Reading the Bible Mystically: Fall Series: Dr. Laurence H. Kant

Reading the Bible Mystically continues on Sunday, September 20, 2-5 p.m. at 131 Jesselin Drive. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you were able to attend the prior introductory workshops. This time we will discuss Genesis 2 and its relation to Genesis 1.

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READING THE BIBLE MYSTICALLY: Fall Series

Dr. Laurence H. Kant, Historian of Religion (Ph.D., Yale University, 1993)
September 20, 2015, 2-5 p.m.
Location: 131 Jesselin Drive, Lexington, KY  40503

Everyone comes to the Bible with different perspectives. Lay people appeal to tradition, practice, belief, social justice, evangelism, literal interpretation, and opposition or apathy to religion. Scholars interpret the Bible from their own angles: history, literature, sources, language, theology, and archaeology. No one perspective, however, can encompass and fully explain biblical texts.

For me, a mystical approach to biblical interpretation entails the discovery and creation of profound meaning in the text. Integrative in nature, it uses a variety of perspectives to understand the contexts and multiple (often ambiguous and sometimes conflicting) meanings of passages. We start from the ground up, beginning with small details (word-by-word and even letter-by-letter) as we move through sentences and stories toward apparently hidden and esoteric readings. Usually what we regard as secret or mystical lies in open sight, but seeing it demands close attention and far-reaching awareness of all sorts.

We will spend the bulk of our time this session engaging the text, particularly Genesis 2, and discussing its use in constructing meaning for our lives. No previous background is necessary. Mutual respect is assumed in an atmosphere open to all spiritual, religious, and non-religious points of view.

Upcoming dates in this series are as follows (at the same time from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday afternoons, location to be announced): October 11, November 8, and  December 13.

The cost of the workshop is $35.00 per person (cash, or check made out to “Mystic Scholar, LLC”), Reserve a place by emailing Dr. Kant at dblk2@qx.net (with “Mystic Scholar” in the subject line). Payment may be made at the door before the workshop. Please read Genesis 1 and 2 beforehand. For further information on the presenter, see the attached CV and bio, as well as the brochure with photos.

 

BibleMystic3

BioKant2a

CurriculumVitaeMainWeb2

Dr. Laurence H. Kant
dblk2@qx.net
859-278-3042
http://mysticscholar.org

Hawk Visitor Friend

 

This hawk came to visit us last year, perched on a chair on our porch, and partially consumed a rabbit, part of which he very generously left for us. We didn’t eat it LOL. Amazingly, the hawk turned his back on us and just hung out with us for a while.

Moving from the Light to the Darkness

We don’t move forward to the light until we first step through the darkness.

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Poems and Dreams

My poems are dreams in word form.

Shape Shifting

I love the protean quality of both dreams and poems. You never know what an image or word will turn into. Life is like that; only we don’t see it that way. Everything seems permanent and fixed, but it isn’t. As we get older and look back on our lives, we realize how much like a dream or poem it all is.

Being and Becoming

Being is who we are authentically. Becoming is why we enter the cycle of life.

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Writing Poems

When writing a poem, I do not know what will unfold. The words popping out surprise me as much as my readers.

Writing a Poem and Dreaming

Writing a poem is not unlike dreaming. There’s only one fundamental difference. When writing a poem, you have to activate both your conscious and unconscious mind.

Poetry and the Bible

Poetry is the warp and woof of the Bible.

What are Symbols?

What are symbols? The medium through which we see and create our worlds.

Feeling

Feeling involves all the senses, including thought.

Sparks

Each spark seeks another spark to make a fire.

Time Expands

Time expands when you focus on what is truly important.

Poetry as Form

For me poems are as much oral as visual, as much spoken as written. I need to perform them as much as I need to write them.

Symbols, Poetry, and Dreams

Symbols fill the gap between raw energy and form. Poetry and dreams do the same.

Poetry and Dreams

Poetry and dreams are two of the most potent vehicles for unveiling the unconscious.

Fear and Courage

Fear is a cover for the courage that lies just beneath it.

How Ideas Come to us

The most powerful ideas come to us mysteriously–like dreams.

Persistence

The definition of persistence: To move forward when you don’t feel at your best.

Evolution Gaining Greater Acceptance in the U.S.

Public views in U.S. are shifting toward support for evolution. I never understood this one. Maybe it because I’m Jewish and the child of a scientist, but I never saw the conflict with Genesis or the Bible. Genesis doesn’t really weigh in on the subject. Even a literalist view (which I certainly don’t have admittedly) could leave a lot of room for alternative interpretation. Opposition to evolution in the developed world is peculiar to the United States and is primarily found among evangelicals. Most others do not share this belief. I would truly like to better understand the reasons for opposition to evolution, because it’s so foreign to me. Perhaps there is a much deeper issue at play. If we could get at that, we might be able to address the real difficulty.

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/12/30/publics-views-on-human-evolution/

Shabbat: When Time Stops

Some physicists say that time is ultimately an illusion. Shabbat feels a little like that. Time seems to stop. That’s when life comes close to ‘Olam haba, the world to come, eternity, home.

The Play of Poems and Dreams

Poems let you play with words, just as dreams let you play with images.

Finishing a Poem

Whenever I complete a poem or any writing project, I feel as if I’m sending my child into the world.

Death and Rebirth

How many times do we die before we die? Life is a series of transformations, shifting of shapes. We are constantly preparing for a next act.

Change

Human beings generally don’t like change, yet flexibility is the key to survival and flourishing.

Poetry as Fragments

I love poetry in part because of its fragmentary quality, like dreams.

Poems and Dreams

Poems resemble dreams in the rich symbolism their words express and the protean quality of their embedded images.

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Poetry: What it Does

At its most profound, poetry unites meaning, beauty, truth, wisdom, and love.

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Fragmentation and Integration

We don’t begin with integration. We conclude with it. Fragmentation is always a prelude to integration.

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Freshly Laundered Clothes

I enjoy the sensation of freshly laundered clothes. It gives me a feeling of freshness, comfort, and possibilities.