Advent Series: Embodying Faith, Week 4

Week 4: Christianity & The Body
What does it mean that Christ took on human flesh and was “born from the virgin Mary”? In this last session, we will look at some of the complexities of bodily existence, and notice how Jesus invites us into an even more fully embodied human experience, by challenging the innate human desire to reject the body and “become like gods.” We’ll also take some time to process the discussions from the last four weeks as we consider together what this invitation to Christ-like embodiment might mean for us in our everyday lives.

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Kristen Leigh Mitchell earned her M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University in NYC, where she spent four years researching the relationship between religion, spirituality, psychology, theology, and the arts. Her master’s thesis offered a cultural and historical analysis of how Western churches came to define the relationship between the “sacred” and the “secular.” She has published articles on early Christian music, liturgy, medieval church history, theology and film, artistic vocation, and Biblical interpretation. Kristen spent several years working as resident librarian and later Assistant Director for The Servant Leadership School, a spiritual formation program based in NC that teaches embodied faith through contemplative spiritual practices in the context of ecumenical Christian community. She also just so happens to be Joe’s wife!

You can learn more about Kristen’s writing and other work by visiting her website: www.kristenleighmitchell.com