Planting Gardens of Belonging
Our cultural moment is marked decisively by a bitter, national upheaval. The ramifications of such division are evident in the ongoing reformation of social and civic life that has fundamentally reshaped the American landscape for the next generation of public...
Spiritual Solutions for Political Community Flourishing
In the midst of the prevailing division, polarization, and self-interest in public life, the Fetzer Institute is asking: how can we live a better version of our civic lives? We believe a spiritual dimension has been missing in the public...
Civic Friendship in Jewish Thought
Recently, the Fetzer Institute had the honor of interviewing our partner, Dr. Shira Billet from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Dr. Billet's research focuses on the beginnings of modern Jewish philosophy and its place within the history of philosophy, especially...
Dear Spiritual Innovators, You Are Not Alone.
The first time I heard the word “spiritual innovators” was at a gathering at the Fetzer Institute called Sharing Spiritual Heritage. I looked around the room of extraordinary spiritual leaders and thought they probably made a mistake by inviting me....
On Realistic Hope: A Reflection on Advent, Diwali, and Hanukkah
“Every spiritual journey is a pilgrimage, an exercise in anticipation and hope.” — Image Journal, “Every Breath a Birth” The closing months of the year often come with mixed emotions. Although this season is typically marketed as joyful and filled with...
Seasons Retreat Center
[embed]https://vimeo.com/1127558955?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci[/embed] Welcome. An Invitation to Pause. Seasons is a place where stillness welcomes you, the woods hold you, and every breath invites you deeper into presence. Nestled beside the Fetzer Institute, this sanctuary offers space for reflection, renewal, and meaningful...
New Open-Access Book Explores the Intersection of Spirituality and Technology
As emerging technologies continue to shape various aspects of human life, a new open-access book explores a critical question: How is technology transforming our experience of the Sacred? Published by Springer with support from the Fetzer Institute, the open-access eBook Redefining...
What the Breakfast Plate Teaches Me
A reflection on spiritual imagination from the first Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, Bhutan [caption id="attachment_8499" align="aligncenter" width="394"] Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest monastery, Bhutan[/caption] The journey from the United States to Bhutan took me fifty hours, door to door,...
Freedom of Spirit: Celebrating John Fetzer
Our founder, John E. Fetzer, spent a lifetime following a deep spiritual yearning as documented in Brian C. Wilson’s book John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age. The book was recently awarded the Historical Society of Michigan's...
Telling Stories with Soul: Meet the 2019 ivoh Fellows
Journalists, in their role as storytellers, can sometimes become emotionally hardened from crafting stories about social injustice, breach of trust, fear, and violence. Life’s daily kindnesses and community triumphs aren’t always easy tales to find. But a Fetzer Institute partnership...