Alan Kolp to facilitate discussion on Quaker spirituality

Dr. Alan Kolp’s career teaching religion and spirituality took an unusual turn nearly two decades ago when he joined the Baldwin Wallace faculty and struck up an unlikely alliance with colleagues in the business school. Together, they entwined business concepts such as leadership, innovation and culture, with the classical virtues of courage, justice, hope and love to pen three books, highly prized by businesses trying to build more holistic and integrity driven companies for the 21st Century.

Born and raised in the Quaker faith, Kolp has relied on the tenets of his faith in both his teaching and writing.

On Saturday, May 11, Kolp, a birthright Quaker, is sharing his spiritual message during a day-long retreat at Centering Space in Lakewood. But as with his co-authored business books, he invites participants to examine these ideas in light of their own lives.

“I will present some of the basic Quaker spiritual perspectives and practices, but more than theology, I want to work in the area of spirituality,” Kolp said. “I am hoping whatever your tradition, you can see a way to relate to Quaker beliefs. I will focus on the basic Quaker spirituality and do some segments on silence, peace, testimony and social justice.”

He emphasized that this program is designed to be an interactive experience. He will engage attendees in discussion about their beliefs and how it intersects with Quaker spirituality.

The sharing part of the program is key, Kolp said. This is not intended to be a lecture he noted, and in fact, the smaller, more intimate environment of Centering Space lends itself much more to discussion rather than teaching. And although born and raised a Quaker, he wants to focus less on the doctrinal aspects of the religion and more on how one can weave the basic tenets of faith into personal experience.

Kolp is holder of the Baldwin Wallace chair in faith and life and professor of religion. He earned degrees from Guilford College and Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate from Harvard University.

Before coming to Baldwin Wallace University in 2000, Kolp taught at Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. For six years, he served as head of the graduate school as dean of Earlham School of Religion. Kolp also served eight years as pastoral leader at First Friends Meeting in Richmond.

In 2006, Kolp co-authored “Integrity is a Growth Market: Character-Based Leadership,” with his business colleague Peter Rea. In 2011, they worked with Pierre Everaert to produce their second book “Igniting Innovation with Integrity: Following the B.R.I.C. Road.” Kolp and Rea published their third book together, “Exception to the Rule,” in 2017.

Kolp recently traveled to Germany where he and Rea shared these ideas for a corporate audience.

“I could never have guessed I would be doing this kind of stuff,” Kolp acknowledged. “It has been fascinating because it is all about being human.”

Kolp also has numerous publications in contemporary spirituality, including two popular books “Fresh Winds of the Spirit” and “Canopy of Light & Love.”

To learn more about Kolp’s presentation at Centering Space or to register, visit www.centeringspace.org.

About Centering Space

Centering Space is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, located in a spacious century home in Lakewood, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie. The organization hosts weekly prayer, monthly meditation opportunities, retreats and a host of programs throughout the year focused on spirituality, mediation and prayer. Centering Space strives to enable ordinary people from any background to discover the presence of God in their lives through quiet attention to the voice of the Spirit. Visit us at 14812 Lake Ave., Lakewood, OH 44197. You can view our programs at www.centeringspace.org. For more information, contact us at (216) 228.7451.