Advent for Activists: Expanding our Understanding of the Divine through Parallel Study

December 14, 2021, 7:30pm Eastern Standard Time

Whatever our faith identity, and whether we are believers, skeptics or spiritual-but-not-religious, we are all affected by the Advent season in which Christians prepare for the birth of Jesus. For all of us it is often hard to see the Transcendent through the mirage of tinsel and consumerism. And yet the invitation contained in this season is to do precisely this. In this session, Rev. Natalie Perkins will open the doors to another layer of the Advent season that is accessible to us through the study of extracanonical scripture.

Director of Digital Ministry at Middle Collegiate Church and Co-Founder of the Tanho Center, Rev. Perkins is passionate about building connections between our contemporary journeys and the wisdom and inventiveness that these ancient texts contain.

The focus of our study on December 14th will be on a text called The Thunder: Perfect Mind, with discussion around the idea of Sankofa and the utility of our origin stories in our social justice work. For those who are new to extracanonical study, the evening will include an overview. This event is open to those of all faiths and paths.

To register for this online event, click here: Register for this event

Rev. Natalie Renee Perkins received her Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 2015 and was awarded the Karen Ziegler Feminist Preaching Prize. She became an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ denomination in 2020, and currently serves as Director of Digital Ministry at Middle Collegiate Church. She also serves as a chaplain/spiritual life advisor for NYU Global Spiritual Life and was recently awarded Chaplain of the Year. As a theologian, she is the co-founder of the Tanho Center where she lectures and works with extracanonical texts. She also works with the Westar Institute to bridge the gap between religious scholarship and the general public. Additionally, Natalie is a professional writer, musical theatre performer, and composer. Her album, Songs of Your Truth is available on any major music streaming and/or purchasing platform.