Religious Education 

Adult Religious Education

Adult Religious Education typically happens on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. during the school year. Childcare is also available from 6:00 to 9:00 PM each Wednesday. Classes vary widely, from week to week and month to month. Some are part of a series and some are single classes. In the past we have had classes on meditation, mythology, paganism and so on. The most regular series, which happens several times a year, is the "New UU Class."

Current Class Offerings

Introduction to Earth Centered Spirituality;

October 29-January 14;

Palmer Hall (Morgan House).

Come join us in discovering earth-based spiritualities and personal beliefs. The course will feature a mix of lecture, discussion, journaling, guided meditations, and other activities and will explore connections between Paganism and UUism. It will be taught by Mat Culpepper and will use the text Paganism: an Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions, by River and Joyce Higginbotham. See www.firstuunashville.org/education/are.php for more information.

Spiritual Movie Series: 2012 the Odyssey

Sanctuary

January 7

Join Sharron Rose as she travels across the USA speaking to respected researchers about this fast approaching “end date.” This film shows us that the coming world is ours to reshape and to remake in any way that we deem possible. It reminds us that we need not be victims of events beyond our control. Discussion facilitated by Dana Croy.

For More Information: http://www.firstuunashville.org/wp/ (click on Adult Religious Education)

Reading Sacred Texts: The Analects of Confucius and the I Ching

Fireside Room

January 7 - 28

Can the words of spiritual seekers past ring true for us today? We invite you to come and explore questions of relevance and revelation in this ongoing series, open to all on a drop-in basis. During the month of January, Cathy Changwill lead us in an exploration of the Analects of Confucius and the I Ching.

The Spirit of the Enneagram

Emerson Room

January 7 – February 18

Join Cindi Brown and Mary Beth Rossfor a six-session introduction to the Enneagram system of personality typing. In this course, we will explore the impact of nine different life strategies on relationships, personal fulfillment, and spiritual growth. Learn more at http://enneagramagency.blogspot.com.

January 7: 2012 the Odyssey by Gregg Braden.

Join Sharron Rose as she travels across the USA speaking to respected researchers about this fast approaching “end date.” Importantly this film … 2012 The Odyssey … shows us that the coming world is ours to reshape and to remake in any way that we deem possible. It reminds us that we need not be victims of events beyond our control. Very informative and thought-provoking.

February 4:How to Know God by Deepak Chopra

Based on the hugely popular book by best-selling author Deepak Chopra, How To Know God is an exciting insightful journey towards a better understanding of one of life’s greatest mysteries. Uniquely blending science and philosophy, Chopra offers such an inspiring approach in spiritual thinking that any viewer regardless of faith can undergo a profound quest to know God and attain a new concept of what they think they know! And ultimately through Chopra’s brilliant narration one may come to understand that the quest for God is really a journey in self-understanding. Thought-provoking, practical, and thoroughly entertaining.

Recommended Reading: Any books by Deepak Chopra

March 4: The Da Vinci Code from Ron Howard by Dan Brown

Dan Brown’s international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® Winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code “involving” and “intriguing,” “a first rate thriller.”

Recommended Reading: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown;Angels and Demons by Dan Brown;The Woman with the Alabaster Jar by Margaret Starbird; Holy Blood Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln, and Richard Leigh

April 1:You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

This entertaining and inspirational movie based on the best-selling book of the same name is hosted by author and teacher Louise L. Hay. This film gives penetrating insights into Louise’s fascinating personal story and shows how her views on self-esteem, abundance, and the metaphysical causes behind physical ailments were developed. It also reveals how she applied these concepts to her own emotional, spiritual, and professional life. A number of luminaries in the fields of self-help, philosophy, health, spirituality, and New Thought join Louise, giving their take on success, happiness, and the myriad ways in which people can heal their own lives.

Recommended Reading: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

May 6: 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama by Rick Ray

How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet. Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure and part politics, 10 Questions for The Dalai Lama conveys more than history and more than answers - it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring man. If you had only one hour, what would you ask?

Movies start at 7 p.m.

We seek meaning and purpose. We crave knowledge and comfort. We strive for wisdom and fulfillment. And we are not alone. All the questions we ask of ourselves and of our world have been asked before. Woven through the sacred texts of the world’s religions, we find ways that others have asked and answered these questions, have taken their inner revelations and expressed them in outward form.

Can the words of seekers past ring true for us today? We invite you to come and explore these questions of relevance and revelation in this ongoing series, open to all on a drop-in basis. Through the course of the year, different members of our community will lead us in looking at a variety of sacred and spiritual texts from around the world and considering how they might deepen our spiritual lives today.

January 7 – 28
The Analects of Confucius and the I Ching with Cathy Chang

February 4 – 25
Unitarian and Universalist works with Gail Seavey

March 4 – 25
The Upanishads with Ram Sriraminam

April 1 – 29
Romans and Corinthians with Dave Tabb

May 6 – 27
Writings of Ken Wilbur with Richard Ruach

The listing for The Spirit of the Enneagram class in the current newsletter says it will meet January 7 - 28. Some of you may have noted that this is not six weeks. This is because the classes will actually run through February 18. More information at http://enneagramagency.blogspot.com.

Join us in discovering earth-based spiritualities and personal beliefs in an eight-week adult education course to be taught by Mat Culpepper. The book Paganism: an Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions, by River and Joyce Higginbotham, will be used as a text with the course.

With its focus on personal responsibility, the freedom of all to search for meaning and to live according to one’s own beliefs, and the honoring of the interdependent web of life, Earth-centered spirituality has much in common with Unitarian Universalist principles. The connections between Paganism and UUism will be explored further in the course.

The class will feature a mix of lecture, discussion, journaling, guided meditations and other activities. Topics covered include the earth-centered sacred year, Pagan perceptions of the Divine and attitudes toward belief, Pagan holidays and worship styles, the concept of a living, conscious, interdependent universe, what magick is and how it works, Pagan viewpoints on Satan, and ethics. The course will also give students a taste of the kind of self-inquiry Pagans encounter in their studies of Paganism, as well as offer tools to help students identify their personal values and goals.

Mission Statement

The Unitarian Universalist covenant commits us to encourage each other in spiritual growth and to promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The Adult Religious Education Committee of First UU Nashville exists to fulfill that part of our covenant.

We are powerful when we are educated. The ARE committee of First UU Nashville will offer classes and discussions to promote growth in body, mind, and spirit. These will be in harmony with UU principles and will encourage a safe exchange of ideas. Our goal is for the members of our congregation to be better as individuals and more committed to living our faith and improving the world.

It is also the task of the ARE committee to promote the growth of First UU Nashville in particular and the UU religion in general. To this end, the committee will welcome anyone from outside our congregation who wishes to participate in our goals and will maintain contacts with sympathetic organizations in the community.