Main Street News

Above photo courtesy of the Salisbury Forum and Casper ter Kuile.

On May 9 at 7:30pm, The Power of the Ritual author Casper ter Kuile will be speaking at the Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT, “for an evening to understand the root causes of our loneliness crisis, why so many of our friendships and family relationships are fraught, and what we can do about it,” according to The Salisbury Forum.

You don’t want to miss “The Art of Covenant: How Ancient Wisdom Can Transform Our Relationships,” an incredible opportunity to learn from Casper ter Kuile’s breadth and depth of spiritual knowledge and a chance to better understand how we can apply these tenets to our daily lives! To register for this free public event, please click here.

Casper ter Kuile shares all about how he ended up in his current field, the significance of his work, and what you can expect to learn at his upcoming Salisbury Forum discussion!

Tell me a bit about your initial educational and career experiences that led you to the current focus and scope of your work. In other words, how did you end up exploring these broader themes of making meaning & fostering strong relationships/communities?

I grew up in a non-religious family, but one that was rich in ritual. I attended a Waldorf school and was lucky enough to have all sorts of magical celebrations as part of my childhood. Dancing around a Maypole on May Day, jumping over the St John’s fire at midsummer, making lanterns at Michaelmas, and singing to the cattle on the local farm on Christmas Eve. This rich tapestry of ritual helped me experience the world as alive—and illuminated the value of community.

I arrived at Harvard University to study Public Policy, but found much more meaningful conversations happening in the Divinity School, so I ended up doing a dual degree—moving from econometrics in the morning to mystical theology in the afternoon! These studies gave me a really rich insight into understanding how religion and community have drastically changed in the United States, and invited my initial research into new communities and the ways that ancient religious practices can be adapted to our modern world.

How do you approach your research and examine our capacity for belonging and meaning in your work? Feel free to discuss The Power of Ritual or any of your other endeavors, including Sacred Design Lab, Nearness, and your podcast!

Out of my graduate studies came two significant projects. The first was a podcast that hit number 2 in the iTunes charts—Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. In it, my cohost and I applied Christian and Jewish sacred reading practices like Lectio Divina and Havruta to the best-selling books. It was a wonderful opportunity to speak to a global fandom through a text that they loved, but to ask bigger questions about meaning, justice, and community. It wasn’t a window to look out of, but a mirror to reflect with. 

The podcast was an example of spiritual innovation, and the second project—Sacred Design Lab—has allowed me to continue researching and writing about these themes. I even got to travel to Japan, Brazil, and Kenya as part of a global study on spiritual innovation!

To those unfamiliar with your work, why do you think it’s important to learn more about and focus on making meaning and bringing depth to our lives, connections, and communities—especially in today’s world?

In the midst of the serious threats to our democracy, the need for healthy relationships is more important than ever. Study after study reveals how the most important factors of life satisfaction and survival in a crisis is having strong relationships. And as the arrival of AI disrupts more and more of our shared life, learning how to stay human together will be of primary importance in the years to come! 

What do you hope people will be able to take away from your upcoming event at the Salisbury School? How do you hope to build upon your previous talk at the Salisbury Forum in 2020?

I hope folks will walk away informed about the shifting landscape of community and religion in the United States and inspired by the possibility that the practice of covenant offers to them and their loved ones. 

To read more about Casper and his work, please visit his website here. To register for “The Art of Covenant: How Ancient Wisdom Can Transform Our Relationships,” which will take place on May 9 at 7:30pm and will be hosted at Salisbury School, please click here. Salisbury School is located at 251 Canaan Road in Salisbury, CT.