Afterlife of Sacred Spaces Project
June 05, 2023
This project explores how listening circles aid in supporting religious congregations and the relationship with their buildings and cities.
The Afterlife of Sacred Spaces collaborates with religion-based congregations and organizations experiencing transitions related to their buildings, are in communities who live in neighborhoods with abandoned places of worship, or who have to leave their places of worship to find ways to heal. By using circle process, a dialogue technique drawn from Indigenous practices that centers listening to build and restore relationships, we facilitate conversations for impacted communities to learn what communities want to do with the place of worship and if certain actions are needed to repair any harms associated with the place of worship. Pre- and post-circle surveys are administered to participants. The surveys are analyzed, but the circle content remains confidential.
