December 3, 2021
In this episode, Wendy speaks with professor and Episcopal priest, Bobbi Patterson. Bobbi’s work integrates Christian contemplation, Buddhist meditation, contemplative pedagogy, the role of place, and adaptive resilience. This conversation covers many topics, including:
- contemplative Christian traditions;
- the power of silence;
- dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism;
- a Christian contemplative view of mind;
- women in the church;
- how to listen to a place;
- bringing students into nature and urban settings;
- the role of the body in contemplation;
- understanding burnout;
- and adaptive and land-based resilience.
Bobbi Patterson (she/her), PhD, Professor Emerita, cultivates conversation, discovery, and action born at the intersection of contemplative practice and community engagement. Trained academically as an Interdisciplinarian, her research and publications range from women’s embodied spirituality to Christian contemplative traditions to place-based knowledge and pedagogies for earth-care. Building relationships by listening to stories, she supports locally led reflections and acts of adaptive resilience—the ongoing work of staying with troubles to discern adaptive next steps. Her nationally awarded teaching builds on a range of strategies linking learning to work for positive change. An Episcopal priest and member of the Fellowship of St. John the Evangelist, a monastic community, she has studied Buddhist teaching and practices for many years. Her recent book (2020) is Building Resilience Through Contemplative Practice: A Field Manual for Helping Professionals and Volunteers.
Resources
Faculty page at Emory University
Website on resilience
- Book: Building Resilience Through Contemplative Practice: A Field Manual for Helping Professionals and Volunteers. (Routledge, 2020)
- Video lecture on resiliency, how it is seen in nature, and how can we utilize the model of resiliency to deal with current challenges (13 min)
- Resilience and Sustainability Collaboratory at Emory University
- Courage of Care — Spiritual Activism
View or download a transcript of this episode
Podcast extra: Bobbi reflects on the role of place in an increasingly digital world