Ellison, Gregory C.
WORK TITLE: Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Ellison, Gregory Clark III
BIRTHDATE: 1977?
WEBSITE: http://gregoryellisonii.com/
CITY: Atlanta
STATE: GA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
http://fteleaders.org/blog/7-questions-with-alumni-author-and-activist-gregory-ellison; married with children; http://www.fearlessdialogues.com/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
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| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n2013013784 |
| HEADING: | Ellison, Gregory C., II |
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| 040 | __ |a DLC |b eng |c DLC |e rda |
| 100 | 1_ |a Ellison, Gregory C., |c II |
| 370 | __ |e Atlanta, Ga. |
| 373 | __ |a Candler School of Theology |
| 374 | __ |a Professor |
| 670 | __ |a Cut dead but still alive, 2013: |b ECIP t.p. (Gregory C. Ellison II) data view (professor at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia) |
| 953 | __ |a xj07 |
PERSONAL
Born c. 1977, in Atlanta, GA; children: one son.
EDUCATION:Emory University, B.A., 1999; Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div., 2002, Ph.D., 2008.
ADDRESS
- Home - Atlanta, GA.
CAREER
Writer, minister, and educator. Ordained Baptist minister. Emory University, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA, associate professor, 2009—; Fearless Dialogues community organization, Atlanta, GA, founder, 2013—.
AVOCATIONS:Basketball, thrift store shopping.
AWARDS:Faculty Person of the Year, Candler School of Theology, 2010-11, 2016-17; minority scholar sabbatical grant, Louisville Institute, 2012-13; Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award, Emory University, 2014; inducted into Emory College Hall of Fame.
RELIGION: Christian.WRITINGS
- Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 2013
- Fearless Dialogues, Westminster John Knox Press (Louiseville, KY), 2017
Contributor of articles to publications, including Pastoral Psychology and the Journal of Pastoral Theology.
SIDELIGHTS
Gregory C. Ellison is a writer, ordained Baptist minister, and educator. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Shortly after earning his doctoral degree, Ellison joined Emory’s Candler School of Theology as an instructor. He is also the founder of a nonprofit organization called Fearless Dialogues.
Cut Dead But Still Alive
In 2013, Ellison released his first book, Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men. In an interview on the Cision website, Ellison explained that the book’s title came from a phrase used by the psychologist, William James. He stated: “James asserted that it would be a cruel and fiendish punishment for any person to go unnoticed or unseen, to be made invisible. … James recognized that people would rather be tortured than to be ‘cut dead’—deliberately ignored or snubbed completely. … At some point, because they are unacknowledged, unseen and cast aside, their hopes, dreams and even their very humanity, begin to crumble and die.” Ellison added: “It is my hope that this book will help us to see all people in a more human and even a more divine way.” In the volume, Ellison tells the stories of five young African American men, who all experienced varying degrees of marginalization. He explains how came into contact with each of the men, tells of the difficulties they have experienced, and shares how they moved forward. Ellison suggests that these five men have stories that are common among their peers and argues that something must be done to help young African Americans like them.
In an interview with Fran Davis-Harris, contributor to the FTE website, Ellison discussed the subjects of his book, stating: “At one point in their lives they all visualized a hopeful future even in spite of some tremendous challenges. They all come from different socio-economic backgrounds and family structures. There is a Princeton student, a couple drug dealers, and a young Black man that spoke fluent Japanese.” Ellison continued: “At some point in their existence they all felt their visibility and voice denied by people within and outside of their own race. These were people that only afforded them an opportunity to fit in a very confining box. A few of these young men withered under pressure and a few tried to break the box. However, in all of the situations they had a breaking point where a decision had to be made. ‘Do I continue to struggle or do I end it all?'” Regarding his intentions for the book, Ellison told Davis-Harris: “I hope what these young men see is that there are greater possibilities beyond what people say you are or cannot be. My prayer is that this is a book of transcendence and that they can see themselves above and beyond, over and against stereotypes and historic myths of what Black men have been and always will be.” In an interview with Laurel Hanna, writer on the Emory University, Candler School of Theology website, Ellison noted that he has also had experiences similar to the five subjects of his book. He stated: “I know what it feels like to be in a classroom and to have your hand up in the air and people ignore you, or to have someone change the conversation as if you never uttered a word. I know what it means to get on an elevator and have someone clutch their purse. … Those are demeaning and dehumanizing feelings that over time take a toll on one’s self and how you see your future.”
Wayne Meisel, critic on the Huffington Post website, commented: “Cut Dead isn’t a book that came out to meet a tenure requirement. It is a call to action and a blueprint for a response.” Meisel also remarked: “The book may not be a bestseller on the New York Times list. But it must be required reading for seminarians, pastors or community leader who want to bring their pastoral care to our most challenged populations. Like Robert Coles and his award-winning work Children of Crisis, Ellison transcends the academy into the realm of the urgent need of the here and now.”
Fearless Dialogues
Ellison discusses his Fearless Dialogues program in the 2017 book, Fearless Dialogues. In the book, he explains how the program works and shares success stories from participants in the program.
A reviewer in Publishers Weekly offered a favorable assessment of Fearless Dialogues. The reviewer suggested: “Ellison is a theologian for our times and this book will inspire new connections in communities that choose to heed the lessons here.” An Internet Bookwatch writer called the Fearless Dialogues organization “a groundbreaking program” and added: “Fearless Dialogues will have special appeal and relevance to community activists.” “Fearless Dialogue enables us to focus attention on the real,” remarked Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on the Spirituality and Practice website.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Diverse Issues in Higher Education, June 20, 2013, Crystal Davis, review of Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men, p. 5.
Internet Bookwatch, December, 2017, review of Fearless Dialogues.
Publishers Weekly, September 11, 2017, review of Fearless Dialogues, p. 60.
ONLINE
Cision, https://www.prnewswire.com/ (May 22, 2013), author interview and review of Cut Dead But Still Alive.
Emory University, Candler School of Theology Website, http://candler.emory.edu/ (April 30, 2018), Laurel Hanna, review of Cut Dead But Still Alive; author faculty profile.
Fearless Dialogues Website, http://www.fearlessdialogues.com (April 30, 2018), author profile.
FTE Website, http://fteleaders.org/ (September 3, 2013), Fran Davis-Harris, author interview.
Huffington Post, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ (May 20, 2013), Wayne Meisel, review of Cut Dead But Still Alive.
Spirtuality and Practice Online, http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/ (April 24, 2018), Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, review of Fearless Dialogues.
- Fearless Dialogues - 2017 Westminster John Knox Press, https://smile.amazon.com/Fearless-Dialogues-Gregory-C-Ellison/dp/0664260659/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545049&sr=8-1&keywords=Ellison%2C+Gregory+C.
- Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men - 2013 Abingdon Press, https://smile.amazon.com/Cut-Dead-But-Still-Alive/dp/142670304X/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524545049&sr=8-2&keywords=Ellison%2C+Gregory+C.
- FTE - http://fteleaders.org/blog/7-questions-with-alumni-author-and-activist-gregory-ellison
QUOTED: "At one point in their lives they all visualized a hopeful future even in spite of some tremendous challenges. They all come from different socio-economic backgrounds and family structures. There is a Princeton student, a couple drug dealers, and a young Black man that spoke fluent Japanese."
"At some point in their existence they all felt their visibility and voice denied by people within and outside of their own race. These were people that only afforded them an opportunity to fit in a very confining box. A few of these young men withered under pressure and a few tried to break the box. However, in all of the situations they had a breaking point where a decision had to be made. 'Do I continue to struggle or do I end it all?'"
"I hope what these young men see is that there are greater possibilities beyond what people say you are or cannot be. My prayer is that this is a book of transcendence and that they can see themselves above and beyond, over and against stereotypes and historic myths of what Black men have been and always will be."7 Questions with Alumnus, Author, and Activist Dr. Gregory Ellison
By: Gregory Ellison
September 03, 2013Fran Davis-Harris sat down with FTE Alumnus Dr. Gregory Ellison to talk about his new book, Cut Dead but Still Alive: Caring for African American Men. Dr. Ellison shared intimate accounts of how he came to understand his call and purpose as a preacher, educator and scholar activist. He also spoke passionately about what prompted him to write his book and begin the subsequent grassroots community empowerment initiative entitled Fearless Dialogues. Read on to get a glimpse of the great work Dr. Ellison is doing.
Quick Facts:
Birthplace
Southwest Atlanta, GA - “The home of Outkast, Goodie Mob and Martin Luther King, The Holy Trilogy.”
Hobbies
Playing basketball with son - “My son has a killer jump shot at 6 years old.”
Surprising Fact
Loves fashion and to shop at second hand stores – “You can’t find me without a hat.”
Creative Writing Space
Bathroom – “I grew up in a house where we always had family staying with us. Our house was loud and busy. Throughout high school, I would go in the bathroom, turn on the fan, close the toilet seat and sit down to do my homework. It was the quiet place in a very busy house. I still do that. I go and put the toilet seat down and do a lot of writing and thinking there.”
1. What is your call story—the story about how you were called to be a pastor, scholar and activist?
I consider my call to be more of a process and not a singular event. There are a few moments that were very pivotal. First, when I was eight or nine-years-old my older cousin would bring her college friends to me to talk about their relationships. It was odd to me that they would bear their whole lives to someone in elementary school, but I would listen to them and tell them what I thought. Apparently it was worth it because they kept coming back.Also, when I was a student at Emory, a young lady attempted to kill herself. This was someone whom I spoke with in the midst of her attempt in which the first time she put her pills down and in the second attempt six shots were misfired. This was definitely a pivotal moment in my call.
I haven’t shared this next moment before. I am from a very large family. My Mom is number seven out of 11 children. My Grandfather was the patriarch of our clan. When I was a junior or senior in college we were in the backyard holding hands and he looked at me and said, “Greg is going to do the prayer.” It was a symbolic passing of the mantle—that was very weighty for me.
Lastly, there is also power in naming. My full name is Gregory Clark Ellison, II. Gregory means the observant one and I’ve dedicated the last fifteen years to seeing people differently. Clark means clergyman or scholar and Ellison means looks up to God. Pulled together this reflects the observant clergyman that looks up to God. This doesn’t seem circumstantial. I think there was a purpose for me to be at this particular place and time. My name is a constant reminder.
2. You recently released a new book entitled Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Men. What is the thought behind the title of the book?
The title Cut Dead But Still Alive is about young Black men that are unfortunately perceived as threats. They are beat down and told that this is all you can be, but I tell their story of triumph over adversity and what it means to work and be seen in a different fashion.I went to Princeton and studied Pastoral Theology, which some call Pastoral Psychology. We read a lot of Freud, Jung and even William James. William James states in The Principals of Psychology, that we are social beings and we have an innate need to be in community with other people. He said he would rather be subject to that kind of torture than to go unnoticed.
In following, through the lives of the five individuals that I cover in the book, I realized that many of them feel invisible and cut dead. They are living but cut dead at the same time; like walking phantoms, desperately seeking to be seen and heard. I know what it feels like to be in a classroom and to have your hand up in the air and people ignore you, or to have someone change the conversation as if you never uttered a word. I know what it means to get on an elevator and have someone clutch their purse. Those are demeaning and dehumanizing feelings that over time take a toll on one’s self and how you see your future.Fearless Dialogues, the tour accompanying the book, seeks to see the gifts and the value in people as a whole instead of statistics and stereotypes. We also try to attune their ears. As you hear someone is an equal as opposed to someone lesser than you, you can begin to hear their story authentically. Those elements create dialogues that lead to change. My Auntie said, “Greg, I may not be able to change the world, but I can change the three feet around me.”
3. What is the common thread between the five young men in Cut Dead but Still Alive?
At one point in their lives they all visualized a hopeful future even in spite of some tremendous challenges. They all come from different socio-economic backgrounds and family structures. There is a Princeton student, a couple drug dealers, and a young Black man that spoke fluent Japanese.At some point in their existence they all felt their visibility and voice denied by people within and outside of their own race. These were people that only afforded them an opportunity to fit in a very confining box. A few of these young men withered under pressure and a few tried to break the box. However, in all of the situations they had a breaking point where a decision had to be made. “Do I continue to struggle or do I end it all?”
A couple of these young men tried to end it all. One jumped off a bridge and one cut his neck open, and they both lived to tell about it. The Princeton student tried to destroy the administration building. He wanted to get a Ph.D. but through that action he could’ve potentially ended it all. One of the drug dealers wanted to pursue his GED but all he could see was his life of crime. So, he said, “if that is all you are going to see me as, that is all I am going to be” until there were some people that wanted to invest in him. In some instances there was a community around all of these young men that could see them and work along side them to change—not looking down on them, but working with them. I’m not writing to please academics; my prayer is that it’s beneficial to students. I want young men to read pieces of this book and say, “That is my story. Somebody sees me.”
4. What do you want young African-American males who are discerning the next steps toward their purpose to get out of your book?
When I started this research at Princeton—and this may be shocking—I felt invisible. In 2008, I was the first African-American to ever graduate from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology. I dealt with all kinds of prejudice and I was at a point where I thought “I can’t take this anymore.”I hope what these young men see is that there are greater possibilities beyond what people say you are or cannot be. My prayer is that this is a book of transcendence and that they can see themselves above and beyond, over and against stereotypes and historic myths of what Black men have been and always will be.
It’s important to surround yourself with people that can support you in a positive way. Once you begin to be seen and heard, you need to do the same to someone else. When someone looks up to you and holds your words as true, then you are being seen and heard.
5. What do you feel is the role of the leaders in the church and the academy?
Fearless Dialogues is a community grassroots initiative that sits thought leaders around tables and enhances their visions. We enter into very authentic conversations around specific goals, so we don’t have to go outside to find the tools to create change among us. On July 20, 300 people showed up at Emory University to engage in fearless dialogue. These were all different kinds of people; we had professors, doctors, drug dealers, single mothers, non-profit leaders and foundations that fund non-profits. We sat around tables and talked about hard issues. How often do these kind of spaces occur? They don’t.I’m not going to beat up on academics, churches or institutions that aren’t doing stuff, because there are people that are committed. There should be more leaders who are involved in these kinds of conversations, committed to sustainable change in our communities and working to do so.
6. Who has played a major role in your life along your journey to live out your call?
My Grandma prayed for me. She would wake up humming and singing with cheese grits on the stove. My Grandmother had an eighth grade education and my Grandfather had a fourth grade education. During the 1930s and ‘40s they were sharecroppers from Mississippi and with the fourth grade education he had, he made the decision that none of his kids would ever have to pick cotton and would go to college. They never picked cotton and they all went to college.I remember shortly before my Grandma passed, after my Grandfather had already passed, she was sitting on a chair on the front porch crying. I remember asking her what was going on. She said, “God has done so much for us.” She didn’t talk or sing at all (we are a singing family), but she said, “It made me proud.”
I realized I am the manifestation of her prayers. My Grandfather said, “we sit under shaded trees that we didn’t plant.” In seminary, I realized that I have to plant and dig those trees for my great-grandchildren that I will never meet. I wear a pin that reminds me every day. It may sound cliché if you don’t know me, but I’m not doing this for money or esteem in the Academy—forget about tenure—I’m about building community. I’m just praying that I make my Grandma proud.
7. Do you have any words of wisdom for those coming behind you as a leader in the church, academy and in society?
I’d like to quote the great philosopher Thomas Calloway, a.k.a. Cee-lo Green. In my favorite song of his, called Die Trying, the last line of the song says, “I don’t have to lie to you to make it sound fly to you, I’m going to keep my feet on the ground and bring the sky to you.”My challenge to folks trailing behind me is to keep their feet on the ground and to bring all the resources and gifts, and knowledge they are gaining in their institutions to others in an authentic and accessible way. I encourage them to write books to change people—even if it’s only a few people; to take ownership of their papers that they write and to not just write for the sake of writing but to write for the sake of change; and to go beyond writing to live out the words that you put on paper.
I tell my students if you don’t believe in the words that you turn in on paper, don’t bring it to me. Don’t do something unless it’s righteous. Don’t just write a paper; write something that informs the community.
Tags: Inspired Leaders, Innovation in Ministry, Shaping the Future
- Fearles DIalogues info@fearlessdialogues.com - http://www.fearlessdialogues.com/new-page-2/
Gregory C. Ellison II, Ph.D. (artist)
Founder, Lead Research & Design
Ellison, who is associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, is a product of Atlanta Public Schools, alumnus of Frederick Douglass High School and the first black male inducted into the Emory College Hall of Fame. He received his undergraduate degree from Emory, and holds M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees in pastoral theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.
- Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-c-ellison-ii-ph-d-57021165/
Gregory C. Ellison II, Ph.D.
3rd degree connection3rd
Founder at Fearless Dialogues
Fearless Dialogues Princeton Theological Seminary
Atlanta, Georgia 205 205 connectionsDeeply concerned for those who are muted and invisible, I have dedicated my life to the art of seeing and hearing the divinity and humanity in all people. Any teaching, writing, public speaking, preaching, or act of care of which I am a part seeks to align with this core value. To this end, I live by the mantra, "Once you see, you cannot not see." So, whether I am in the academy, the church, or a community gathering, I aim to lead by example in helping others see more clearly and hear more acutely.
ExperienceFearless Dialogues
Founder
Company Name Fearless Dialogues
Dates Employed Jul 2013 – Present Employment Duration 4 yrs 10 mos
Emory University
Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Company Name Emory University
Dates Employed Jul 2008 – Present Employment Duration 9 yrs 10 mosLouisville Institute Minority Scholar Sabbatical Grant, 2012-2013
Society for Pastoral Theology, Keynote Address, 2012
(Candler) Faculty Person of the Year 2010-2011Education
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological SeminaryDegree Name Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Field Of Study Pastoral Theology
Dates attended or expected graduation 2003 – 2008
Fund for Theological Education Dissertation Fellow, 2007-2008
The Historic Concord Baptist Church of Christ (NY), Scholar in Residence, 2006-2007
Fund for Theological Education Doctoral Fellow, 2003-2005
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological SeminaryDegree Name Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
Dates attended or expected graduation 1999 – 2002
Presidential Fellowship 1999-2002
Emory University
Emory UniversityDegree Name Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Field Of Study Sociology and Religion
Dates attended or expected graduation 1995 – 1999
Emory Hall of Fame, 1999 (First African American male inductee)
Emory College Commencement Speaker, 1999
Benjamin E. Mays Scholar, Emory Scholars Program, 1995-1999
Frederick Douglass High School
Frederick Douglass High SchoolDates attended or expected graduation 1991 – 1995
Skills & Endorsements
Public Speaking
See 23 endorsements for Public Speaking 23Endorsed by Tolton Ramal Pace, MPH and 4 others who are highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 7 of Gregory C.’s colleagues at Emory University
Teaching
See 15 endorsements for Teaching 15Endorsed by Kenyatta Gilbert and 1 other who is highly skilled at this
Endorsed by 3 of Gregory C.’s colleagues at Emory University
Preaching
See 13 endorsements for Preaching 13Endorsed by 3 of Gregory C.’s colleagues at Emory University
Industry Knowledge
Writing
See 4 endorsements for Writing 4Interpersonal Skills
Pastoral Care
See 12 endorsements for Pastoral Care 12Motivational Speaking
See 3 endorsements for Motivational Speaking 3Pastoral Counseling
See 2 endorsements for Pastoral Counseling 2Other Skills
Interdisciplinary Teaching
Teaching Workshops
Leadership Counseling
Pastoral Theology
Goal-driven leader
Hands-on leader
Prayer
Accomplishments
Gregory C. has 5 projects 5
ProjectsFearless Dialogues Community Empowerment Tour Fantasy as Addition to Reality? An Exploration of Fantasy Aggression and Fantasy Aggrace-ion in Violent Media (Pastoral Psychology, 2012) From My Center to the Center of All Things: Hourglass Care [Take 1] (Pastoral Psychology, 2010) Late Stylin’ in an Ill-Fitting Suit: Donald Capps’ Artistic Approach to the Hopeful Self and its Implications for Unacknowledged African American Young Men (Pastoral Psychology, 2009) The Dark Night of Rage in a Culture of Nihilism: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Remembered Faces (Pastoral Psychology, 2013)
Gregory C. has 1 organization 1
OrganizationKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Gregory C. has 1 publication 1
PublicationCut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men (Abingdon, 2013)
Interests
Inside Pastoral Care & Counseling
Inside Pastoral Care & Counseling11,597 members
Emory Alumni Association
Emory Alumni Association25,073 members
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary6,231 followers
Bernard J. Tyson
Bernard J. TysonBernard J. Tyson is a LinkedIn InfluencerChairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente
426,525 followers
Emory University
Emory University114,172 followers
- Emory - http://candler.emory.edu/faculty/profiles/ellison-gregory.html
Gregory C. Ellison, II
Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Gregory C. Ellison, II
Email: gelli01@emory.edu
Phone: 404.727.7291
Personal website: http://gregoryellisonii.comPhD, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2008
MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2002
BA, Emory University, 1999Download abbreviated CV
Download a high-resolution photoThe Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Ellison, II joined the Candler faculty in 2009. His teaching draws primarily from his work with the organization he founded called Fearless Dialogues, a non-profit organization that creates unique spaces for unlikely partners to have hard, heartfelt conversations on taboo subjects like racism, classism, and community violence.
Ellison’s research focuses on caring with marginalized populations, pastoral care as social activism, and 20th and 21st century mysticism. He is the author of Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men, and has two books in progress with Westminster John Knox Press – Fearless Dialogues: The Civil Rights Movement of the 21st Century and Anchored in the Current: The Eternal Wisdom of Howard Thurman in a Changing World.
Read moreEllison has twice been the recipient of Candler’s “Faculty Person of the Year” award, in 2010-2011 and 2016-2017. Also, in 2014, Ellison received the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award, Emory University’s most prestigious faculty teaching honor. He is an ordained Baptist minister who has served in Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
Publications
Awards
Media
CoursesSelected Publications
Faculty PublicationFaculty PublicationFaculty Publication
Books
Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice. Westminster John Knox, 2017
Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men in Today's Culture. Abingdon, 2013
Chapters and Articles
"The Paradox of Empty Cups." In Leadership Directions from Moses: On the Way to the Promised Land, Abingdon, March 30, 2017
"Open Wide Shut: Sensing Theologically in the Midst of Chaos." In Sacred Habits: The Rise of the Creative Clergy, Davies Group, September 21, 2016
"The Way It Is and the Way It Could Be: Fear, Lessness, and the Quest for Fearless Dialogues." Pastoral Psychology, vol. 63, no. 5, Springer US, June 07, 2014
"The Dark Night of Rage in a Culture of Nihilism: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Remembered Faces." Pastoral Psychology, vol. 62, no. 5, Springer US, January 30, 2013
"Navigating the Borderlands of Fantasy: Reckoning with Fantasy Aggression in a Culture of Violent Media." The Journal of Pastoral Theology, vol. 22, no. 2, The Society for Pastoral Theology, February 01, 2012
"Fantasy as Addition to Reality? An Exploration of Fantasy Aggression and Fantasy Aggrace-ion in Violent Media." Pastoral Psychology, vol. 61, no. 4, Springer US, January 21, 2012
"Intimacy Versus Isolation (Erikson's Young Adult Stage)." Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development, Vol. 2, Springer US, January 01, 2011
"From My Center to the Center of All Things: Hourglass Care (Take One)." Pastoral Psychology, vol. 59, no. 6, Springer US, December 01, 2010
QUOTED: "Ellison is a theologian for our times and this book will inspire new connections in communities that choose to heed the lessons here."
Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice
Publishers Weekly.
264.37 (Sept. 11, 2017): p60. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice Gregory C. Ellison II. Westminster John Knox, $17trade paper (160p) ISBN978-0-664-26065-1
Pastoral theologian Ellison (Cut Dead hut Still Alive) presents an impressionistic guide to a technique he has developed to facilitate community conversation about difficult subjects. Fearless dialogue, he explains, is intended to bring together "unlikely partners" and lead to social change when conversation partners come to appreciate different perspectives. Although the book is not a strict how-to manual on the process (which is never fully described but relies on a series of exercises), Ellison riffs on practices such as radical hospitality and "living museum," a conversation-starting technique that relies on images. He analyzes the social fears that inhibit frank exchange, such as what he calls "plopping," or what happens when a person's contribution to a group conversation goes unacknowledged. Ellison writes in a thoroughly idiosyncratic way ("My nostrils deciphered the pungent gas from the blue orange flame"), and his sources, including Barbara Brown Taylor and D. W. Winnicott, are eclectic. The result is an intellectual quilt fabricated to brilliant effect. The book's real value arises from the unexpected connections Ellison teases out (for example, psychotherapist Carl Rogers helps the author explain the process of welcoming), although some of the jumps are hard to follow (the Funkjazz Cafe needs more explanation). While Ellison's prose is generally conversational, the book maintains a pastoral quality with its insistence on seeing and hearing the marginalized. Ellison is a theologian for our times and this book will inspire new connections in communities that choose to heed the lessons here. (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
1 of 5 4/23/18, 11:42 PM
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"Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice." Publishers Weekly, 11 Sept. 2017, p. 60. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A505634955 /GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=c06367bf. Accessed 24 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A505634955
2 of 5 4/23/18, 11:42 PM
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Book of note
Crystal Davis
Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
30.10 (June 20, 2013): p5. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2013 Cox, Matthews & Associates http://diverseeducation.com/
Full Text:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The book: Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men
The author: Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University
What it's about: Ellison chronicles the lives of five Black men he met through his work as a counselor who have been "cut dead," or deliberately ignored by society, as they deal with being invisible men and grapple with finding their place in society.
Why read it: Ellison sees the book as a blueprint on how to give Black men the guidance and support they need. "It is my hope that this book will help us to see all people in a more human and even a more divine way," Ellison says in a news release. "That we are all worthy of respect. That we are all worthy of an opportunity to succeed:'
--Compiled by Crystal Davis Davis, Crystal
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Davis, Crystal. "Book of note." Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 20 June 2013, p. 5. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A336281239/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=969fddbf. Accessed 24 Apr. 2018.
3 of 5 4/23/18, 11:42 PM
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QUOTED: "a groundbreaking program."
"Fearless Dialogues will have special appeal and relevance to community activists."
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Fearless Dialogues
Internet Bookwatch.
(Dec. 2017): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Fearless Dialogues
Gregory C. Ellison II
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396 www.wjkbooks.com
9780664260651, $17.00, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Drawing on all the community's collective voices (from "doctors to drug dealers") "Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice" by Gregory C. Ellison II (Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Candler School of Theology) presents a groundbreaking program that seeks real solutions to problems of chronic unemployment, violence, and hopelessness. In cities around the United States and now the world, Ellison and his team create conversations among community members who have never spoken to one another, the goal of which are real, implementable, and lasting changes to the life of the community. These community transformations are based on both face-to-face encounters and substantive analysis of the problems the community faces. In "Fearless Dialogues", Ellison makes this same kind of analysis available to his readers, deftly walking them through the steps that must be taken to find common ground in our divided communities and then to implement genuine and lasting change. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Fearless Dialogues" will have special appeal and relevance to community activists, and should be a part of every community center, community library, and academic library Social Issues instructional reference collections and supplemental studies list.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Fearless Dialogues." Internet Bookwatch, Dec. 2017. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A523689167/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=2dd0eeec. Accessed 24 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A523689167
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- Emory
http://candler.emory.edu/news/connection/winter-2014/feature-stories/cut-dead-but-still-alive.html
Word count: 1413QUTED: "I know what it feels like to be in a classroom and to have your hand up in the air and people ignore you, or to have someone change the conversation as if you never uttered a word. I know what it means to get on an elevator and have someone clutch their purse. ... Those are demeaning and dehumanizing feelings that over time take a toll on one’s self and how you see your future."
Cut Dead But Still Alive
By Laurel Hanna
With additional reporting by Elaine Justice of Emory Communications and Fran Davis-Harris of The Fund for Theological Education
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling Gregory C. Ellison II is a humble, gentle man, yet that doesn’t stop him from asking tough questions that challenge the way we see, hear, and act. His debut book, Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Men (Abingdon Press, 2013) spotlights the ways society stigmatizes African American young men by rendering them mute and invisible. But Cut Dead doesn’t just point out the damage; it shows caregivers real-world approaches that can lead to healing. In the words of one reviewer, the book is “a call to action and a blueprint for change.”Evidently, it’s a message people are ready to hear: The first printing of Cut Dead sold out less than two months after its release in June of 2013.
Cut Dead But Still AliveEllison borrowed part of the book’s compelling title from nineteenth century philosopher and psychologist William James, who writes in his groundbreaking text The Principles of Psychology (1890): “If no one turned around when we entered, answered when we spoke, or minded what we did, but if every person we met ‘cut us dead,’ and acted as if we were non-existent things, a kind of rage and impotent despair would before long well up in us, from which the cruelest bodily torture would be a relief.”
“James asserts that human beings are social creatures, and remaining unnoticed or unseen is a cruel and fiendish punishment,” Ellison explains. “He recognized that people would rather be tortured than be ‘cut dead’—deliberately ignored or snubbed completely.”
So what does it mean when a whole population is “cut dead,” silenced and dismissed by the prevailing society?
While researching his doctorate in pastoral theology, Ellison saw firsthand the havoc wrought by being “cut dead” as he counseled young men in church and school settings, and at programs for youths transitioning from prison. In his book he chronicles the lives of five such young African American men who journey from despairing places of invisibility and muteness to more hopeful realities of visibility and voice.
“In following the lives of these five individuals, I realized that many of them feel invisible and cut dead. They are living but cut dead at the same time; like walking phantoms, desperately seeking to be seen and heard,” he shares.
And while the individuals in the book are real, Ellison points out that they represent many more youth who have limited access to education, have been in prison, or have been pushed to the margins of society. In fact, they could even represent him.
Though he excelled in school at Emory and at Princeton Theological Seminary, and was mentored from an early age by such luminaries as distinguished educator Johnnetta Cole, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, Ellison wasn’t spared from being “cut dead.”
“I know what it feels like to be in a classroom and to have your hand up in the air and people ignore you, or to have someone change the conversation as if you never uttered a word. I know what it means to get on an elevator and have someone clutch their purse,” says Ellison. “Those are demeaning and dehumanizing feelings that over time take a toll on one’s self and how you see your future.”
Ellison’s own experiences of being stereotyped, plus encounters with numerous “cut dead” youth, led him to develop a mantra: “Once you see, you cannot not see.” That mantra is the guiding refrain of the book and the next chapter of Ellison’s work, the Fearless Dialogues project. [See sidebar.]
Gregory Ellison“Once you begin to see a person as one who is made in the image of God, once you begin to see a homeless person as someone's uncle or brother or aunt or sister or mother, you can't just step over them like a piece of trash because you have seen them fully," says Ellison.
When caregivers, clergy, and community leaders begin "seeing with new eyes,” they can begin nurturing young men and women with guidance, admonition, training, and support to help create a community of reliable others to serve as an extended family.
Cut Dead is Ellison's first step in what he plans as a comprehensive and ongoing effort to help people see those around them, “to see the beauty, to see the divinity, to see the humanity fully and not just to objectify them or to dismiss them by saying ‘Oh, this person is just a future statistic.’”
While the book focuses on African American men, Ellison says that four fundamental needs—having a sense of belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence—shape all humanity, regardless of race, nationality, or faith background. “It is my hope that this book will help us to see all people in a more human and even a more divine way: That we are all worthy of respect. That we are all worthy of an opportunity to succeed.”
Fearless Dialogues
Fearless DialoguesThe next chapter of Ellison’s work is Fearless Dialogues, a grassroots initiative that takes to the streets the message of “seeing with new eyes.” The project brings together thought leaders from the church, healthcare, politics, education, community organizing, and the arts to educate and mobilize communities invested in changing the outlook for African American men and others who go unseen and unheard.
Ellison developed Fearless Dialogues to create spaces for hard, heartfelt conversations between these sometimes disparate community thought leaders—including pastors, elected officials, teachers, students, factory workers, and even gang leaders—to help them see gifts in each other, hear value in each other’s stories, and work toward transformation and change in themselves and others.
Greg at Fearless Dialogues“The aim is to have candid conversations about how we can see, hear, and change the way we interact with those who are cut dead in our communities,” he says. “Through this work, we can transcend stereotypes and open up greater possibilities for young black males and others who are marginalized in our society.”
Fearless Dialogues is composed of two distinct programs:
Fearless Dialogues Community Conversations assemble a diverse group of community stakeholders to engage in guided discussion on the untapped gifts and primary concerns facing African American young men. They feature live music, visual arts, spoken word, context-sensitive workshops, and informational exhibits. These are half-day events accommodating up to 400 people. In the second half of 2013, nearly two thousand people in five different cities participated in the Fearless Dialogues Community Conversations.
Fearless Dialogues Community Empowerment Initiative is a strategic approach to long-term change. Local leaders and consultants highlight overlooked and underutilized resources, strengthen existing community partnerships, and develop a strategic plan that addresses three of the most pertinent issues affecting African American young men in that community. The Fearless Dialogues team then commits to the community for eighteen months to assist in implementing specific goals.
For more information, visit www.fearlessdialogues.com.
__________________________________________
Laurel Hanna’s favorite way to end the day is by listening to her two-year-old “read” bedtime stories.
Photo 1: Emory Photo/Video. Photos 2 and 3: Michael K. Jones of Michael K. Photos.
Tags»Pastoral Care, Faculty Books, Gregory Ellison
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Candler Celebrates 100 Years
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And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
Now and Then: A Faculty Dialogue
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A REAL Moment
Benediction
MORE » - Cision
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/too-many-african-american-young-men-are-cut-dead-says-emory-professor-208370501.html
Word count: 1135QUOTED: "James asserted that it would be a cruel and fiendish punishment for any person to go unnoticed or unseen, to be made invisible. ... James recognized that people would rather be tortured than to be 'cut dead'—deliberately ignored or snubbed completely. ... At some point, because they are unacknowledged, unseen and cast aside, their hopes, dreams and even their very humanity, begin to crumble and die."
"It is my hope that this book will help us to see all people in a more human and even a more divine way."Too Many African American Young Men Are 'Cut Dead,' Says Emory Professor
May 22, 2013, 08:00 ET from Emory University
Greg Ellison, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, is the author of "Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men" (Abingdon Press, 2013). The book describes ...
ATLANTA, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite their hopes and aspirations for the future, too many African American young men are still being rendered mute and invisible by society, says Emory University's Gregory Ellison. His new book, "Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men," (Abingdon Press, 2013) is a call for action and a blueprint for response.
Ellison, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory's Candler School of Theology, invites readers to enter the lives of five young men, chronicling their journeys from a sense of invisibility to a sense of understanding of both themselves and the world around them.
He encountered these young men in his work with high school and college-aged students in church and school settings, and from programs for youths transitioning from prison. While the individuals are real, they also represent many more youth who have limited access to education, have been in prison, or have been pushed to the margins in society.
Origins of 'cut dead'
In describing the plight of African American young men, Ellison uses a 19th century phrase, "cut dead," an expression he first encountered in the writings of William James in which the famous psychologist talks about humans as social beings.
"James asserted that it would be a cruel and fiendish punishment for any person to go unnoticed or unseen, to be made invisible," says Ellison. "James recognized that people would rather be tortured than to be 'cut dead'—deliberately ignored or snubbed completely."
Powerful stories
Because the young men Ellison encounters are "cut dead," they are emotionally, psychologically and even spiritually cut off from the world. "At some point, because they are unacknowledged, unseen and cast aside, their hopes, dreams and even their very humanity, begin to crumble and die," says Ellison. Their stories are powerful.
"One of the young men that I chronicle in the book was a very notable drug dealer in his community," Ellison says. "And some of the counselors at the program I worked at were badgering him to change and he said, 'You don't know me.' And he proceeded to tell his story."
"He said, 'I sell drugs because my mother is a crack-head and she prostitutes out of our home. So I sell drugs to keep the men from coming into my home, and protecting my younger sisters who are there.'"
"At that moment the air went out of the room," Ellison recalls. "And when it returned, we realized that we had to mobilize around this young man, not only to offer support to him, but to the family that he was seeking to sacrifice the life of his mother for."
Caregivers must see
"Once you begin to see a person as one who is made in the image of God, once you begin to see a homeless person as someone's uncle, or brother or aunt or sister or mother, you can't just step over them as a piece of trash because you have seen them fully," says Ellison. "Hence my mantra, 'once you see, you cannot not see.'"
Ellison not only provides compelling reasons for caregivers to begin "seeing" with new eyes, but also shows how caregivers can begin nurturing young men with guidance, admonition and support to help create a community of reliable others to serve as an extended family.
"Cut Dead" is Ellison's first step in what he plans as a comprehensive and ongoing effort to help people see those around them, "to see the beauty, to see the divinity, to see the humanity fully and not just to objectify them or to dismiss them by saying 'Oh, this person is just a future statistic.'"
While the book is targeted to African American men, Ellison says that four fundamental needs—having a sense of belonging, control, self-esteem and meaningful existence—are phenomena that affect all humanity, regardless of race, nationality or faith background.
"It is my hope that this book will help us to see all people in a more human and even a more divine way: That we are all worthy of respect. That we are all worthy of an opportunity to succeed."
Next step: Community organizing
Ellison is a young scholar/activist, a product of Atlanta Public Schools and an Emory alumnus who is now a father himself. This year he plans to take his findings to the public with a tour in several U.S. cities and on academic trips to the Bahamas, London and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Following the book tour, Ellison plans to launch a grassroots community movement, titled Fearless Dialogues, led by a team of experts he has recruited from healthcare, politics, education, community organizing and the arts. Plans include intensive work in five cities where team members will conduct a longitudinal study in each city with the aims of:
informing community strategic planning,
charting progress,
fueling future research,
organizing community leaders to institute change, and
presenting policy recommendations.About Emory University
Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate experience, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. Emory encompasses nine academic divisions as well as the Michael C. Carlos Museum, The Carter Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, Georgia's largest and most comprehensive health care system.
Related Links
Purchase "Cut Dead But Still Alive"
Candler School of Theology
Emory UniversityContact:
Laurel Hanna: laurel.hanna@emory.edu, 404-727-4481
Elaine Justice: elaine.justice@emory.edu, 404-727-0643SOURCE Emory University
RELATED LINKS
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- Huffington Post
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-meisel/a-summer-read-for-change-cut-dead-but-still-alive_b_3276411.html
Word count: 1449QUOTED: "Cut Dead isn’t a book that came out to meet a tenure requirement. It is a call to action and a blueprint for a response."
"The book may not be a bestseller on the New York Times list. But it must be required reading for seminarians, pastors or community leader who want to bring their pastoral care to our most challenged populations. Like Robert Coles and his award-winning work “Children of Crisis,” Ellison transcends the academy into the realm of the urgent need of the here and now."A Summer Read for Change: ‘Cut Dead But Still Alive’
By Wayne Meisel110
One of the blessings of my life has been the opportunity to meet some of the world’s great leaders before they were recognized as such.
I remember when a Princeton undergraduate walked into my office at the Bonner Foundation to tell me about her senior thesis and her plans to start a teaching corps. That was the first time I met Wendy Kopp, who went on to start Teach for America.
2013-05-15-cutdeadbutstillalive.jpgDuring a summer conference at American University, I met a young Eboo Patel. He made an immediate impression (as he does). He is now one of our leading prophetic voices.
I met Michael Brown and Alan Khazei while planning a dance marathon to support educational programs in Cambridge, Mass. That was before they launched City Year.
A similar encounter happened again just last month, when I was introduced to Greg Ellison. I had the same feeling when I met him as when I met Wendy, Eboo, Michael and Alan.
Greg has to be in his early 30s. When I met him, he was wearing a Chicago Bulls cap, one of more than 30 hats that he wears daily while teaching, giving speeches or lectures. (His hats are a constant reminder to remain humble, and a symbolic representation of his grandfather’s sacrifices and the many things he taught Greg with limited formal education).
He also had one of several ancestor buttons, as he calls them, pinned to his lapel: the face of his friend and mentor, the poet, activist and scholar Mari Evans — believing that her wisdom would guide him.
Greg is a professor at Emory’s Candler School of Theology. He received his Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and became the first African American at the school to earn a Ph.D. in pastoral care. Already, Greg has been honored as “Faculty Person of the Year” at Candler and his most recent class, “Care for Marginalized Populations,” filled up nine seconds after it was posted.
His book “Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men” will be released this week by Abingdon Press.
A first book is not always notable, but in this case it is. “Cut Dead But Still Alive” focuses on the challenges and opportunities of working with young African American men who, lacking proper guidance, are highly susceptible to ending up in the juvenile justice system, in and out of prison, or dead. The book addresses the challenges faced by caregivers and chronicles the progress that is made as these marginalized young men are emboldened by hope.
“Cut Dead” isn’t a book that came out to meet a tenure requirement. It is a call to action and a blueprint for a response.
Cut Dead But Still Alive
In my first conversation with Greg, he talked about his time at Princeton Seminary. During the day, he would go to class and study at the library. At night, he would transition to the streets of Newark, where he pastored a church and worked with young men coming out of prison. During that time, he was able to engage various therapeutic approaches as he worked with young men who were transitioning from juvenile detention centers and prisons. The book looks at the scholarship of theorists from distinct disciplines, and not wanting to settle for having his book put away on a shelf, Ellison has created a strategy that he introduces as “Fearless Dialogues.” At the heart of the approach is a call to purposeful action. Fearless Dialogues heighten awareness utilizing an innovative training model that engages local leaders and establishes community partners to bring both visibility and force to these young men. Following the release of the book, local efforts using this model will be launched in five cities including Atlanta, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Trenton, N.J. For all of this Greg will not get anything, at least financially. All his profits from the book will be divided evenly between The Bobby Tillman Foundation (BFAM), the Fund for Theological Education and the Fearless Dialogues Community Empowerment Tour. And the book may not be a bestseller on the New York Times list. But it must be required reading for seminarians, pastors or community leader who want to bring their pastoral care to our most challenged populations. Like Robert Coles and his award-winning work “Children of Crisis,” Ellison transcends the academy into the realm of the urgent need of the here and now. Embodiment of Hope, and an Example to Follow For the church to be relevant with this generation and to move forward effectively, it must reclaim its message of service and justice and demonstrate its commitment to engage in the challenging issues. Greg embodies the necessary response. His years at seminary were not only spent in the library but in the community as well. Church and seminary leaders — and some students — have told me that you cannot do both. Greg would argue he couldn’t not do both. If the church and seminaries do not follow Greg’s lead...Seminaries will fail to attract and retain the most capable young adults who are committed to changing the world.
Future leaders of the church will be uninformed and ill-equipped to deal with the issues where they are called and where they are asked to lead.
Churches will fail to take their required place of providing prophetic voice and determined solutions.Student responses to Greg and his teaching are a resounding shout that they are ready to hear his message and follow his lead. Ellison “not only gets students excited about his work, but lights a fire in us to put action to what we are being taught,” says Alisha L. Gordon, who is at Candler School of Theology. Amanda Huels, of Princeton seminary, said that within the first few pages she was “hooked” on Ellison’s ministry and mission. “As seminary students, we are looking for scholarship that bridges the classroom and the changing ministry context we are preparing to enter,’’ she said. “Greg’s message to the care providers of individuals who have found themselves invisible and muted in society is extremely relevant.” And Katie Lee, also a seminarian at Princeton, said Ellison’s work in the classroom, community and now in “Cut Dead,” comes at a crucial time. “What is incredibly helpful (especially as a young, Caucasian female reader) is that this is not just about one specific community, but about the many subjugated and persecuted groups that exist in every community. ... We will be able to use his example as a resource for powerful societal transformation.” There is a crisis in our communities, and at the heart of this heartbreak are the lives of a generation of young black men who struggle not just for survival, but to be seen. If we have the courage to be led by this bright leader who has not just written the talk but walked it as well, then we will begin to crack open a door that has been barred shut for quite some time. Summer Reading? So what is on your summer reading list? Students who are part of the Community Engagement Fellows program at seminaries and divinity schools across the country are encouraging their peers to put “Cut Dead But Still Alive” on their summer reading list. Join Alisha, Amanda and Katie — and students across the country — by pledging to read “Cut Dead But Still Alive” this summer and commit to follow up with conversation using Greg’s discussion questions. We hope to have at least 500 incoming and returning students read the book and help shape the dialogue of theological education and the direction of the church.
Follow Wayne Meisel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/waynemeisel12
Wayne Meisel
Director of Faith and Service
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Community - Spirtuality and Practice
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/book-reviews/view/28468/fearless-dialogues
Word count: 337QUOTED: "Fearless Dialogue enables us to focus attention on the real."
Fearless Dialogues A New Movement for Justice
By Gregory C. Ellison II
A presentation of a process for bringing together people to create positive change.
Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
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PrintGregory C. Ellison II is Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He is the founder of Fearless Dialogues, a grassroots community initiative that draws unlikely partners together to create positive change in self and others. This process stands on three pillars: See. Hear. Change. It places primary emphasis on seeing and hearing as gateways to transformation.
Fearless Dialogues are laboratories for nurturing reverence and wonder. American culture has brainwashed people about "stranger danger" and others fears that can morph into paranoia. One of the major challenges facing black youth is ostracism. The theologian Howard Thurman observed in Inward Journey:
"To be ignored, to be passed over as of no account and of no meaning is to be made into a faceless thing, not a man. It is better to be the complete victim of an anger unstrained and a wrath which knows no bounds, to be torn asunder without mercy or to be battered to a pulp by angry violence, than to be passed over."
Fearless Dialogue enables us to focus attention on the real; as Jesuit priest Walter J. Burghardt put it: "The real, reality, is not reducible to some far-off, intangible God-in-the-sky. Reality is living, pulsing people." Ellison presents "The Long Loving Look at the Real " as a start-up spiritual practice. The author then charts the challenges of crafting communal spaces for asking hard questions, listening empathetically, and inviting the inner teacher of the soul to be present as a guide.
Ellison ends this inspiring paperback with a process of reflective listening around questions — see the practice here.