Rev. Alan Borsak, Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, Archbishop Marianne Budde, Archdeacon Rosaline Cantratant Elm, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan and Rev. Claudio Carvalhaes.
On April 13, 2024, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, Professor of Systematic Theology at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, co-led “Spirituality for Social Justice” with Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Interim Dean of EDS, a one-day seminar exploring the critical role of spiritual practice in social justice work. Dr. Douglas and Dr. Kwok offered insights into what spirituality means to them in the context of justice work and invited guest speakers Rev. Dr. Alan Borsak, Archbishop Marianne Budde, Rev. Claudio Carvalhaes, Archbishop Rosaline Cantlahat-Elm, and Rev. Jim Merritt to do the same.
The day began with a discussion between Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and Dr. Kwok Pui Lan on the relationship between spirituality and social justice. Dr. Kwok Pui Lan said, “In times like these, [so many] “How can we live our lives with hope and integrity beyond religion, race and forms of violence? What is the food for our journey? Where can we find it? Who are the other pilgrims who are on the journey to find God and to be prophets and lights in this very difficult world?” Dr. Douglas added, “When I talk about spirituality for social justice, I’m not just thinking about a supportive spirit but a transformative spirit – a spirit that transforms and expands our moral imagination so that we have a broader, expansive and inclusive understanding of what justice means.”
From there, Dr. Douglas was joined in conversation by South African theologian and anti-apartheid activist Dr. Alan Borsak, who discussed how his unwavering faith sustained him in the face of oppression and violence. “Spirituality means being intimately connected to God in everything I do. My worship of God in the sanctuary should be my worship of God in the streets,” he said. Dr. Borsak also reflected on how he reconciled the Jesus he knew with the Jesus the colonialists claimed. “The only Jesus who is truly Jesus is the one who takes on the wounds of the people and the wounds of the world,” he said.
Dr. Kwok Pui Lan then hosted a session with Archdeacon Rosalyn Cantratant Elm, Director of Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs for the Diocese of Huron, and the Rev. Jim Merritt, Chaplain and Director of Eastern European Affairs for the Global Justice Institute, to hear about their social justice work on the ground and how their spiritual discipline permeates their ministry. They shared how they maintain their spiritual discipline on a daily basis and the importance of taking care of ourselves when working in areas that directly confront injustice.
The final guest speaker of the day was Bishop Marianne Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Diocese of Washington. Bishop Budde spoke about the foundations of her ministry in spirituality and social justice, and her personal journey in understanding how the two are interconnected. “When we think of social justice as a way of trying to embody love for all people, not just some, and human dignity for all people, not just the ‘blessed’ or ‘lucky,’ it is a commitment to ensuring that no child of God is denied the full experience of being human,” she said.
Throughout the day, it was recognized that spirituality is not merely an intellectual discipline, but rather an embodied experience. Thus, the day was filled with song, including “Breathe” by Maverick City Music featuring Jonathan McReynolds and Chandler Moore, “God Who Sees Us” by Gloria Funchain, and seminar-exclusive performances by systematic theologian, legal scholar, and gospel singer Byron Ratty, and Tony Alonso, professor of Candler Theological Seminary and sacred music composer. The seminar also hosted small discussion groups throughout the day to encourage community reflection and learning. The seminar ended with a liturgy by Rev. Claudio Carvalhaes, professor of worship and practical theology at Union Theological Seminary. Rev. Carvalhaes led a participatory ritual that grounded participants in connecting with the earth as a source of spiritual sustenance for the work of justice. “Spirituality and social justice,” as Dr. Carvalhaes said, “are two wings of the same bird.”
