The Hidden Ground of Love
FULL AGENDA BELOW*
Hosted by the Siena Center at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, this gathering brings together members of the International Thomas Merton Society and the broader contemplative community for a day of talks, discussion, and shared reflection. The conference takes its inspiration from the Fons Vitae series and the conviction that Merton was a groundbreaker in articulating the universal truths of the contemplative life. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and registration, followed by welcoming remarks from Rachel Hart Winter and Mike Brennan, and the program runs through a 3 p.m. close.
The day features three substantial sessions. Sister Judith Sutera, OSB, opens with a reflection on contemplation across the world's religions, drawing from her work with the North American Board of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. Professor Joseph Quinn Raab follows with a talk on Merton's multi-religious metanoia and the persistent call to wake up to love's hidden wholeness. After lunch, Richard Putz explores the "point that belongs to God," using a See, Judge, Act framework to consider the true self, contemplation, and compassion. The afternoon concludes with a panel discussion bringing all three speakers together for questions and dialogue.
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8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Registration, coffee & sweet rolls
9:15 a.m. Welcome by Dominican – Rachel Hart Winter on behalf of Siena Center
Introductory Remarks by Mike Brennan – introduce our presenters, impetus for the conference (the Fons Vitae series), thanks to DU and ITMS
9:30 – 10:15 a.m. First Session – Sister Judith Sutera OSB on Contemplation Across the World’s Religions: Summary: Merton was a groundbreaker in promoting the universal truths of contemplative living. Today, the dialogue and sharing of what is common in the spiritual quest is often lost in concerns about differences. As a member of the North American Board of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, and a participant in the Vatican's symposium of Buddhist and Christian nuns in Taiwan, Sister Judith will look at the hunger for transcendence of all humanity and its importance in a troubled world. Sister Judith has Master’s degrees in counseling and monastic spirituality. She serves as an oblate director for the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, and as a writer, speaker, and retreat director. She edits Magistra, a journal of the history of women’s spirituality, and is the author of Wisdom from Saint Benedict (Lent and Advent volumes), The Vinedresser’s Notebook, and Benedict’s Rule: An Inclusive Translation and Daily Commentary.
(10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Questions/Discussion)
10:30 a.m. Break
11:00 – 11:45 a.m. - Second Session – Joseph Quinn Raab, S.T.L, Ph. D. on "Thomas Merton’s Multi-Religious Metanoia: Naming our Need to Wake up, Again and Again, to Love’s Hidden Wholeness."
Summary: Jesus said “Repent (μετάνοια), the kingdom of God is at hand.” This call/command to metanoia is literally a command to “change your mind!” or “go beyond your mind!” It carries the urgency of a shout and clapped hands - “WAKE UP!” Professor Raab’s talk explores Merton's encountering of that command, again and again, through Buddhist teachers he befriended, as well as his persistent need to go further along the path of his own on-going conversion (metanoia ). Merton emerges as one who today continues to echo Christ’s call to WAKE UP from the deceptions of “the world” built to hide God’s Kingdom and to hide us from it; and to WAKE UP to the grace that enables seekers to see that “we are already One," that "the Gate of Heaven is everywhere,” and indeed "The Kingdom of God is at hand!" Dr. Raab, who serves as vice-president of the International Thomas Merton Society, is the author of “Opening New Horizons - Seeds of a Theology of Religious Pluralism in Thomas Merton’s Dialogue with D. T. Suzuki.” He is Professor of Religious Studies and Theology at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Since 2012 he has served as coeditor of the Merton Annual: Studies in Culture, Spirituality, and Social Concerns. (11:45 a.m. – Noon: Questions, Discussion)
Noon – 1 p.m. Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Richard Putz - The Point That Belongs to God: Thomas Merton and the Universal Heart – Reflections on the True Self, Contemplation, and Compassion
Summary: What if the truest thing about you is something the world can never touch? Seen in all human beings throughout history in all religions? Drawing on the contemplative wisdom of Thomas Merton, The Point That Belongs to God invites you to look beneath the noise, the performance, and the masks — and discover the sacred center at the heart of every person. Using the simple framework of See, Judge, Act, this reflection offers not just a spiritual idea, but a practical path: toward deeper stillness, truer self-knowledge, and a more compassionate way of seeing the people around you as discovered in the religions of the world. If you've ever felt reduced to your roles, your résumé, or your mistakes, think about what it means to be the point that belongs to the Significant Other we call God. Richard Putz is a member of our Chicago Chapter-ITMS who has given talks on the crisis of Christian nationalism and the history of Black Catholics in the U.S. He is an internationally recognized thought leader in technology collaboration, digital strategy, data science, humanities, and social phase change. Besides speaking, writing, podcasting, blogging, and workshops, he teaches classes at the Forever Learning Institute in South Bend.
(1:45 – 2 p.m. Questions/Discussion)
2 p.m. – Panel discussion with all three speakers
3 p.m. - Conclusion