A Wiser Way: Living Your Deepest Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke

“In Rilke, we encounter a poet who holds together what often seems at odds: youth and wisdom; focus and freedom; devotion and doubt; God and the self. With Stephanie Dowrick and Mark S. Burrows we are in the safe hands of writers who are sensitive to this exquisite tension of Rilke’s, and who also hold it themselves. Their scholarship has the quality of music; their theological insights have the character of hospitality; their insights are appealing to the expert and the newcomer alike.” — Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian and radio host of On Being’s Poetry Unbound

Join us for three online sessions devoted to probing Rilke’s wisdom — inviting participants into dialogue — with their own inner truth, with the presenters, and with each other.

Born in 1875, the brilliantly unorthodox poet and writer, Rainer Maria Rilke, is increasingly recognized as a visionary voice for these times. Against the crippling conservatism of his own time, he set out to chart a path of imaginative freedom that strongly resonates today.

Rilke urged people to find the courage to “live the questions” rather than just seeking familiar answers. Indeed, that they “live everything”, refusing to deny any parts of themselves, but rather welcoming the unfolding fullness of their experience and that of others.

It is with this courageous trust in ourselves that Mark and Stephanie will guide you to reflect on three timeless questions:

“Am I enough?”
“How can I see the world with the freedom of a poet?”
“How do I find the trust to welcome my own and others’ fullness of experience?”

A Wiser Way: Living Your Deepest Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke, Mark and Stephanie’s forthcoming book, will be published in Spring, 2024.