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newsletter- Mailchimp – username: jaymereaves and password: LunaPiggyCody3!
Contact form to send via email ( *choose subject for email – More Info, Ask a Question, Booking Enquiry, Other* )
Email address: jayme@jaymereaves.com ( *in a format to avoid spam? Or just leave off? * )
Jayme R. Reaves - Site Map with Content
Note on tone:
I want the website to feel personal, informal and yet professional. I know what I’m doing, I’m confident in my ability to do it, but I’m not going to blow smoke up your arse.
Editorial notes are denoted by (* …. *)
Home
Theology for the public (or “I am a theologian for the public.”) / Let’s start a conversation.
3 buttons:
- Ask a Question
Text for under the button: Do you have questions about faith? Do you have curiosity about religion and the big and small questions of life? Are you seeking a safe outlet to explore new ideas? What are the questions you’re asking right now?
- Blog
Text for under the button: This is where I explore issues related to gender, race, sexuality, conflict/violence, trauma, justice, reconciliation, politics, and the power of stories – along with general topics related to faith in the world - or sometimes gifs that bring me joy.
- Work with Me
Text for under the button: I offer spiritual coaching and theological conversations as well as speaking, teaching, facilitating, and writing services. I’m interested in working with anyone who’s interested in asking questions about faith and delving deeper into what it means to be human in our world today.
About
I am a public theologian. Public theology is where belief about God and politics, gender, race, sexuality, environment, and culture intersect. So, if it’s in the newspapers, public theology has something to say about it. Likewise, I am a theologian for the public, not just for those from a particular religious background.
I’ve worked as a consultant, researcher, project coordinator, advisor, minister/chaplain, teacher, and manager around issues of religion, collective memory, social justice, reconciliation, theology, ethics, community engagement, and education for the last 20 years in the U.S., UK, Former Yugoslavia, and Northern Ireland. I’m currently based in Dorset, England.
Born and raised in the Deep South of the U.S., I learned early on about negotiating boundaries related to race, gender, identity, politics, and faith. After obtaining my B.A. in History with minors in Political Science and Secondary Education, I worked for two years in post-war Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina undertaking crisis response, humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and educational efforts. I then returned to the U.S. to obtain my Master of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, where I ministered in local churches and conducted a practical year in Croatia working on inter-faith dialogue, peace, reconciliation, and conflict transformation issues. I also have a Master of Philosophy in Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation Studies and a Ph.D. in Theology from the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, University of Dublin. My latest publication is my book Safeguarding the Stranger: An Abrahamic Theology and Ethic of Protective Hospitality (Pickwick: 2016). (*link to book page*)
For me, theology is consideration of how life on individual and social levels are impacted by religious belief. Public theology does not exist in a vacuum; it is the consideration of religious conviction which has been tried and tested according to how it shapes and is lived out in society, for good or ill. There’s good theology (healthy, life-giving) and bad theology (unhealthy, destructive). I like identifying bad theology and formulating good theology.
I'm interested in legacies - the legacies created by good and bad theologies, the legacies created by injustice, violence, peace and moral courage. I'm drawn to cause and effect: "if we believe x, what effects will it have on us, our community, and our world?"
Thought and belief informs action; what we think and believe determines what we do and how we behave. When we believe that our faith is exclusive and for a "chosen few", efforts at solidarity for others who are suffering are rebuked or punished. When we believe that our faith calls us to welcome and provide hospitable space to the stranger, our actions of providing sanctuary set up relationships of reciprocity that counter the violence and exclusivity that surrounds us, creating stronger, healthier, vibrant, cooperative communities.
What you’ll see here:
?? - I’m not just a blogger putting my ideas out into the ether of the interwebs (not that there’s anything wrong with that per se). I seek to be in conversation, to engage with people who have deep questions and innovative ideas, and to find new ways to communicate about spirituality, ethics, and what it means to be human.
Gender-inclusive language for God – To me, God is male, God is female, God is neither. As a feminist theologian and activist for LGBTQI inclusivity, it is important for me to make space for the feminine, as well as masculine, characteristics of God without assigning a gender identity. God-talk is difficult enough as it is without muddying it up with gendered pronouns and social constructs.
Honesty – I have no formal denominational ties, and, therefore, I answer to no one and can speak and write without having to tow a ‘party line.’ As such, I have no agenda other than seeing the world become a better place for everyone. Also, you may occasionally see colorful language used. I think the occasional use of expletives can be holy; so while I will certainly self-moderate, I will not self-censor.
Irreverence – G.K. Chesterton wrote in his collection of essays, All Things Considered (1908), that “it is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.” Humor and irreverence is a spiritual value for me; being unable to find the humor in scripture, or to laugh – whether it’s a belly laugh or satire – at religion, church, and the ways we as humans try to relate to God and each other is a good test as to what we’ve perhaps made into idols. Plus, sometimes you just need to laugh, or you’d cry; knowing when and why is important.
Doubt as a spiritual value – I don’t seek to know all the answers, but asking the questions is still important. Certainty is often an illusion and I find I’m a kinder, gentler person when I embrace the not-knowing. I think curiosity (rather than cleanliness) is next to godliness, and doubt is essential for healthy curiosity.
I’m currently reading: * (I’ll change this periodically as I read new things) *
- Literature, theology and feminism by Heather Walton (bookshop affiliate link?)
- Sex, Sin, Our Selves: Encounters in Feminist Theology and Contemporary Women’s Literature by Anna Fisk (bookshop affiliate link?)
- Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (bookshop affiliate link?)
Ask ( * see http://omgcenter.com/ for example of how I want to do this *)
Do you have questions about faith? Do you have curiosity about religion and the big and small questions of life? Are you seeking a safe outlet to explore new ideas? Let’s start a conversation.
Link to Sub-page: FAQ or sample questions(stand-alone page)
Link to Sub-page: Interested in Spiritual Coaching and Theological Conversations? (anchor link from Work with Me page)
Contact Form (default subject: Ask a Question)
Listen/Read
Need content here for the landing page
Publications
Books/Workbooks:
Safeguarding the Stranger: An Abrahamic Theology and Ethic of Protective Hospitality (Pickwick: 2016). – perhaps a replica of Wipf & Stock’s page for my site plus a link to their page to purchase a copy. http://wipfandstock.com/safeguarding-the-stranger.html
Decade of Anniversaries Toolkit: Understanding Our Past, Shaping Our Future. Co-Authored with Helen McLaughlin. Community Relations Council: Belfast, 2013.
Articles/Chapters:
“The Role of Protective Hospitality in Building Reconciled Communities,” in Thinking Peace: What is Reconciliation. Issue 7. Corrymeela Community: Belfast, 2013.
“Beyond Coffee and Cake Hospitality: Joshua 2:1-22;6:22-25.” A chapter in Letting the Other Speak: Proclaiming the Stories of Biblical Women by Tracy Kemp Hartman, ed. Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2012.
“Conference Response.” Being the Other: Theological Students’ Conference 2011. Experiential Learning Paper, no. 6. Irish Peace Centres. (September 2011): 78-81.
“The Impossibility of Being ‘All Things to All People’: The Realities of Trying to be a Scholar, Educator, and Activist.” Conference Response Paper. Interface Youth Theologians Conference. Maynooth, Ireland. March 2011.
“Clergy and Their Response to Trauma: A Literature Review.” Co-Authored with Vincent, F., Leavy, G., and Brown, C. Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health. 2011. Internal publication.
“The Holy Rite of Disagreement.” Studying Faith, Practicing Peace. Experiential Learning Paper, no. 4. Peer-reviewed. Belfast: Irish Peace Centres, 2010. pg. 77-83.
“Redemption, Resistance and Liberation: A Christian Response to Modern Slavery.” Co-Authored with David Tombs. European Slave Trade Conference. Dublin, Ireland. July 2007.
“Room at the Table: The Role of Hospitality in Inter-Religious Life.” In The Place for Others in Our Faith and Life: Foundations for Inter-Religious Peace Education. Building Bridges Towards Peace and Reconciliation in South-East Europe in partnership with the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and World Council of Churches’ South-East European Ecumenical Partnership (SEEEP). Sarajevo: Abraham: Association for Inter-Religious Peace Work, 2004. (A collection of papers and a corresponding workbook was published in Bosnian as a result of this project in order to assist local religious communities with issues arising from the legacy of ethno-religious conflict.)
Audio Recordings
Need some exposition as to what’s here
(* what’s there currently can stand *)
Work with Me
I’m interested in working with anyone who’s interested in asking questions about faith and delving deeper into what it means to be human in our world today.
“You've got to continue to grow, or you're just like last night's corn bread - stale and dry.” – Loretta Lynn (* quote in a box? *)
Maybe you’re a
- person of faith (or none) who’s struggling to find a safe outlet to explore new ideas and questions? (clergy are welcome)
- Church who is interested in looking for new ways to engage with the Bible and other religious texts, or to think through some social justice issues that are affecting your community?
- Community or interest group looking for new ways to engage with each other and your wider community?
If you’re any of these – or none – I’m sure we can find a way to work together.
Speaking/Teaching/Facilitating – I am available for lectures around a number of topics related to theology and public issues, including gender, race, sexuality, conflict/violence, justice, reconciliation, politics, and literature. I can also help you by leading or participating in workshops, retreats, and conferences.
Some examples:
- Hospitality and its relationship to power, purity, and solidarity
- Dispelling the myths: Peace, forgiveness, justice, reconciliation, sin, and hospitality
- Feminist critiques of Christian atonement theories
- Religion and genocide: Using faith for good and evil
- Why do bad things happen?: Exploring the power of God in the Bible and literature
- Poetry and Prayer: Lament in scripture and in African-American spirituals
- The Abrahamic tradition of hospitality: Commonalities and differences in the religious approaches to hospitality in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- What does the Bible say about LGBTQI issues?: Reading and interpreting scripture with integrity and inclusivity
You may be interested in just me alone, or as one of a part of network of artists, poets, theologians, academics, clergy and other interesting people I know and work with who can shape and inform an event of your choosing in order to make your retreat or conference special. If you have specific needs in mind, please do not hesitate to ask.
Spiritual Coaching and Theological Conversations – I work with individuals and small groups in person or via FaceTime or Skype to create safe, confidential spaces where questions about God, life, doubt, religion, good vs. evil, truth, salvation, politics, and belief can be asked and explored, and learning can take place without the pressure of maintaining a doctrinal or dogmatic loyalty.
I am not a guru, priest, or a licensed counselor; but I have about 20 years in education, ministry, and experiencing the effects of minor and major difficulties life throws at us. While I am not ordained, I formally trained as clergy and have experience in pastoral care as well as coaching.
Pricing:
Individual Rate – £80/hr (two session minimum; concession rates available, if needed)
Small Group Rate – £125/hr (two session minimum; up to 6 people)
Daily Rate – £850 per 8 hour day plus travel, room, and subsistence
Workshop, Retreat and Conference Rates - negotiable
For me to do my best and for you to have adequate time to go in-depth and get the most out of the sessions, a two session minimum is required at the individual and small group rates.
Writing – I am available to submit pieces as articles upon request as well as provide commissioned pieces. I am also interested in collaboration, so if you are working on a project and would value my voice, I’d love to hear from you.
For further information on any of the above, feel free to contact me. (* link to contact me page *)
Blog
Welcome to output of my mind and heart! (that’s suitable for public consumption, that is….) It is here where I explore issues related to gender, race, sexuality, conflict/violence, trauma, justice, reconciliation, politics, and the power of stories – along with general topics related to faith in the world. Or sometimes gifs that bring me joy. Pull up a chair, sit a while, and let’s have a conversation.
Book
Where am I: List of dates where I’ll be
Contact form (default subject: Booking Enquiry) – look at http://theroadbacktoyou.com/booking for example. Include text box on what you’re interested in having me for (topic, date, details, etc.)
Support
Patreon write-up on my own site and link to Patreon page? Or just direct link to Patreon page from the nav bar?
(* Patreon page has been opened, but is not yet live. It can be seen here: https://patreon.com/preview/10b5a310fadd4380b064487c9e224c8e
Some examples of patreon pages:
https://www.patreon.com/godlessindixie
https://www.patreon.com/johnpavlovitz
https://www.patreon.com/theliturgistspodcast *)
Contact
Sign up to newsletter ( *Mailchimp account set up – username: jaymereaves and password: LunaPiggyCody3! *)
Contact form to send via email ( *choose subject for email – More Info, Ask a Question, Booking Enquiry, Other* )
Email address: jayme@jaymereaves.com ( *in a format to avoid spam? Or just leave off? * )
Twitter: @jaymereaves
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaymeRReaves
Home
(Description of identities and services available or a page for each one?)
Speaker
Writer
- Book(s)
- Blog
- Articles (see portfolio?)
- Educational resources
Facilitator (or Consultant?)
Workshops and Consultancy Services around:
- community-based solutions to social justice issues
- inter-faith relations
- creating, renewing, and sustaining hospitable communities
- creative problem-solving
- assisting in the design and implementation of academic and community-based peace and reconciliation programmes
Coach (include pricing?? or do a downloadable PDF of all prices for all of the above?)
Academic Coaching
Theological Conversations
Bio
Born and raised in the American South, I learned early on about negotiating boundaries related to race, gender, identity, politics, and faith. After obtaining my B.A. in History with minors in Political Science and Secondary Education from Union University, I worked for two years (1998-2000) in post-war Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina undertaking crisis response, humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and educational efforts. I then returned to the U.S. to obtain my M.Div degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, where I ministered in local churches and conducted a practical year (2003-2004) in Croatia helping to lead the Institute for Life, Peace, and Justice at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. During that time, I also worked with the Novi Sad Theological Seminary in Serbia and the inter-faith group Abraham in Sarajevo. After that, I again returned to the U.S. to work as the Mission Immersion Experience Study Abroad Coordinator at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and to teach Eastern & Western World Religions for the Virginia Commonwealth University.
In 2006-2007, I completed a Master of Philosophy in Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation Studies at the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, Dublin’s Belfast campus and then began a research degree at the same institution under the supervision of Dr David Tombs, which was completed in 2012. My doctoral thesis was titled Safeguarding the Stranger: An Abrahamic Theology and Ethic of Protective Hospitality, which has been edited and accepted for publication by Pickwick Publications (a part of Wipf & Stock) and expected to be available in Summer 2016. During that time I worked as consultant, researcher and project coordinator at Healing Through Remembering, a cross-community organisation focused on addressing the legacy of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.
Since 2014, I have been based in Dorchester, Dorset and am involved in community development work, utilising my skills in conflict management, mediation, coaching, research, consultancy, and facilitation.
About Me
I'm interested in legacies - the legacies created by good and bad theologies, the legacies created by injustice, violence, peace and moral courage. I'm drawn to cause and effect: "if we believe this, what effects will it have on us, our community, our world?" Thought and belief informs action; what we think and believe determines what we do and how we behave. So, when our churches teach that indigenous people are inferior, a legacy of injustice that arose out of the residential schools in Canada, the US and Australia (insert links) continues to shape our current world. When we believe that our faith is exclusive and for a "chosen few", efforts at solidarity for others who are suffering are rebuked or punished (Wheaton College). When we believe that our faith calls us to welcome and provide hospitable space to the stranger, our actions of providing sanctuary set up relationships of reciprocity that counter the violence and exclusivity that surrounds us, creating stronger, healthier, vibrant, cooperative communities.
Specialisms:
Public Theology (including Feminist and Liberation theologies)
Moral courage
Truth and reconciliation processes
Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation
Religion and Culture
Inter-faith Relations
Critical Thinking & Creative Problem-Solving
Community-based Solutions to Social Justice Issues
Creating, Renewing, and Sustaining Hospitable Communities
Design and implementation of academic and community-based peace and reconciliation programmes
Professional Memberships & Networks
- American Academy of Religion
- British & Irish Association for Practical Theology
- Society for the Study of Theology
- Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum
- Healing Through Remembering (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
- Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
- Feminist Liberation Theologians’ Network
- Postcolonial Theology Network
- WATER (Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, & Ritual)
Portfolio (I have PDFs of some of these that we can upload to the site for downloading access)
Safeguarding the Stranger: The Abrahamic Theology & Ethic of Protective Hospitality. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, forthcoming Summer 2016.
Apology and Acknowledgement Statements Relating to the Conflict in and About Northern Ireland: A typological database and analysis for dealing with the past. (title TBC) Co-Authored with Kieran McEvoy, Sarah Jankowitz, Florian Englberger, and Martin Bedeleem. Belfast: Healing Through Remembering, forthcoming Autumn 2015.
Decade of Anniversaries Toolkit: Understanding Our Past, Shaping Our Future. Co-Authored with Helen McLaughlin. Community Relations Council: Belfast, 2013.
“The Role of Protective Hospitality in Building Reconciled Communities,” in Thinking Peace: What is Reconciliation. Issue 7. Corrymeela Community: Belfast, 2013.
“Beyond Coffee and Cake Hospitality: Joshua 2:1-22;6:22-25.” A chapter in Letting the Other Speak: Proclaiming the Stories of Biblical Women by Tracy Kemp Hartman, ed. Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2012.
“Conference Response.” Being the Other: Theological Students’ Conference 2011. Experiential Learning Paper, no. 6. Irish Peace Centres. (September 2011): 78-81.
“The Impossibility of Being ‘All Things to All People’: The Realities of Trying to be a Scholar, Educator, and Activist.” Conference Response Paper. Interface Youth Theologians Conference. Maynooth, Ireland. March 2011.
“Clergy and Their Response to Trauma: A Literature Review.” Co-Authored with Vincent, F., Leavy, G., and Brown, C. Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health. 2011. Internal publication.
“The Holy Rite of Disagreement.” Studying Faith, Practicing Peace. Experiential Learning Paper, no. 4. Peer-reviewed. Belfast: Irish Peace Centres, 2010. pg. 77-83.
“Redemption, Resistance and Liberation: A Christian Response to Modern Slavery.” Co-Authored with David Tombs. European Slave Trade Conference. Dublin, Ireland. July 2007.
“Room at the Table: The Role of Hospitality in Inter-Religious Life.” In The Place for Others in Our Faith and Life: Foundations for Inter-Religious Peace Education. Building Bridges Towards Peace and Reconciliation in South-East Europe in partnership with the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and World Council of Churches’ South-East European Ecumenical Partnership (SEEEP). Sarajevo: Abraham: Association for Inter-Religious Peace Work, 2004. (A collection of papers and a corresponding workbook was published in Bosnian as a result of this project in order to assist local religious communities with issues arising from the legacy of ethno-religious conflict.)
Blog
Contact
Skype: jaymereaves
Email: jaymereaves@gmail.com (or an alias email from jaymereaves.com that gets forwarded to gmail account)
Phone: +447958134274
formal bio
Born and raised in the American South, I learned early on about negotiating boundaries related to race, gender, identity, politics, and faith.
Master of Philosophy in Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation Studies
B.A. in History with minors in Political Science and Secondary Education from Union University, I worked for two years (1998-2000) in post-war Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina undertaking crisis response, humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and educational efforts. I then returned to the U.S. to obtain my M.Div degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, where I ministered in local churches and conducted a practical year (2003-2004) in Croatia helping to lead the Institute for Life, Peace, and Justice at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek.
During that time, I also worked with the Novi Sad Theological Seminary in Serbia and the inter-faith group Abraham in Sarajevo. After that, I again returned to theU.S. to work as the Mission Immersion. Experience Study AbroadCoordinator at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and to teach Eastern & Western World Religions for the Virginia Commonwealth University.
In 2006-2007, I completed a Master of Philosophy in Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation Studies at the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, Dublin’s Belfast campus and then began a research degree at the same institution under the supervision of Dr David Tombs, which was completed in 2012. My doctoral thesis was titled Safeguarding the Stranger: An Abrahamic Theology and Ethic of Protective Hospitality, which has been edited and accepted for publication by Pickwick Publications (a part of Wipf & Stock) and expected to be available in Summer 2016. During that time I worked as consultant, researcher and project coordinator at Healing Through Remembering, a cross-community organization focused on addressing the legacy of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.<br>Since 2014, I have been based in Dorchester, Dorset and am involved in community development work, utilizing my skills in conflict management, mediation, coaching, research, consultancy, and facilitation.