Sexuality and Spirituality: An Exploratory Journey

3 Thursdays at Inner Alchemy, 7-9:30pm August 22, 29th and September 5.

It has been suggested that we live in a sexually schizophrenic culture. On the one hand, sex is everywhere—TV ads, Hollywood movies, internet porn, romance novels, etc. But on the other hand, few dare to bring such a controversial topic into our spiritual communities. This class will openly tackle this sizzling subject by looking at various religious and mythical ideas about sexuality, erotica and spirituality—issues like the Bible on sex, Tantric sex, shame, guilt, pornography, fantasies, monogamy and more. Bring your questions and curiosities as together we explore how our sexuality and spirituality interact—possibly even co-exist.

Michael Bogar

Michael Bogar has two graduate degrees in biblical and theological studies. He is completing his PhD in Myth and Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. The title of his dissertation is: Watching God Grow Up: Reading the Bible as Stages and Modes of Consciousness. He is the Director at the Spiritual Enrichment Center on Bainbridge Island. He teaches World Religions for Central Texas College at their Lewis-McChord campus in Tacoma, as well as regular classes at the Seattle Center for Spiritual Living and the Seattle Unity Church, and other venues. Students and audience members frequently comment on his depth of scholarship, personal approach and sense of humor. Michael has taught the classical religious texts from many religious traditions and is a very effective teacher of spiritual and psychological phenomena.

Michael brings a full-life experience to his teaching. He can relate to a wide range of human experience and has a way of communicating to those at the top of their game and those ready to quit. He views life as an educational experience that he calls soul-making, requiring both negative and positive relationships with people, circumstances, ideas and emotions. There is no wasted moment in a soul-making life.