Retreat 2026
Prayer as Resistance 2.3:
Howard Thurman as Spiritual Guide in Times of Crisis
April 25, 2026
Date & Time
- Saturday, Apr 25, 2026
- 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Overview
What does it mean to be a contemplative leader amid the many challenges of our time? A critical resource for exploring this question is the life and witness of Howard Washington Thurman. Thurman was an African American mystic, pastor, theologian, and spiritual guide to civil rights activists such as Otis Moss Jr., Pauli Murray, Martin Luther King Jr., and countless others. In this one-day virtual retreat, we will explore key aspects of Howard Thurman’s living wisdom that can nourish our lives and leadership as we seek to be conduits of spiritual and social transformation.
Retreat Leadership
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E. Trey Clark | Retreat Speaker
E. Trey Clark, PhD, serves as assistant professor of preaching and spiritual formation at Fuller Seminary. Trey is the author of Black Contemplative Preaching: A Hidden History of Prayer, Proclamation, and Prophetic Witness, and he is currently co-editing a book with Jennifer Ackerman and Luke A. Powery on the African American mystic, pastor, and civil rights leader Howard Washington Thurman. He lives with his family in Southern California.
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Bo Karen Lee | Retreat Presider
Bo Karen Lee | Retreat Presider
Bo Karen Lee, ThM ’99, PhD ’07, is associate professor of spiritual theology and Christian formation at Princeton Theological Seminary. She earned her BA in religious studies from Yale University, her MDiv from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, and her ThM and PhD from Princeton Seminary. She furthered her studies in the returning scholars program at the University of Chicago, received training as a spiritual director from Oasis Ministries, and was a Mullin fellow with the Institute of Advanced Catholic Studies. Her book, Sacrifice and Delight in the Mystical Theologies of Anna Maria van Schurman and Madame Jeanne Guyon, argues that surrender of self to God can lead to the deepest joy in God. She has recently completed a volume, The Soul of Higher Education, which explores contemplative pedagogies and research strategies. A recipient of the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise, she gave a series of international lectures that included the topic, “The Face of the Other: An Ethic of Delight.” She is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women, and the American Academy of Religion; she recently served on the Governing Board of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, and is on the editorial board of the journal, Spirtus, as well as on the steering committee of the Christian Theology and Bible Group of the Society of Biblical Literature. Before joining Princeton faculty, she taught in the Theology Department at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, where she developed courses with a vibrant service-learning component for students to work at shelters for women recovering from drug addiction and sex trafficking. She now enjoys teaching classes on prayer for the Spirituality and Mission Program at Princeton Seminary, in addition to taking students on retreats and hosting meditative walks along nature trails. For more information, visit her profile here.
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Wesley Tenney-Free | Retreat Coordinator
Wesley Tenney-Free | Retreat Coordinator
Wes serves full-time at the CCL office in Alexander Hall 113. You can often find him planning retreats, prepping for a conference, or facilitating a Contemplative Listening Circle with students. Wes’ academic interests include the history and praxis of Spirit-centered models for Christian education. He also loves to teach and write curriculum. In his free time, Wes enjoys hiking, watching movies, and writing poetry. He is married to local artist, Meredith Tenney-Free. If you’d like to learn more about Wes, please visit his LinkedIn.
Spiritual Directors & Facilitators of Contemplative Listening Circles
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Justin Warner
Justin Warner
Rev. Justin Warner is a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). He is the Interim Pastor & Head of Staff at the First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford, NJ. Justin utilizes many skills he learned in the early stages of the CCL to guide his lay leaders and support staff. Justin also has a B.A. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience from The College of Wooster. He is passionate about pastoral care and thrives in creative revitalization during transition seasons. In their free time, Justin and his spouse, Melany, enjoy concerts, broadway shows, world travel, and various global cuisines.
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Angela Hooks
Angela Hooks
As an ordained Baptist minister, professional writer, adjunct lecturer, and workshop leader, Angela Hooks created Heartbeat Formation, LLC, a spiritual direction practice shaped with the unconditional love of God as the motivation. As a spiritual director, Dr. Hooks helps others notice the rhythms and movements of God’s healing, joy, and grace in their lives. Rev. Dr. Hooks knows that the Holy Spirit is the Ultimate guide in her life and in her practice. Angela is an independent, interdisciplinary scholar writing about Christian Spirituality and diary and autobiographical life writing.
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Leonard McMahon
Leonard McMahon
Leonard McMahon is a doctoral candidate in theology at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, with work in spirituality, theology, and politics. Leonard holds an MA in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara and an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School. His interest is in political theology and improving civic engagement. Through his consultancy, Common Ground Dialogue, he works to bring diverse citizens into deeper conversation for the sake of our democracy. For more information about his work, visit Common Ground Dialogue. For more information on his faculty work, please visit his profile at the Pacific School of Religion website.
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Gabrielle Janssen
Gabrielle Janssen
Gabrielle is a first-year MDiv student at Princeton Theological Seminary who is particularly interested in the intersections of land-based ministry and contemplative spirituality. She came to seminary with questions about the identity of God in a pluralistic world, how God’s persistent love shows up in a society that brims with suffering, and how God touches the mystical parts of our humanness to fill us with awe, wonder, and the realization of our interconnectedness. She feels called to join people in their wrestling, walking side by side with others, navigating how to be human in relationship with God and the world. She can often be found enjoying the company of trees, sitting close to a river, or dancing with the Spirit.
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Ethan McLear
Ethan McLear
Ethan comes to PTS from Philadelphia and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). After graduating from a Quaker secondary school, he studied religion, history, and education at Bowdoin College in Maine. Upon graduating, he spent two years teaching math and music with an education nonprofit, before coming to PTS in 2025. Ethan is a first-year MDIV student, and he is exploring the possibility of adding PTS’ MACEF degree to his program. Outside of his studies, Ethan enjoys hiking, woodworking, singing, and dance. Ethan brings experience facilitating conversation in spiritual direction and men’s group settings, and he looks forward to building on this experience through facilitating this retreat.
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Eunhyey Lok
Eunhyey Lok
Rev. Eunhyey Lok is a spiritual director and licensed marriage and family therapist. She believes that most people just need a safe space to explore what’s at the root of their struggles, and to begin experiencing the relief and transformation they desire to see in themselves and their relationships. She loves helping people delve deeper into what God has for them. Eunhyey specializes in working with leaders in Christian ministry as well as cross-cultural and international NGO workers. Eunhyey graduated from Fuller’s MS MFT program, and has an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as a Master of International Studies degree from Ewha Womans University. She is also an ordained pastor, is married and has one son. Currently, she enjoys casual hikes around Los Angeles, reading YA fiction (especially by Asian American authors) and streaming SciFi and British period dramas.
Schedule
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Saturday, April 25, 2026
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11:00 AM – 11:15 AM ET
Intro & Preface Material from CCL
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11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Session 1: Centered Amidst Chaos
Building upon Howard Thurman’s understanding of centering down, the first session will explore personal and communal practices for staying grounded in God in the midst of chaos.
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12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Solo Time / Lunch Break
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1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Session 2: Jesus, the Disinherited, and Prophetic Witness
The second session will examine how Howard Thurman’s perspective on Jesus can serve as a prophetic catalyst to experiencing and embodying Christ among the disinherited in our world.
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2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Small Groups Breakout Sessions
This hour will be a time for registrants to share their thoughts and questions with one another, following some guided discussion prompts. This will be a space to unpack the gathering so far, be it session content or internal reflections.
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3:00 PM – 3:45 PM ET
Session 3: The Spirit and the Search for Common Ground
The final session engages with Howard Thurman’s Spirit-inspired search for common ground. This session asks what it means to cultivate community with all creation amid profound fragmentation. -
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM ET
Closing Material from CCL
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4:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET
Optional Add-On: Contemplative Listening Circles Contemplative listening circles centralize listening prayer as a means for connecting with God and neighbor. Guided by a trained facilitator, each circle will consist of 4-5 other retreat-goers. Together over 90-min, participants are invited to listen to the Spirit and one another in contemplative reflection. A guiding question will be: What is God’s prayer for you, in light of today?
Resources
The following writings can provide a framework for this year’s Prayer as Resistance Retreat. If you’re able to read any of them in advance, your experience might be all the richer when we gather.
- Doblmeier, Martin, dir. Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story. Alexandria, VA: Journey Films, 2019.
- Available for free on YouTube.
- Thurman, Howard. “How Good to Center Down,” Meditations of the Heart, 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2023.
- Available in print, for free, through the PTS Wright Library here.
- Thurman, Howard. “Jesus: An Interpretation,” Jesus and the Disinherited. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1976.
- Available digitally, for free, through the PTS Wright Library here.
- Thurman, Howard. “The Search in Identity,” The Search for Common Ground: An Inquiry into the Basis of Man’s Experience of Community. Richmond, IN: Friends United Press, 1986.
- Available digitally, for free, through the PTS Wright Library here.
Registration
| Registration Type | Price | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Super Early Bird | $47 | 11:59 pm on Jan. 23, 2026 |
| Early Bird | $57 | 11:59 pm on Feb. 27, 2026 |
| Regular | $67 | 11:59 pm on April 23, 2026 |
| + 90-min. Contemplative Listening Circle Session Add-On | +$30 to any above rate | Please note this offering is capped to 25 participants, first come-first serve. |
THANK YOU to all our partners and donors whose generosity allows us to keep our registration fees much lower than the actual costs!
Co-Sponsors
Betsey Stockton Center for Black Church Studies
Center for Spiritual Imagination
Fuller Center for Spiritual Formation
Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality (SSCS)