• Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Podcasts
  • News
  • Giving
  • Dribbble
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Email
Collegeville Institute

Bearings Online

Menu
  • Residency Programs
      • Scholars, clergy, church leaders, thinkers, artists, and writers who are seeking to discern and communicate the meaning of Christian identity and unity in a religiously and culturally diverse world are invited to apply for our residency programs.
      • Get Practical Information »
      • Apply for a Fellowship »
      • View 2020 Scholars »
      • Resident Scholars Program

        for those looking to stay a semester or a full academic year

      • Program Details
      • Work and Scholarship
      • Housing and Facilities
      • Application Process
      • Former Resident Scholars
      • Apply Now »
      • Short term Residencies

        for those looking to stay for a shorter period of time

      • Program Details
      • Living and Working
      • Application Process
      • Former Short Term Scholars
      • Apply Now »
    • Close
  • Writing Workshops
      • Each summer, the Collegeville Institute opens its doors to pastors, ministers, lay leaders, and other thinkers and writers for week-long, intensive writing workshops geared toward various levels of writing skill, genre and interest.
        Each fall, the Collegeville Institute partners with other institutes, seminaries, or churches to coordinate regional off-site workshops.
      • Get Practical Information »
      • View 2020 Workshops »
      • Explore Past Workshops »
      • Read Participant Stories »
      • At Collegeville:

      • Apart, and Yet a Part: A Workshop with Writing Coach Michael N. McGregor
      • In the Thick of It: Explorations of Advanced Topics in Prose Writing
      • Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging through the Personal Essay
      • Regional:

      • Writing for Mystic Activists
      • Mapping the Geography of Grace: A Writing Workshop for Clergy
      • Writing Spirit, Writing Faith: A Week with Mary Potter
      • Writing the Spiritual Life: A Creative Writing Workshop with Lauren Winner
    • Close
  • Vocation Projects
      • The Communities of Calling Initiative invites congregations into a 5-year project on vocation.
        The Collegeville Institute Seminars offer resources to explore calling in your community.
      • Vocation Projects Overview »
    • Resources on Vocation:

      • BridgeCalled to Life – a free program for small groups
      • Called to Work - hands at a laptopCalled to Work – a free program for small groups
      • FrancoisLives Explored – a video storytelling project
      • booksBooks – publications on vocation
    • Close
  • Fellows Program
    • Bringing together an ecumenical group of gifted Minnesota faith leaders, the Collegeville Institute Fellows Program focuses on leadership development with the goal of strengthening religious leaders’ sense of themselves as civic leaders.
    • Fellows Program Overview
    • Twin Cities Fellows Program
    • Rural Minnesota Fellows Program
    • Multi-Religious Fellows Program
    • Close
  • Faith and Writing
    • Good writing is essential to powerful theological education within congregations. In this section we highlight book reviews, provide resources for good writing, feature the writing of our program participants, and more.
    • Resources for Faith and Writing
    • Participant Publications
    • Bearings magazine
    • Submit Your Publication »
    • Close
  • Search
You are here: Home / About Us / Our Mission / Cultural

Cultural

The Collegeville Institute is committed to exploring and strengthening the link between ecumenical and cultural work. This commitment might best be expressed by Collegeville Institute board member and longstanding leader within the ecumenical movement, the late Br. Jeff Gros, FSC, as he defined direct ecumenism:

“Direct ecumenism is not merely theological. It also deals with images and art, providing a reconciling vision in fiction, music, poetry and the variety of visual arts; with events, especially, but not only with, worship; with rituals like pilgrimages, family practices, civic witness, and so forth; and a host of other elements of the human project informed by and directed toward the ministry of reconciliation.”

The Collegeville Institute’s commitment to cultural undertakings is expressed, much like our commitment to ecumenism, through lived relationships and daily life. In our residential program, we welcome resident and short-term scholars who are not only committed to academic scholarly work but also those committed to the arts. In 2011 we welcomed our first Artist-in-Residence, James Powers. During his full year stay, James, a visual artist, offered an exhibition of his work entitled, The Rendering of Other Worlds: An Exhibition of Computer Art. Most recently, we have welcomed painters, woodworkers, and illustrated journal artists.

HMML Gallery-Mike Becker1

Photo by Mike Becker

The natural beauty of the Institute’s setting, its relationship to the monastic communities, and its connection to the university and college make the Collegeville Institute ideal for those committed to cultural work. Saint John’s Abbey and University is home to renowned master potter, Richard Bresnahan; the recently completed, hand-written, hand-illuminated Saint John’s Bible; the 150 year-old practice of sustainable, handcrafted woodworking; and numerous shows, concerts and exhibits through the Fine Arts Series.

More in this Section

  • Our Mission
    • Research
    • Ecumenical
    • Cultural
  • Our Programs
  • Our Story
  • Where We Are
  • Collegeville Institute Greats
  • Staff
  • Board of Directors
  • Giving
  • Employment Opportunities

Latest News

Job Announcement: Executive Director

January 8, 2021

Resident Scholars Conclude Program on Zoom

December 18, 2020

Lauren Winner Leads Final 2020 Writing Workshop Online

December 14, 2020

Subscribe

Sign up for our email newsletter today, and keep up to date with what's going on at the Collegeville Institute.

Sign Up Today

Get Involved

Give online

Check out our writing workshops and our residential programs.

Contact Us

2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville, MN 56321

Phone: 320-363-3366
Email: staff@collegevilleinstitute.org

Map/Directions

Copyright © 2021 Collegeville Institute. Read our Privacy Policy.