Oregon-raised and now based in Durham, NC, Elizabeth "Libbie" Schrader is a doctoral candidate in Early Christianity at Duke University. Her studies focus on Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of John, textual criticism, and feminist theology.
Schrader has recently transitioned to religious scholarship after a long career as a singer/songwriter. She was the first winner of the Pantene Pro-Voice competition in 2001, after a performance opening for Jewel at SummerStage in New York's Central Park. You can watch a video of that performance
?Schrader's band also took part in Jewel's "Soul City Cafe" program for independent artists, and opened three shows on Jewel's "This Way" tour. She has opened for other artists as diverse as India.Arie, Michelle Branch, Ray LeMontagne, and Rusted Root.
Schrader's "Magdalene" song is what originally inspired her to study Mary Magdalene, beginning her journey in a Master's program at General Theological Seminary and culminating in the publication of her Master's thesis in the
Diana Butler Bass (Ph.D. Duke University) is an award-winning author and internationally known public speaker and thought leader on issues of spirituality, religion, culture, and politics.
She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, CBS, and FOX, has been interviewed on numerous radio programs, including shows on NPR, CBC, and Sirius XM, and has work featured in numerous print and online newspapers and magazines including Time, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. From 1995-2000, she wrote a weekly column for the New York Times Syndicate. She was a founding blogger for both Beliefnet and Huffington Post religion. Her bylines include the Washington Post and Atlantic.com. She has preached and taught in hundreds of church, college, and conference venues in North America and beyond.
Diana is the author of ten books, the most recent being Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks in which she offers suggestions for reclaiming gratitude that can lead to greater connection with God, our loved ones, our world, and even our souls.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Diana Butler Bass was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, and loves Santa Barbara, California as her soul hometown. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Richard Bass, and their dog, Rowan. These days, she balances travel (which she loves) with her concerns for Virginia politics, a passion for environmental issues, supporting local farms, reading poetry, cooking, gardening, Washington Nationals baseball, and Duke basketball.
You can follow her online at
Larycia Hawkins, PhD., is a scholar, a political science professor, and activist. While a professor at a Christian university, Wheaton College, she declared her intention in a viral Facebook post to don a hijab in embodied solidarity with Muslim sisters throughout the season of Advent. Her actions initiated a national and international conversation about the nature of God and the possibilities for multi-faith solidarity in a time where Islamaphobia, xenophobia, religiously-motivated hate crimes, and racism are more prolific than any time in history. Living out the Sermon on the Mount also resulted in a legal separation from Wheaton College, where she was the first black woman to receive tenure in the universitys historya history inclusive of being a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Today, Professor Hawkins is General Faculty in the Departments of Politics and Religious Studies at the University of Virginia; serves as Faculty in the Religion, Race, and Democracy Lab; is a co-convener of the Religion and its Publics Project of the Henry Luce Foundation; and is a Faculty Fellow on the Race, Faith, and Culture Project at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture.
Hosted by Diana Butler Bass
Dates: September 20 - 23, 2020
Place:
Bring: Your heart, your hopes, your wisdom.
We all know it. These are hard days for women who are clergy, writers, spiritual directors, and educators in faith communities and public callings. We persist, but feel exhausted. We speak, but struggle for wisdom. We serve, but forget ourselves.
We need a place to breathe. Together.
Join host and featured speaker, Diana Butler Bass for Breathe. An intimate gathering - a time to be refreshed through conversation and care
We will talk about what matters, how to lead our communities, classrooms, and congregations in a fractious political time, listen to and learn from one another, walk on the beach at sunrise, and celebrate God and the goodness that sustains us. So we can find new strength and courage to face the months ahead.
SCHEDULE - (Details subject to change without notice.)
Sunday, September 20: Calling
3 - 7 PM: Check-in and dinner on your own
7 - 9 PM: Music, centering, Opening presentation by Diana Butler Bass, Reception in the courtyard, Chapel-by-the-Sea
Monday, September 21: Care and Community
Early Morning: Yoga on the beach, Centering prayer, Breakfast on your own
9 AM -12 PM: Program, including presentation by Diana Butler Bass and conversation groups
12 - 1:30 PM: Lunch on your own
1:30 - 3:30 PM: Afternoon Sessions, featuring Libbie Schrader speaking on Mary Magdalene
5 - 7 PM Dinner on your own
7 - 9 PM: Special Event: The Power of Women Speaking A special evening watching the film, "Same God," and a conversation w/Larycia Hawkins and filmmaker Linda Midgett -
Tuesday, September 22: Courage
Early Morning: Yoga on the beach, Centering prayer, Breakfast on your own
9 - 12 AM: Program, featuring Mihee Kim Kort and conversation group
12 - 1:30 PM: Lunch on your own
1:30 - 3:30 PM: Afternoon options
6 - 9 PM: Optional dinner cruise (separate ticket; more information coming soon)
Wednesday, September 23 (Additional Registration)
Telling Our Stories: A Writers Workshop
If you are a writer or dream to be a writer, stay an additional morning in Clearwater Beach for a half-day writers workshop, led by Diana Butler Bass and Jim Chaffee of Chaffee Management Group.
9-10:30 AM: Memoir as a Spiritual Practice Diana shares the pitfalls and promises of writing memoir, how to explore and frame personal stories as a way of doing theology and sharing spiritual practices. This is geared toward those wanting to write books and articles, but also will be helpful for sermon writers.
11 AM -noon: The Business of Books Diana and Jim in conversation about agents, platform building, and the work of marketing books without sacrificing either your values or your sanity.
Space is limited for both of these events.
HOTEL: Fairfield Inn & Suites Clearwater Beach, one block from Chapel-by-the-Sea, is offing a special rate for registrants of Breathe click
ACCESSIBILITY: All major meeting spaces for Breathe at Chapel-by-the-Sea are wheelchair accessible. Please call the church for more details.
She loves all things Church, and believes in what God is doing in and through it despite the huge failings and egos that plague the all-too-human institution. But, because it was born out of the margins where Gods spirit has always moved and been present she is doing everything she can to see it and help others to feel it, too.