The New Seminary for Interfaith Studies

HINDU GODS & GODDESSES Sunday, November 15, 2009 1:00 PM – 3:00 $50

Propitiating Hindu Gods and Goddesses: The Hindu gods and goddesses want to help humanity and are waiting to hear your prayers. This elective will cover various mediums for communicating wit...h and receiving blessings from these deities. Attendees will learn how to conduct poojas (offerings), homas (fire ceremonies) and devotional mantras (chants) unique to each deity reviewed. The use of yantras (geometric instruments), malas (prayer beads) and verbuthi (sacred ash) will be discussed as well as best times to perform devotionals. The goal of this elective is to give students a further understanding of how Hindu gods and goddesses can help them and the best ways to have their prayers heard.

Presenter: Rev. Janani Engle
Rev. Mary-Rose “Janani” Engle graduated from The New Seminary in 2009. With a deep love and respect for the Hindu tradition, she brings a unique perspective to understanding Hindu Gods and Goddesses as taught to her by several masters of Hindu and Buddhist lineages such as Dr. Frederick Lenz, Adi Da Samraj, and currently, Dattatreya Siva Baba. Janani first started teaching non-denominational meditation and Hindu mantras in 1998 to the S.T.E.P. program at Riker’s Island Correctional Facility. Upon graduation, she founded Mystic Abode which conducts weekly rituals and fire ceremonies.
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REFLECTIVE WRITING
Fridays, November 13, 20, 2009, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM $100

Writing For Spiritual Reflection: A two-session evening workshop designed to prepare seminarians for writing spiritual reflection papers from their hearts, expressing their deepest spiri...tual truths. We will do writing meditations and exercises to loosen inhibitions related to writing about ourselves and our spiritual experiences. Discover and celebrate your unique writing style, and begin to create the story of your own Heroic Journey!

Presenter: Rev. Francesca Fortunato
Rev. Francesca Fortunato graduated from The New Seminary in 2003 and has been a Dean since 2006. She is a priest in the Orthodox Catholic Church of America and a co-pastor of the Community of St. John, in Manhattan. Additionally, for the last two years, Reverend Francesca has been a frequent guest preacher at Dignity, New York. As a poet and writer, her work has been published in many literary magazines, including, Chronogram and Amaze. She has been a featured reader at the Café Seven Lounge, the Yippie Museum Café, and Mo Pitkins. Reverend Francesca has taught spiritual writing and poetry workshops at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church and (for children) Middle Collegiate Church.
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ZEN AND THE HUMAN HEART
Thursdays, November 12, 19, 2009, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM $100

Awakening the heart to the practice of Zen Buddhism: There are many forms of Buddhism, although the basic belief as transmitted from Gutama Buddha and his followers is at the core of all pr...actices. Zen Buddhism is Buddhism shaped by the Japanese culture and native Shinto religion. Through a discussion of Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, as well as practice that includes meditation and the reading and writing of koans and haikus, we will deepen our understanding of the Zen Buddhist tradition, the human experience, and our hearts. This class is suitable for Buddhist beginners, as well as all types of Buddhist practitioners.

Presenter: Rev. Carol Polcovar
Rev Carol Polcovar graduated from The New Seminary in 2008. She is a poet, playwright, teacher and therapist. Her work has been published in Partisan Review and other contemporary poetry magazines. Her plays have been presented in New York City and Italy. She holds a MA in history (with a minor in World Religion) and has been a long time student of Zen and Japanese Culture.
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TRAVELS WITH THE GODDESS Friday, November 6, 2009, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, $50

When Rev. Deborah Steen Ross began her quest to find the
Goddess in her life, she had no idea what she would be getting into! From meeting a golden snake in the ancient forests of German...y, to meditating at the foot of the Matterhorn in Switzerland, to meeting the Goddess Danu in a dolman in Ireland, and the Mother Mary/Goddess Minerva energy in a basilica in Rome, her travels have taken her to sacred places across Europe and the British Isles; to the Acropolis in Athens and the Vatican in Rome. Come spend an evening with Spiritual Teacher and Author Deborah Steen Ross as she takes us on a journey of discovery of Self; as she shares her exciting and sometimes frightening rites of passage, in locations that test her trust in the guidance of the Divine Mother and herself.

Presenter: Rev. Deborah Steen Ross
Rev. Deborah Steen Ross has been following the guidance of the Divine Mother since the mid 1980's, when she was called upon to take a Transformational Journey through Europe, mostly by herself, and since then has traveled to many sacred places in the world, always seeking the energy of the Divine. She is the Co-Director of The New Seminary, from which she was ordained in 1997 and has an active counseling practice and Wedding and Life Cycle Ceremony Ministry.
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TNS ELECTIVES: UNLOCKING THE PRISON WITHIN
Sunday, October 25, 2009, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM ($75)

Designed after the precedent setting program for prison inmates and based on the book Prison: Getting Out By Going In, this workshop empowers any individual to identify and utilize simple cog...nitive tools for promoting increased internal freedom. Led by Rev. Dr. Mara Leigh “Coach” Taylor assisted by Dr. Kimora, this three hour interactive workshop is guaranteed to provide you with tools to enhance your spiritual work.

Presenter: Coach Mara Taylor
Mara Leigh Taylor is the founder and executive director of GETTING OUT BY GOING IN, (GOGI) a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mental health education and rehabilitation of incarcerated and at-risk individuals. Coach Taylor is the published author of Prison: Getting Out by Going In, a self empowerment book available to inmate populations. A dynamic and engaging motivational speaker who has lectured to numerous educational, entertainment, international and athletic industry groups, Coach Taylor earned two master’s degrees in general psychology and clinical psychology at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and her PhD in the field of esoteric philosophy was awarded by American Pacific University. Coach Taylor is a graduate of The New Seminary and is an ordained interfaith minister. Her second book, Women In Prison: Getting Out by Going In will be published later this year.

Presenter: Dr. Kimora
Dr. Kimora is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Her Ph.D. is in Education. She has taught cognitive skills in prisons, jails, drug treatment centers, halfway houses, and hospitals for over 18 years. She is a correctional educator for the Osborne Association, a leading advocate for prison re-entry programs. Kimora is a second-year student at The New Seminary. Kimora's latest publication includes a section on communication in The Sage Glossary of the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
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TNS ELECTIVES: PERFORMANCE SKILLS (ATTENDING ONLY)
Saturday, October 24, 2009 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM ($75)

Ministry practice is often a one-on-one experience. However, on many occasions, we are called to hold a space for a large group. We are asked to “perform" a wedding, present a sermon, or offer a spontaneous pray...er in a public setting. This class will give students an opportunity to practice and enhance their performance skills, which include projecting the voice, grounding the body, confident public speaking, and energetic self-expression.

Presenter: Rev. Elizabeth Morton
Reverend Elizabeth Morton is a New Seminary graduate, class of 2005. She is a professional actress with significant stage experience who has had many years of training for the theatre. Liz has also worked in film and television and has narrated several audio books. She has much experience participating in church services, officiating weddings, and public speaking.
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TNS ELECTIVES: MAGICK FOR MINISTERS, Fri. Oct. 23, 2009, 7pm-9pm ($50)

Magick and spirituality have gone hand in hand throughout the history of human civilization, and today Magick still plays a vital role in many religious traditions. And yet, popular culture today has only a peripheral awareness of the topic, and mu...ch of what is represented in the main-stream is depicted as a thing to be either hated and feared, or degraded and scorned. As interfaith Ministers we are likely to encounter practitioners of Magickal traditions in our work, and when we do we have an opportunity to reach out to them and create a safe space for them to discuss their faith openly and without fear of prejudice. But to do this we must first have an understanding of Magick, what it is and why it is important to so many people. And most of all, we must look inside ourselves to find how the misconceptions, stereotypes, and fears which surround the topic of Magick in our culture have affected our own feelings toward Magick and the people who believe in it. This elective provides an opportunity for participants to increase their understanding of Magick in the context of modern Pagan traditions. It will also provide a space for participants to examine their own preconceptions of Magick and its practitioners, to find answers to any questions and to address any confusion and uncertainty they may feel regarding this topic.

Presenter: Rev. Anna Leue
Rev. Anna Leue is a witch and priestess living in Brooklyn NY. She was ordained by The New Seminary in 2009, and now divides her time between her Reiki healing practice and ceremonies business.
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THE STOLE AND THE RATTLE ($50) Saturday, October 3, 2009, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Entering the dance of the Western and the Indigenous worldviews in today's religions.

(A workshop on cross-cultural awareness in Interfaith ministering)

As the Global Village is becoming smaller, religions, cultures and parad...igms are increasingly mixing and influencing each other. If we want to create a world of respect, peace and compassion, we need to be aware of what connects us - and build on it, and what seems to separate us - and honor it. How do the religious beliefs of a Christian from England and a Christian from Benin differ due to divergent cultural worldviews, or those of two Americans, one a Pagan and the other a Baha'i? In this workshop, we will explore such questions and more with the intent to raise our awareness of the continuous interplay of different cultural worldviews, not only between different religions, but also within religions, and within one individual's own sets of paradigms in today's modern times. We will specifically examine and compare a few elements of the Western and the Indigenous worldviews and discuss how they are manifest in today's and ancient religions, exploring, for example, the suggestion that Jesus can be seen as both an archetypal Minister and an archetypal Shaman.

Presenter: Rev. Djaloki Desables
Rev. Jean Luc "Djalòki" Dessables is an engineer, an ordained Interfaith Minister (TNS 2008), an initiated Vodou Priest and a cofounder of Wisdom Circle Ministries. His practice includes Paradigm Expansion Coaching (combining elements of Life Coaching, Interfaith Spiritual Counseling, Shamanic teachings and Interactive Guided Imagery), intercultural consulting, and workshops on the connections between conventional religions, Shamanism and modern science. He believes that the time has come for the global expansion of human consciousness, prophesied by many ancient people, that may mark a major leap of evolution for humanity. Since 2004, Djalòki has been speaking and leading workshops at several educational and spiritual institutions and community centers in the US and in Europe. He has been published in the Black Arts Quarterly of Stanford University. Djalòki is a citizen of the world and of Ayiti (Kreyòl name of Haiti); he lives in Port-au-Prince, Ayiti. He is said to elegantly help his North American and European audiences to connect with their own indigenous inner selves. Read some of Rev. Djalòki’s texts on http://djaloki.wordpress.com
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THE NEW SEMINARY Fall Electives program is underway,
and next week we begin METAPHYSICS AND THE BIBLE w/Rev. Joshua Volle.

We would love to see you here!

This class will be recorded for Corresponding Students.

To register: TNS 212-222-3711, info@newseminary.org
http://www.newseminary.org/docs/Registration.pdf

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METAPHYSICS & THE BIBLE $150
Thursdays, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 2009 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Participants will be given the tools and understanding for reading the stories of both the Hebrew & Christian Testaments of the Bible with an eye to their underlying meanings. These stories have messages in them that help us to understand what our human existence and experience are all about. Go deeper by seeing yourself in each story and applying each story to your own story. We will open with a prayer and begin looking at stories in the Bible and how to interpret them. Each student will do their own interpretations while in class. The class is interactive with plenty of time for questions, answers and discussion.

Presenter: Rev. Joshua Volle

Rev. Joshua was ordained an Interfaith Minister in June of 2007. Since that time he has been holding the space as an Affiliate Minister in two communities: Sacred Center New York and The Sacred Light Fellowship, as well as working as a Dean for the 2nd year students at The New Seminary. His ministry has been focused on finding and expressing the Source of All Love that lies within. Rev. Joshua is an international epidemiologist and program evaluation specialist working with agencies and governments to monitor and evaluate their HIV prevention efforts. He holds a Doctorate in Public Health, a Masters degree in Counseling and a Masters degree in a specialized form of special education dealing with incarcerated youth and adults.

Classes meet at The New Seminary Center

2672 Broadway (at W. 102nd Street), NYC, NY

212-222-3711

info@newseminary.orgRead More

Mass Media Ministry is an informational and inspirational workshop for anyone who has ever felt called to minister through the media of book publishing, radio or television. These media are expanding exponentially and the need for inspired individuals to bring their gifts to the public has never been greater. This co...urse will help seminarians and ordained Interfaith Ministers to discern more about the call they've been experiencing to mass media ministry and provide them with practical tools and information that will empower them to take concrete steps toward answering this call. Without a doubt, the lightworkers - especially those with an Interfaith perspective - are being invited onto the larger stage to facilitate healing on a massive scale. Will you join us as we create a blueprint for responding to the call that Spirit has placed in our hearts?
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Presenter: Reverend Jillian Quinn

As a professional speaker, teacher and trainer, Jillian has designed and presented a wide array of programs - for universities and hospitals to workshops for writers, scientists and performers. She provides coaching for other teachers and trainers and her work has been included in award-winning college textbooks and training videos. Jillian has appeared on the Discovery Channel and local television, on the stage and in print. Jillian is the author of the self-help book "Bounce Back: Secrets of the Bulletproof Spirit" to be published by Random House in February of 2009. She is also the co-host of "Bounce Back", a radio talk show on WHVW in New York's Hudson Valley that inspires and coaches listeners to turbo-charge their spiritual resilience. She is a sought-after spiritual coach and member of Spiritual Directors International. She is also a recipient of a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities in the field of Transcendental Philosophy and teaches at a college in New York's Hudson Valley. Jillian's calling in life is helping people remember and connect more deeply with their spirits, helping people take life's heart-breaking hits and turn them into soul-making victories. An ordained Interfaith Minister, Jillian's workshops and classes have reached thousands of people around the country with her inspiring and practical prescription for finding happiness beyond heartache.

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To sign up for this lecture, please call the phone # below, e-mail The New Seminary, or download an application form from http://www.newseminary.org/docs/Registration.pdf
and mail it to:

The New Seminary
2576 Broadway, #344
New York, NY, 10025Read More