07-814 Integral Spirituality: Exploring the Common Core of Human Wisdom

With Dr. Kurt Johnson, Ph.D. and Rev. Michael Pergola, JD, MBA




OSIS Credit Value: 2
$550 Public, $495 OSLA Students & Alumni
Distance Learning ONLY

Adjunct Courses to Integral Spirituality Include:

• 07-820 The Evolutionary Journey from Dirt to God
• 07-815 Enneagram: Nine Faces of the Ego and Nine Aspects of Essential Presence
• 07-811 Voice Dialogue – Understanding the Deep Terrain of our Inner Landscape
  
  

We are approaching a point in human history where the heritage of human wisdom at the core of the world’s great spiritual, philosophical and ethical traditions will either coalesce into a rich, multi-textured resource for our species' further evolution, or become a stumbling block that causes conflict, chaos and perhaps extinction.

It is very recent that writers such as Ken Wilber, Brother Wayne Teasdale and others have integrated the full spectrum of that wisdom with contemporary knowledge in psychology, science and the humanities. Only today is it possible to access a complete picture of the entire heritage of human wisdom. Such a holistic study has the potential to open our hearts in ways that lead to a better understanding of the human condition and a deeper capacity to act skillfully even under difficult conditions.

This course will integrate Ken Wilber’s recent work Integral Spirituality, Wayne Teasdale’s The Mystic Heart, and other contemporary theories to provide a clearer picture of what it means to be fully human. In the light of Wilber’s comprehensive map of human consciousness we will explore practices and perspectives that encourage our development as complete human beings. Students will find it easy to learn the Integral Map, including; levels, lines, states, types, quadrants, and zones. You will also become familiar with the common teachings at the heart of all the great traditions, as well as the various ways each tradition understands identity and consciouness. Each class will include a mix of lecture, discussion, experiential exercises and spiritual practices designed to open the heart, awaken the mind and develop a deep capacity for skillful action.

Dr. Kurt Johnson works professionally across a number of fields: world religions, spirituality, ethics, science, literature and business. Active internationally in trans-traditional spiritual practice, he is a founding member, with Bro. Wayne Teasdale, of InterSpiritual Dialogue in Action. He has also been a founder of the Coalition for OneVoice and the World Wisdom Alliance. Dr. Johnson is a member of Ken Wilber’s east coast Integral Alliance and Deepak Chopra’s Global Networking Leaders group. He was a co-host at the 2004 Parliament of World Religions, is on the faculty of the Humanist Institute and serves on the board of One Spirit Learning Alliance. Kurt is the author of numerous articles and books in science, literature and spirituality. He serves on the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s panel on the Dialogue of Science, Ethics, and Religion. For over a decade Kurt was a monk in the Christian tradition and is today a recognized teacher in the Hindu “Oneness” tradition of Advaita Vedanta. His primary interest is the profound simplicity of contemplative practice and its global application to conscious living.

Rev. Michael Pergola MA, MBA, JD. Co-Founder & President of One Spirit Learning Alliance has pursued an understanding of consciousness in individuals and collectives for over 30 years. A long time student of the world’s wisdom traditions, he served as Chief Knowledge Officer at a large bank for six years, and practiced law at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering for nine years. He has a JD and MBA from Cornell University and a Masters in Organizational Dynamics and Individual Development from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an Enneagram teacher, a facilitator, mediator, meditation teacher, biofeedback practitioner, and executive coach. He teaches and consults to Fortune 500 companies in the areas of leadership, communication, organizational learning and creativity. He develops and teaches courses in a wide variety of areas including: Integral Spirituality, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life, and Spiral Dynamics. In his various roles Michael applies his understanding to support others in developing personal mastery and the capacity for skillful action.