Presenter: Brian Robinette, associate professor of theology, Boston College
March 23, 2024

22nd ANNUAL EVELYN UNDERHILL LECTURE IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY
Beyond the Reactive Mind: Christian Contemplative Practice in Polarized Times

We live in cultures of anger and blame, of sloganeering and comparisons with others. The result? Highly habituated reactive mental habits leading to fragmented identities and the sense that union with God is something we must acquire. Rooted in the conviction that awakening to the depths of our humanity is awakening unto God, Christian contemplative practice invites us to discover a gracious stillness that is always present, and which releases the clutter and projective fantasies of the reactive mind – if we allow it. Brian Robinette’s talk addresses this awakening process, and the luminous depths it opens, as key to our becoming human in polarized times.

Sponsored by Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry

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