheran)
E. Glenn Hinson (resigned 2001) (Baptist)
Arthur Holder (2002) (Episcopalian)
Anita Houck (Secretary-Treasurer, 2001-) (Roman Catholic)
Alan Kolp (2007) (Friends)
Belden C. Lane (1997; President, 1995-1996) (Presbyterian)
Bruce Lescher (Secretary-Treasurer, -2001)
Elizabeth Liebert (2001; President 1999-2000) (Roman Catholic)
Stephanie Paulsell (2000, Christian Spirituality Group Co-Chair, 2003; President-Elect, 2005-2006) (Christian Church-Disciples of Christ)
David Perrin (2004; President, 2005-2006) (Roman Catholic)
Jill Raitt (2002) (Roman Catholic)
Janet Ruffing, RSM (1997) (Roman Catholic)
Don Saliers (1999; President, 1998-1999) (United Methodist)
Sandra M. Schneiders (1998; President, 1996-1997) (Roman Catholic)
Philip Sheldrake (2001; President, 2001-2002) (Roman Catholic)
Claire Wolfteich (2007) (Roman Catholic)
Wendy M. Wright (1999; President, 1997-1998; Christian Spirituality Group Co-Chair, 2006) (Roman Catholic)
Nominations Committee (not including Vice Presidents)
Jake Empereur (1998-99)
Eileen Flanagan (2004- )
Mary Frohlich (2001)
Lisa Hess (2004- )
Frank McAloon (2001-2004)
Libbie Patterson (-2003)
Jill Raitt (1998-99)
Copyright 2010, The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality (SSCS)