Reflective Reading Group
Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation
by Cindy S. Lee
Group led by Jen Goto
“Our current approach to formation comes out of the Western way of thinking and being, communicating that the white experience of God is the norm and authority.
In Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation, Cindy S. Lee proposes that we need a new way to engage in spiritual formation. To thrive in our increasingly diverse contexts, we need an unforming and a reforming of our souls.
Lee proposes that when we consider non-Western cultural ways of being—turning from linear to cyclical, from cerebral to experiential, and from individual to collective—the formation journey shifts. We live out these movements through postures, ways of entering into deeper spiritual transformation. The eight postures reflect our experience of time, generations, imagination, uncertainty, language, work, dependence, elders, and harmony.
Lee offers a more robust spirituality to hold the complexities of a multicultural God and the God-human relationship. Our Unforming is sure to inspire further conversation as it shifts how we approach formation in our diverse communities.”
Cindy Lee’s book has continued a much needed conversation in communities, like Bread of Life, that claim the importance of spiritual formation and the inclusion of diverse people and experiences.
We will engage in an active dialogue between the text and our lives, asking ourselves questions, such as:
WHAT IS MOST STRIKING IN WHAT I’M READING?
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OR ‘AH HA?’
WHAT IS THE PLACE OF GREATEST ‘PINCH’ OR RESISTANCE IN WHAT I’M READING?
HOW DOES WHAT I’M NOTICING SPEAK TO MY LIFE BY WAY OF CONFIRMATION OR CHALLENGE?
By engaging an open dialogue with one another with a willingness to both offer our perspective and to learn from others. Remembering that each person in the circle has sacred worth and value, we want to make space to hear every voice.
Learn more about Reflective Reading Groups here. We will explore the book and practice what connects to each of us personally. Each week we will read one section of the book- about 40 pages each week. Please get a copy of the book for yourself and read the introduction in advance of the first meeting.
Reflective reading Group
our unforming: de-westernizing spiritual formation
Tuesday Evenings
April 9-May 7, 2024
5:30-7:00 PM (Pacific)
This is a Hybrid offering: You can join in person at Bread of Life or live on zoom
Cost: $25 suggested donation
Registration is now closed
Jen Goto
Jen Goto is the Spiritual and Executive Director at Bread of Life Center. She is also an avid reader and seeks to be shaped through the many people who have offered wisdom through their writings. She believes that the work of being an antiracist and creating inclusive organizations is the work of spiritual formation.