About
This Wisdom School retreat was recorded live in August 2010 in Assisi, Italy, and revised and re-released in 2017. This purchase includes an MP3 audio download with a total running time of approximately 10 hours. In this seven-day pilgrimage and Wisdom School, Cynthia Bourgeault is joined by Ward Bauman and Susanne Olin to explore the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare as models of conscious love. Set in Assisi, “The City of God,” the retreat combines teaching with contemplative practice, chant, and visits to sacred sites. Francis and Clare’s path of radical surrender, embodiment, immolation, and salvation is presented as a template for sustained love in our own lives. Themes include the inner meaning of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; the relationship between eros and agape; conscious love and its integration with embodiment; peacemaking and reconciliation; ecological vision; and the transformation of suffering. Through their lives, Francis and Clare shed light on early Christian thought about the body, human sexuality, renunciation, and the natural world. Participants are also introduced to grounding practices and contemplative Compline with chant. Ward Bauman is an Episcopal priest and former Director of the Episcopal House of Prayer at St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota. He lived in Iran for many years, where he studied Sufism and Buddhism, and has authored a number of books. Susanne Olin is an interfaith minister and spiritual counselor with a Master’s in Human Development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She leads retreats and spiritual programs through Ahimsa Ventures. Cynthia Bourgeault is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and internationally known retreat leader. She is the author of numerous books, including The Wisdom Jesus and The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, and is recognized for her pioneering work in integrating the Christian contemplative path with other global streams of wisdom.