“God, Great Spirit, Hashem, or Allah…”Published: November 2, 2007
More strange course offerings at Loyola Marymount University“In this series we will focus on Native American Spirituality, Islam, Taoism, and the Divine Feminine as we continue our journey through the world's spiritual traditions,” says an advertisement for a Loyola Marymount University Extension course, titled “Wisdom Walk: Practices for Creating Peace and Balance from the World’s Spiritual Traditions.” The course, scheduled for Oct. 22 - Nov. 12 at the Los Angeles Jesuit university, asks students to select a practice from each tradition, incorporating it into their “daily practice, which also includes service in the world.” The course instructor is “the Rev.” Sage Bennet, PhD – the “Rev.” coming from the fact that she is an ordained minister at the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City. Agape teaches, according to its web site, the “New Thought-Ancient Wisdom tradition of spirituality.” Its teachings “embrace a Reality the world’s scriptures and sacred texts endeavor to describe, even as they acknowledge the impossibility of such a task. Some call it God, Great Spirit, Hashem, or Allah, while others simply prefer to leave it nameless. Agape teaches that this Spirit is the Source of our life, that we are made in its image and likeness, which makes us co-creative participants in the three-dimensional world in which we live.” Bennet has written a book with the same name as her LMU extension course. She is a teacher at five universities, according to her web site – including the University of California-Riverside and the University of Redlands. She leads workshops and retreats, and provides spiritual counseling. Bennet offers what she calls “Wisdom Seminars” – among which is “Awakening the Aphrodite Within,” described this way in a seminar advertisement: “Come join us for time with the goddess, Aphrodite, who has much to teach us about taking time to enjoy ourselves in the splendors of everyday life.” The seminar promises to help attendees “awaken their inner goddess of love and beauty,” and offers as topics: “tuning into aliveness, passion, taking time for pleasure, integrating feminine and masculine qualities, enjoyment, and fulfillment as a practically indulgent approach to life and relationships.” As a minister for the past eight years, Bennet “has performed sacred ceremonies such as weddings, memorials, and elegant transitions rituals.” In her consultations, called “Wisdom Readings,” Bennet “shares the fruits of her intuitive development with clients in one-on-one interactions… which display a unique combination of intuition and spiritual counseling,” says Bennet’s web site. “These sessions draw from the universal source of wisdom and provide spiritual guidance about the soul’s journey. Paths you may wish to explore include: finding your soul purpose, pursuing a life dream or reaching a goal, entering a new phase of life and others.”
For a Wisdom Reading, Bennet charges $75 per half hour, or $150 per hour.
Copyright California Catholic Daily 2007. All Rights Reserved. Link (here)
No comments:
Post a Comment