“Increasingly I have a sense that you are becoming an important writer in the Church.” --Henri J.M. Nouwen Prolific spiritual author and priest, in a letter early in Chris Glaser’s vocation as a writer.
Glaser's blog, Progressive Christian Reflections, has attracted 26,000 visits and 200 subscribers in its first year! It is written for all those who hope for an embodied spirituality, an inclusive church, a just and compassionate world, and a faith that welcomes reason, science, experience, the arts, as well as other spiritual perspectives.
Of progressive Christians, Chris writes (Feb. 15 blog post): “Love starts when you see the real person, not the one you invented. This is as true of God as it is of a person. Progressive Christians don’t love God less because we search for the essential; rather we trust God more.”
A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Glaser has written a dozen books and contributed to twenty others. He has spoken and led retreats and workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada for hundreds of congregations, campuses, and community groups. Chris has also served in a variety of parish and campus ministries, as well as editor of Open Hands, an ecumenical magazine for inclusive congregations, and creator of two curricula for the Human Rights Campaign. (See writings page for links.)
Author Bishop John Shelby Spong says Chris writes “with the heart of a pastor, the sensitivity of a therapist, and the insight of a theologian.” Sue Mosteller, C.S.J., of the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust, said of Chris’s recent book, “I found myself in the privileged company of a friend and master, sharing his kind spirit, his deep wisdom, and his compassionate heart.”
For more details, please browse these pages—bio, books, writings, and possible topics for presentations, workshops, and retreats.
Apr. 29, 2012, 11 a.m.
Sunday Celebration at First Existentialist Church, Atlanta
Chris will be speaking on "Struggling for Blessings," reflecting on progressive aspects of religion, despite the struggles--even because of the struggles!
Oct. 4 – 7, 2012 Annual Retreat of Gay and Bisexual Christian Men
Kirkridge Retreat & Study Center, Bangor, PA
For more info, click here (PDF).
To register, click here.
This annual ecumenical gathering encourages gay and bisexual Christian men to reflect on what it means to be men, what it means to be gay or bisexual, and what it means to be Christian. Our focus this year will be on claiming the blessings—despite the burdens!—of our various traditions. Joining Rev. Chris Glaser as co-presenter this year is Dr. David Mellott, Dean at Lancaster Theological Seminary. He holds a Master of Arts in Religious Studies and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a B.A. in English Literature and Latin American Studies from The Pontifical College Josephinum. He has also studied at Sorbonne University in Paris and the Goethe Institute in Munich.
We enjoy the featured speakers’ presentations, small groups, worship, optional workshops, free time, socials, meals, and a closing Sunday Eucharist. The 50-100 men who attend this annual event are a mix of newcomers and regulars, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and unaffiliated, most from the U.S. but some from Canada, both lay people and clergy, single or coupled, some heterosexually married, most middle-aged or older but some young, most gay but many bisexual. Transgender men are welcome. We are a wide range of Christians, from progressive to conservative to “recovering”!
Feb. 28 – Mar. 3, 2013
Henri Nouwen: The Wounded Healer
Columbia Theological Seminary, Atlanta, GA
Spiritual Formation Program. Click here for info and registration.
A seminar based on the life and writings of Henri J. M. Nouwen, led by his student and friend, Chris Glaser. During his lifetime, Nouwen published more than forty books on the spiritual life. Over a dozen more have emerged from his files and other writings since his death in 1996. A Roman Catholic priest and seminary professor, Nouwen became widely known by one of his earlier books, in which he described the minister (every Christian) as The Wounded Healer.
Nouwen’s death prompted Glaser to begin leading workshops and retreats on his spiritual mentor’s work to help others discern and cultivate their own spirituality based on his legacy, culminating in Henri’s Mantle: 100 Meditations on Nouwen’s Legacy (Pilgrim Press, 2002). No previous exposure to Henri is necessary, and those familiar with his writings will be enriched by additional details and insights. Recommended reading in preparation for the course are Nouwen’s Can You Drink the Cup?, The Inner Voice of Love, The Return of the Prodigal Son and Glaser’s Henri’s Mantle.
