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Friday, March 10, 2006

Brainstorm a progressive religious blog conference.

by Philocrites

Back in December I heard about early plans for a progressive religious blog conference, an interfaith gathering of bloggers open to theological and liturgical liberals and politically left-of-center religious people — all the people excluded, in other words, from last fall's highly successful "GodBlogCon." What a great idea! But great ideas come to nothing all the time; it takes a lot of work to make an idea a reality. Slowly but surely, it looks like the "Progressive Faith Blog-Con" is becoming real.

The conference will be July 14 through 16 at Montclair State University in New Jersey. One very positive sign is that Velveteen Rabbi is coordinating the workshop slots — and she is looking for fellow brainstormers. Other conference supporters include the extraordinary Real Live Preacher and my fellow Blog Heaven member, the Zen-Humanist Woodmoor Village. If you have passion for this kind of organizing and fraternizing, do volunteer to help.

Copyright © 2006 by Philocrites | Posted 10 March 2006 at 5:43 PM

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10 comments:

Scott Wells:

March 10, 2006 06:17 PM | Permalink for this comment

I was looking forward to it until I saw the +$600 registration fee, before travel, room, and food. I could run my blog for more than a decade for that.

Philocrites:

March 10, 2006 09:26 PM | Permalink for this comment

Where did you see the registration fee listed? I haven't found it on the site or heard anything about a figure that high by email.

Scott Wells:

March 10, 2006 09:45 PM | Permalink for this comment

I expressed an early interest, and an invitation was emailled to me.

Unfortunately, I lost all my emails before a certain date, and so I'm working from memory. Thus the rough figure.

Rachel:

March 11, 2006 01:19 PM | Permalink for this comment

No, no, no -- the conference won't cost six hundred bucks for each participant. The cost of putting the conference on is $630 -- that's what we're trying to raise to pay for the conference hall and wifi. Our intention is for the conference to be FREE for all comers.

If you know anyone else who's laboring under the misapprehension, please help us spread the word. Our hope is to raise about six hundred bucks between now and July to pay for the venue, and I feel fully confident that we can do that; once we do that, the only cost to participants will be their shelter and food for the weekend.

Shaula Evans:

March 13, 2006 02:29 AM | Permalink for this comment

Thank you for sharing the news on the conference, Philocretes. Expanding a little bit on the topics already listed, I'd like to see an exploration of how to build bridges with the political but not religious blogging community--to get more "authentic" religious stories into the progressive political community.

My health is not that cooperative right now, but if it is physically possible (in the literal sense) by the summer, I'd be thrilled to attend.

Dan Harper:

March 14, 2006 11:08 PM | Permalink for this comment

I'll be half a day late due to another commitment, but I plan to be there. Any other Philocrites readers planning to go?

ogre:

March 15, 2006 01:33 AM | Permalink for this comment

Not I. Not that long after GA, and the cost of going and returning to SoCal would approach the cost of organizing the conference.

Besides, I think I may be frantically organizing the board retreat at that moment (mommas, don't let your bloggers grow up to be preznits).

Shawn Anthony:

March 15, 2006 10:15 AM | Permalink for this comment

The conference is in Montclair, New Jersey, correct? Yes, I'm going to do my best to be there! I'm looking forward to meeting some of you. :)

Philocrites:

March 15, 2006 10:40 AM | Permalink for this comment

Yes, that's my understanding. Additional details are forthcoming, but I'm planning to go.

Philocrites:

April 4, 2006 03:06 PM | Permalink for this comment

Velveteen Rabbi has an update on the program topics for the Progressive Religious Blog Conference in New Jersey in July. (Thanks for the tip, KS!)



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