FIRST SOCIETY ~ SPRING 2022 SPECIAL MEETING
YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART:
A Light-Hearted Examination of the Word “Heart” as Used in The Urantia Book
Sunday, April 3, 2022, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
To be held Virtually, on Zoom
Presenters: Clinton Stucky and Barbara Newsom
Have you ever wondered why authors of The Urantia Book might have chosen to use the rather imprecise word “heart” more than 300 times?
In contrast to terms such as “thought adjuster” or “soul” or “mind,” the term “heart” is not always easily defined. Other than “a muscle that pumps blood,” what is the human “heart” as referred to in The Urantia Book? And what is the relationship of the human heart to those aforementioned components of our being? Maybe if we “put our heads together” we can get to the “heart” of the matter!
Some Urantia Book uses of the term “heart” are, of course, relatively easy to disambiguate—the first occurrence is found in the Foreword:
“At the heart of this eternal and central universe is the stationary Isle of Paradise, the geographic center of infinity and the dwelling place of the eternal God.” Paper 0:0.5 (page 1.5) [underlining added]
“Heart,” in that context, is synonymous with “center,” right? But things immediately get more complicated with the book’s second use of the term:
“Depending, therefore, on the presence of these divine spirits [the Thought Adjuster and the Spirit of Truth] within the heart of man for assistance...I cheerfully undertake...”
Paper 2:0.3 (page 33.3)
Oh my! And we’ve just gotten started. But take heart! Like The Wizard of Oz’s Tin Woodman in search of a heart, we have friends to accompany us. We’ll begin our journey by reflecting on a few of the varied ways this term has been used in popular culture, and later take a peek at some turn-of-the-century dictionaries (likely reference works for UB authors)—always keeping things light-hearted, of course.
About the Presenters
This presentation is an outgrowth of a month-long Study Group discussion on “Heart” with members of the Walnut Hill Urantia Book Study and Support Group, facilitated by Clint Stucky, in the South-Central area of Kansas. Clint Stucky holds MS degrees in both Education and Occupational Therapy—a subject he taught at Newman University (Wichita, KS) until retiring a few years ago. He is also known by attendees of Urantia Book conferences for his portrayal of the Wizard of Oz at recent Summer Study Session reversion events.
Barbara Newsom, like Clint, is a Kansas native. A reader of The Urantia Book since 1965, Barbara is currently serving a nine-year term as General Councilor of The Urantia Book Fellowship and chairs the Interfaith Committee. Barbara has also served as a volunteer or adjunct member of the Fellowship's Education Committee since 1974.
Barbara holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Kansas where she taught and managed continuing education and research activities before starting a government and business consulting career.
Although Barbara has resided primarily in the Chicago, IL, area since 1975, Barbara recently began taking seminary courses at Bishop Kemper School of Ministry in Topeka, KS.
Please have your Urantia Book handy as you join Members and Friends of First Society for an informative and engaging time of study and fellowship. There will be a brief break around the middle of the presentation.
Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87345912543?pwd=bUtpVUt0aW5JN3cvQkFRVkxpVW5wdz09
Meeting ID number: 873 4591 2543 Passcode: 606
Phone: 1 (312) 626-6799
If you have any questions regarding the Zoom Meeting, please contact Ken Keyser at (773) 338-1127. Especially if your question comes up near the beginning of the meeting time, please call or text, rather than email, since I do not receive email to my phone.
Thank you.
PLEASE JOIN
