“Dr. B was passionate about expanding our understanding of the Christian contemplative tradition, reminding us that contemplation isn’t the sole domain of those who can retreat to quiet places. She understood, from her own life and from the traditions she carried forward, that contemplative practices must also arise in the midst of struggle, in the heart of communities pressed against the weight of history and oppression. She helped us see that the Christian contemplative tradition, too often framed through a narrow, Eurocentric lens, was far richer and more diverse than we had realized. It’s a tradition that belongs to all of us—and she called us to honor it fully by embracing its breadth and depth”
— Brian McLaren, posted on Center for Action and Contemplation’s website















Dr. Barbara Holmes served as president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, as well as professor of ethics and African American religious studies. She was ordained in the Latter Rain Apostolic Holiness Church in Dallas, Texas, and has privilege of call in the United Church of Christ and recognition of ministerial standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to her work with law firms, Holmes has worked with homeless missions, HIV/AIDS ministries, and international ministries in Kenya (the Presbyterian Church of East Africa) and Japan. The author of numerous books including Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church, Race and the Cosmos, and Crisis Contemplation: Healing the Wounded Village. Holmes earned an MS from Southern Connecticut University, an MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary, a PhD from Vanderbilt University, and a JD from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. Dr. B was a Core Faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation.



In this 2016 episode, Barbara shares about her own contemplative lineage, reflections on the contemplative aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement, the contemplative and social impact of Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé,  and her sense of hope in the next generation.



Visit Dr. Barbara Holmes’s work at drbarbaraholmes.com and her podcast The Cosmic We.



Visit Dr. B’s obituary is here.















Episode Show Notes



Works by Barbara A. Holmes




Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church



Race and the Cosmos



Crisis Contemplation: Healing the Wounded Village



Liberation and the Cosmos: Conversations with the Elders



See full list of Dr. B’s books here








Resources & People Mentioned




President Obama



Brian Swimme



Howard Thurman



Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church



Henry Louis Gates



AJ Jacobs



Thomas Merton



Martin Luther King



Black Lives Matter



Beyonce



Kendrick Lamar



Kirk Whalum



Tupac Shakur








Drink Recommended




Sparkling Coconut Lemon Water
















Photo pulled from drbarbaraholmes.comLinks to book purchases give a kickback to a local New Mexican bookstore and Contemplify

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