“Big Words: Act”

The three chaplains stand in front of the Carlton Union Building
The three chaplains stand in front of the Carlton Union Building
Stetson’s three Chaplains are, left to right, Rev. Willie Barnes, Jr., an African Methodist Episcopal pastor; Rev. Christy Correll-Hughes, an ordained Baptist minister; and Sensei Morris Sekiyo Sullivan, spiritual head of Volusia Buddhist Fellowship.

This Tuesday, Stetson University Religious & Spiritual Life will launch a new series of events called “Big Words: Perspectives on Religion and Spirituality.” The first of the series, “Big Words: Act,” will include a panel discussion on the topic of Interfaith Work and Social Justice. The discussion will feature the university’s three chaplains, Rev. Christy Correll-Hughes, Rev. Willie N. Barnes and Sensei Morris Sekiyo Sullivan.

The panel discussion will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the Marshall & Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center. Dinner will be provided, and Cultural Credit is available for this event. There is no charge to attend.

The chaplains were inspired to explore this topic by the interfaith relationships Dr. Martin Luther King developed during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. For example, Dr. King met Vietnamese Buddhist monk Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh during this era. They became friends and supported one another’s activities. Dr. King nominated Ven. Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The department of Religious & Spiritual Life will present Big Words every month. Each event will revolve around a theme relevant to the exploration and practice of spirituality. On Feb. 12, yogi and scholar Dr. Vivek Desai will talk about understanding emotions from his spiritual perspective in “Big Words: Feel.”

In March, Patricia Bockelman Morrow will talk about the religious experience of awe during “Big Words: Awe.”

In April, “Big Words: Join” will be a part of Better Together Week, April 9-13.

For more information, contact the chaplains’ office at [email protected] or visit the Religious & Spiritual Life offices at Griffith Hall.