Durango Unitarian Services & Events

Unless otherwise noted, all services are held at 10:00 a.m. at our new location:
419 San Juan Drive, Durango, CO 81301
(the corner of San Juan and Columbine, southwest of Needham Elementary)
Child Care Available

The public is invited.

SUMMER SERVICES

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango Presents
ETCHED IN STONE: THE POWER OF TEXTS

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango (UUFD) is pleased to offer a Summer Series in 2008 that should appeal to all. The series' topic centers on text: What constitutes a text? From whence does it derive its power? How can one interpret texts? Attendees will be invited to contemplate these topics as they relate to various well-known literary, political, and cinematic texts.

June 1
Etched in Stone: The Power of Texts - Katherine Burgess
"Don't believe everything you read in the newspaper." These words resonate with us all. Why do we, and why should we not, believe everything we read? This talk will attempt to elucidate the particular and appealing power of texts, from text messages to Holy Scripture. It will also attempt to provide listeners with a strategy for evaluating and interpreting them.

June 8
Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Judith Reynolds
Written in 1841, Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance" continues to have relevance for our time. What does he say? How do his ideas on individualism and one's "inner voice" contribute to the way we live our lives today?

June 15
The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Karen Sullivan
This presentation of the 19th Century novel The Awakening examines how Chopin's work captures the essence of women's need for independence and equality. It is also an example of how great literature that was once denied acclaim can resurface as an influential force for specific social causes. The Awakening reflects the struggle for freedom that women have formally engaged in for almost 150 years. This discussion will also focus on how Chopin's message continues to be influential in the 21st Century.

June 22
A Black Theology of Liberation by James Cone - Brooks Taylor
Liberation theology, a major movement in Latin America and the third world, has been thrust into public awareness in the current Presidential campaign. This talk will offer an overview of this early work of James Cone, an American theologian, emphasizing the themes and sources of his thought and the questions it raises.

June 29
The Bakkhai by Euripides - Katherine Burgess
Euripides' play describes events which transpire when Bacchus, the Greek God of wine, and release, returns to his native city of Thebes. Pentheus, the ruler of Thebes, refuses to recognize the god and neglects his worship, with fatal consequences. What lessons can we learn from Pentheus' fate?

July 6
The Declaration of Independence - Josh Doucette
This talk will focus on some of the people who had major roles in forming the Declaration of Independence, the environment in which the signing took place, major points made in the document, parts that were omitted, myths and legends about the signing (such as why John Hancock's signature is so large), and some of the people who were important to the document but have been forgotten by the history books.

July 20
Dynamics of Faith by Paul Tillich - Brooks Taylor
This short text of Paul Tillich addresses some of the central concepts of his Protestant theology. This discussion will focus on his ideas about religious symbolism, the role of doubt as integral to faith, and broader implications of his ideas on liberal religious practice.

July 27
Olympia, a 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl - Jim Cross
This talk will explore some of the political events surrounding the modern Olympics including the upcoming Beijing Games as well as touch on sport's relationship to society and war. Cross asserts that competition is more cooperative in nature than we think and that when it is combined with the best of both human movement and the human spirit, sport can be elevated to an art form. There are many athletes and sport events that have transcended sport and brought about social change.

August 3
Metamorphosis by Ovid - Judith Reynolds
One of the most prolific poets from Rome's Golden Age, Ovid (43 BCE - 17 AD) specialized in witty tales of love. In the Middle Ages the most popular work from the Classical era was Ovid's Metamorphoses. It was Chaucer's favorite book, and Shakespeare dipped into Ovid's tales for intriguing plots. Today, new translations keep popping up. What is so enduring about these stories of change and transformation?

August 10
Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian Epic - Sara Ransom
The ancient Mesopotamian tale of Gilgamesh is a 4,500 year old story describing one man's search for immortality. A timeless, poetic, and powerful story, it rocks you to your bones as the hero struggles against the inevitability of death -- both of those he loves and his own. As a king, he is powerful, reckless, and arrogant, but when his best friend dies, he fights against fate. Embittered and crazed with grief he makes his way to the ends of the earth seeking immortality -- and finally comes to terms with it all. You will recognize yourself her

 

THE PRESENTERS

Katherine Burgess
Currently an Adjunct Professor of Humanities at Pueblo Community College, Katherine only recently earned her Ph.D. in the Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas. She believes that, like most things, higher education is wasted on the young. She loves to introduce adults to the joys of learning.

Jim Cross
Jim is an Associate Professor of Exercise Science at Fort Lewis College and a former coach. He teaches courses in: Sport Science, Sport Ethics, Sport Sociology, Exercise Physiology and Sport in Film. Jim is a past President of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango.

Josh Doucette
Josh was raised in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, just a short drive from Boston, Lexington, and Concord. He would often make his dad take him to those places as a young boy, when he first became fascinated with American history. His particular fascination is with Thomas Jefferson, about whom he has read almost everything ever written.

Sara Ransom
A love of ancient mythology morphing with current events led Sara to her career as a storyteller. A love of the outdoors has led her to mountain biking, river-running, backpacking, x/c skiing and snowshoeing.

Judith Reynolds
Judith is a journalist, biographer, and former art history professor. She holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan and since her college years has been affiliated with the Unitarian Church.

Karen Sullivan
A native Californian, Karen holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Anthropology from Cal State Fullerton. She is currently employed as an Adjunct Professor at Pueblo Community College in Durango where she teaches anthropology and sociology.

Brooks Taylor
As a member of the UUFD for the past 7 years Brooks has served briefly as Secretary to the Board and Vice-President for Programs. His previous presentations to the Fellowship have included talks on the poetry of William Blake, contemporary ideas about the Book of Job, just and unjust war, and images of god for the 21st century.