Christian Mystics
Daniel co-taught with the Rev. Marguerite Judson a four class series on "Christian Mystics" at All Souls Episcopal Parish, Berkeley, CA. It is now available online. Here is the description and links:
Christian Mystics, April 24-May 15, 2022. Explore the breadth of mystical experiences in Christian faith communities, and ponder some of the ways the Sacred breaks through into your own life. Co-taught by the Rev. Daniel Prechtel and the Rev. Marguerite Judson, this four week drop in class introduces a wide variety of ways we draw closer to the Holy. There will, of course, be a substantial bibliography provided! click here for the juicy bibliography.
April 24 – How do we define mysticism? What are some of its Biblical expressions? What are the practices which can open us to a unitive experience with the divine? Missed the class? Click here to watch.
May 1 – Two medieval mystics who led very different lives conveyed their experiences through visual art, music, and human language. Join us for a quick introduction of Hildegard von Bingen and Dame Julian of Norwich. What are the parallels in our own lives? Missed the class? Click here to watch.
May 8 – Notions about prayer and encounter with the Divine are further stretched when we consider the Cloud of Unknowing, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila and her contemporary, John of the Cross. Missed the class? Click here to watch.
May 15 – Contemporary mystics speak from a wide variety of traditions, including Anglican Evelyn Underhill; Quaker Thomas Kelly; and civil rights activist the Rev. Howard Thurman. What might all the mystics discussed over the four weeks teach us about how the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives and in the world? Missed this class? Click here to watch.
Imaginal Meditation
Imaginal Meditation: Why and How––October 4, 11, 18, 2020 taught by the Rev. Dr. Daniel Prechtel at All Souls Episcopal Parish, Berkeley, CA. There are a wide range of prayer practices that are part of our Christian spiritual tradition. Some are reflected in public liturgical prayer; others are expressed in personal ways of praying and meditating. In this course we will be looking at, and practicing, a form of prayer and meditation that is deeply personal, inter-relational, and uses our creative imaging capability. You can find the link to these classes (to either watch or re-watch) here: October 4, October 11, October 18.
The Desert Ammas and Abbas taught by The Rev. Dr. Daniel Prechtel.
May 7 and 14, 2023 at All Souls Episcopal, Berkeley, CA
A profound movement beginning around the 3rd century gave birth to what we now know as monasticism and had a deep impact on the Christian faith. In this course we will explore what forces influenced those hermits and ascetics that came to be known as the “desert fathers and mothers” to form a variety of communities in the wilderness regions in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. We will get impressions of what life was like and what prayer practices evolved. We will sample some of the “sayings” of the desert elders that have endured over the centuries and the fascinating people behind those sayings. And we will learn about the sophisticated spiritual psychology and anthropology of highly educated monastics, Evagrius Ponticus and John Cassian.
