Awakening Soul
Wisdom of the Ages
November 2-5, 2023
Register
AwakeningSoul offers a virtual version of the conference for $210, which includes seven plenaries; music; two plenaries from each speaker; and two panel discussions.
A Conversation with the Presenters
We invite spiritual leaders and wisdom teachers, poets and storytellers, progressive theologians who are deeply steeped in Biblical scholarship, gifted musicians, people engaged in the hard work of love and justice, seekers on the journey, hungry souls, hopeful and despairing, young and old, all looking for ways to connect and deepen their relationship with the Divine and each other.
Presenters
Dr. Catherine Meeks is Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing. A sought-after teacher and workshop leader, Dr. Meeks brings four decades of experience in working to dismantle racism. The core of her work has been with people who have been marginalized because of economic status, race, gender or physical ability as they pursue liberation, justice and access to resources that can help lead them to health, wellness and a more abundant life.
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is Senior Minister and Public Theologian at Middle Church in New York City. In her activism, preaching, speaking, writing, and teaching, Dr. Lewis advocates for racial equality, gun control, economic justice, and equal rights for all sexual orientations/genders. A world-renowned theologian, Dr. Lewis has been featured on The Today Show, All In with Chris Hayes, AM Joy, The Melissa Harris Perry Show, NY1, ABC, NBC, PBS, CBS and many more, and her writing has appeared in outlets like Harper’s Bazaar, Vox, The Huffington Post and Religion News Service. She is the author of several books, most recently Fierce Love: A Bold Path to a Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the World which was published by Penguin Random House in 2021. Listen to her interview with Bishop Brian Prior.
A writer and poet, Cole is the author of the NYT bestseller, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us. Her writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post.
Cole serves as the spiritual teacher in residence with Cornell University’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making. She is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator.
Kanuga is making it a priority to increase accessibility to our programs.
Attendance cost is calculated during online registration, depending on your lodging selection. Apply for need-based financial assistance during checkout, and note that payment plans are available.
Choose from a guest house, historic cottage or a room in Kanuga Lake Inn.
Check out photos of each type of lodging here.
We observe quiet hours from 11 p.m.-7 a.m.
Meals are included in the program fee. We serve three meals a day, buffet-style in our dining room. Please let us know of any food allergies when completing your online registration.
- Breakfast: 7:30-9 a.m.
- Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Supper: 5:30-7 p.m.
For the health and safety of our beloved community, Kanuga maintains high standards for food service, sanitation, and general cleanliness. All guests must be symptom-free from any communicable disease prior to arrival. Wearing masks is not required but welcomed by all, especially those at high risk or not up to date on vaccinations, or for 5 days after recovering from illness. Please visit this page for information specific to COVID in Henderson County.
In our shop, located next to the Main Lodge, you’ll find soft drinks, wine and beer, snacks, books, apparel, and necessities.
During your stay, we hope you can make time to explore Kanuga’s hiking trails, wooded walks, and lakes. The indoor gym includes workout and weight rooms, as well as a basketball court.
There are myriad worship and contemplation spaces at Kanuga in which all are welcome, including the indoor Chapel of The Transfiguration and the Labyrinth and St. Francis Chapel outdoors.
If you are attending an event at Kanuga and would like to share your photos with our online community, please tag us: #kanuga @kanugaepiscopal. Drone photography is not permitted by guests.
Check-in: 4 p.m.
Check-out: 10 a.m.
Certified service animals are welcome at Kanuga in certain lodging areas.
