Where am I Going? [2009 to 2022 and beyond]
During the first decade of 21 st century I was educated, trained, worked, and did research in the fields of personality, social psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, theology, and leader development in businesses and organizations. I co-developed an organizational culture assessment.
Where I Was [1968 T0 2008]
From the beginning I struggled with being a good, moral, honest, Christian person. In 1968 I entered college to major in Art and support myself as a rock-and-roll musician. While attending my first college courses I was challenged by the pastor of my fundamental congregation to “get out of the world” and “lived up to my dedication to serve only the true God.”
Where I am Now
From 2008 to 2019 my painting shifted from exploring application of intuitive painting 1 to my theological studies focusing on the Wisdom Literature. Since my identity has always been to seek to understand the why, what, and how of my life I felt highly motivated to connect my intuitive painting process with my passion for biblical studies to facilitate a richer engagement with my art and my ideas.
Spirituality: A Developing Definition
The selected spectrum of Life’s* active force that energizes human relations to self, others, and experienced reality from within, outside, and beyond human consciousness. It is the energy that drives meaning in this betweenness of human experience and existence.
Three Spiritual Processes
The spiritually oriented artist aspires to share hope, experience, and strength with others inside and outside their communities. One expert, who is an art critic, philosopher, and theologian (Gordon Graham) has identified three processes that characterize religious practices and aesthetic practices – creativity, contemplation, and inspiration.
Dualistic Reality
In seeking to understand the Oneness in human reality religions thinkers are immediately confronted by fundamental dualities. The most basic duality is the mind-body problem.
Essay: Reality of Art
My artistic reflections and actions mirror my personal exploring, describing and interpreting the tension between the Identity and Difference attributes of Art. For me, Art is an active force pushing and pulling me relentlessly toward confrontation with its Nature.
Spiritual Generativity of Roger Birkman
A Lived Life. Roger Birkman was a pragmatic thought leader who exclusively pursued a religious life. During Roger’s lifetime, many theologians moved from a strict objective reasoning approach to a subjective confessing position. In tune with this spirit Roger took a confessing understanding of his life that accepted a calling by God mindset.
Seeking Oneness
Religions, spiritual practices, and philosophical ideas focus on the initial questions, “What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of human lives? How should one live one’s life.” Most believe that their system of beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations (i.e., culture) seek the truth and embrace the notion of “universals”.