Saturday April 29, 2007
Workshop 1
- Thomas Merton: Spiritual Pioneer and Activist
Includes a visit to the Merton Center at Bellarmine University and a field trip to the Abbey of Gethsemani in Bardstown, Kentucky. Lunch provided.
Space limited, reserve now!
- Mini-College: Planning a Message and Building an Effective Communication Plan
Venue: University of Louisville.
Thomas Merton: Spiritual Pioneer and Activist
This field trip will introduce you to Merton's life and writings, as well as to the extraordinarily beautiful monastery in the rural countryside where he lived in solitude and stillness. Guiding the tour are two Merton experts — Terry Taylor and Morgan Atkinson.
About Thomas Merton (1915 -1968)
Known as the "the conscience of the peace movement of the 1960's," Thomas Merton was instrumental in the rebirth of contemplative spirituality. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has sold over one million copies and has been translated into over 15 languages. He was a prolific writer on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race. During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue.
Merton spent all his monastic life at the Abbey of Gethsemani, described by one writer as a "foreign place hidden in the heart of Kentucky."
About your guides
Terry Taylor, formerly with the Thomas Merton Foundation and editor of the first Thomas Merton curriculum, is the executive director of Interfaith Paths to Peace and co-chair of the program committee for this year's national RCC meeting.
Morgan Atkinson is a Louisville-based filmmaker who has produced a series of documentaries on Gethsemani. His work has appeared on Kentucky Educational Television and nationwide on PBS. He is completing a two-year project examining the life of Thomas Merton called "Soul Searching, the Journey of Thomas Merton."
Mini-College: Planning a Message and Building an Effective Communication Plan
Building and executing an effective communication plan is the most important skill for faith-based communicators. Learn the skills necessary for research, planning, executing and evaluating your organization's communication strategies.
University of Louisville professors Gregg and Thompson, both of whom have long careers in public relations practice and consulting, will welcome you to UofL's campus. There you will learn research and executive exercises, thought experiments and templates that will help you discover new insights about your audiences and creative ways to reach them with your messages. Competency in this area accounts for 30 percent of the test for becoming an Accredited Public Relations professional.
About your faciliators
William Thompson is a faculty member of the University of Louisville. He has practiced public relations for nearly 30 years and has authored a book on public relations writing. An active consultant, he has assisted orchestras in Louisville, Miami, Charleston, Pittsburgh and Charlotte deal with their challenges. Thompson has also published over 250 articles in over 75 newspapers and magazines.
Jennifer Gregg is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Louisville. She studies the social effects of technology and
teaches science communication, computer-mediated communication, and research methods. She earned a Ph.D. in mass media/telecommunications from Michigan State University, an M.S. in journalism/mass communication from Iowa State University, and a B.A. in journalism/mass communication from Drake University.
