The 2007 Religion-Outside-The-Box Awards
Religion-Outside-The-Box helps people reclaim the heart of their religious life -- and honors those who light-lead the way. The following people are honored for finding and singing praises to God as they best understand how – and each in their own way.
Lori Hope Lefkovitz, Gottesman Professor of Gender and Judaism; Founder and Director, Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies at RRC.
http://www.Ritualwell.orgKolot brings insights and innovative practices from the academic study of gender and Judaism to the Jewish community. Kolot sponsors ritualwell.org, the best resource for contemporary, inclusive Jewish prayers and ceremonies; trains rabbinical students; offers graduate certification in Jewish Women's Studies (with Temple University); created Kolot's Rosh Hodesh: It's A Girl Thing!; is piloting a new social justice initiative for Ta'anit Esther; and sponsors conferences and publications.
Emmanuel Itier is a film-maker tackling the biggest and least containable of topics in his upcoming film: THE INVOCATION: LOOKING FOR GOD.
He has already interviewed, Religious and Spiritual Leaders, Historians, Scientists, Thinkers-Philosophers, and Entertainers. This monumental project is in good hands.
The movie hopes to show that in our looking for God we might get a chance to find that all of humanity are fellow seekers.
He welcomes your e-mail.
Mr. Deity (Brian Dalton, Jimbo Marshall, Amy Rohren, Sean Douglas)
Brian Dalton wrote:
I am a formerly religious person (non-bitter), and as such, have great sympathies for the beliefs and feelings of religious people. I love the fact that they are concerned with the big issues like Good and Evil, Existence, Creation, etc... I don't always agree with the answers they provide to these questions, but I deeply respect their concern. Our goal here is not to mock religion, but to use it (the concepts of God and religion) as a foundation for the humor. I'm thrilled that so many religious people have written to tell me that they love the episodes.
Mr. Diety is now Season Two — episodes can be viewed at mrdeity.com.
Pastor Bradley E. Schmeling inadvertently became the center of controversy in service to his church
He writes:
My calling has been to serve the church at St. John’s Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Atlanta, Georgia. At the same time, it has been deeply important to me to live with integrity as a gay partnered pastor. While this led to a church trial and my eventual removal from the clergy roster, I have hoped that my story, told to the whole church, could help move the Lutheran church forward to be a church that genuinely welcomes and celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons. By standing trial, forcing the church to enforce its discipline, the church was able to experience the devastating effects of its policy of preclusion. This led to a resolution, passed at its national assembly in Chicago, to encourage bishops to exercise restraint in discipline. While much work needs to be done to change the policy, the ELCA made a significant step forward. I hope that because of my trial, no other glbt pastor will have to stand trial again.
The board of ROTB would like to commend this courageous man for standing up for what he knows to be true.
"The Kirtan Rabbi"
(Rabbi Andrew M. Hahn, Ph.D. )Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D. - "The Kirtan Rabbi" - has been integrating Judaism with other Wisdom Traditions by means of chant, text-study, body-based meditation as well as political action. His main venue is to lead India-style kirtan in the Hebrew language. No knowledge of Judaism is necessary; indeed, Rabbi Hahn believes that it is precisely in chant where many of the world's religions can meet. On his harmonium, the instrument he most often plays, there is a bumper sticker which reads: 'God is too big to fit inside of one religion.' . The idea is to infuse Judaism - and religion in general - with a new form of spirit which is readily accessible, non-threatening and therefore fully participatory. Rabbi Hahn and those working with him view themselves as facilitators and definitely not as "performers."
A black belt several times over in karate, Rabbi Hahn led a large karate school in New York for many years. Over the last ten years, he has been studying Chinese internal martial arts related to tai chi chuan. Often called the "Tai Chi Rabbi," he integrates these practices into meditations at his Hebrew Kirtans - as well as by teaching separate sessions solely devoted to meditation and movement . He calls this practice "Tai Chi Kavannah" (Tai Chi Intention).
Rabbi Hahn's main mission is to bring these cutting-edge practices outside of the major urban centers to outlying areas. The idea is to complement the practices already in place, not to replace them or assume that something is lacking elsewhere. Rabbi Hahn is in the process of founding an organization which will fund faculty who will visit communities all over the United States bringing these complementary practices and teachings with them for evening or weekend seminars. He is also involved with Rabbis for Human Rights - leading chants for them recently at an interfaith rally against torture, for example. Rabbi Hahn is deeply committed to finding ways to use spiritual practice to effect 'Tikkun Olam' - or repairing the world.
Rabbi Hahn holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is involved with every branch of Judaism and considers himself to be post-denominational. Rabbi Hahn is working on two books: One entitled Quantum Judaism, and the other which takes a new look at the concept of "Chosenness."
Link to: The 2006 Religion-Outside-The-Box Awards
Link to: The 2005 Religion-Outside-The-Box Awards
If you have someone to nominate for the next set of Religion-Outside-The-Box awards, please e-mail who it is and why they might deserve such an honor.
Or if you just want to get an official "pat on the head" for doing your religious life not necessarily how you were told you "ought to" but how you "know you are supposed to" please let e-mail.