Ansley Tillman, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Nestled within the School of Theology’s recently renovated Hamilton Hall, Rt. Rev. Dr. Jacob Owensby read excerpts from his newly published book, inviting the audience to consider several deep questions about spirituality. He boldly announced that everyone believes in something, even if that is only the material world. His question is as follows: How is your belief working out for you?
Owensby is the current Chancellor of Sewanee, meaning he is the non-residential head of the University who leads the Board of Trustees. Having graduated from the School of Theology in 1997, he became the 26th Chancellor of Sewanee in January 2023 and has served many roles in the Episcopal Church. He is currently the fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana and has served on the House of Bishops Pastoral Development Committee, president of the Louisiana Interchurch Council, and the Task Force of the Opioid Crisis. Along with being deeply involved in the Episcopalian tradition, Owensby received PhDin Philosophy and was an associate professor of philosophy at Jacksonville University.
Aside from his career in philosophy and theology, the chancellor is also an author. He has written several religious books, his most recent and the topic of his talk being “A Full-Hearted Life: Following Jesus in this Secular Age.” His desire in making this book was to encourage people to reflect on their own beliefs. It was inspired by his years of experience in the church, and his discussions with a variety of individuals about purpose, life, and spirituality.
The reading began with Owensby bridging the divide between audience and speaker. He immediately revealed his sense of humor, practicality, and welcoming demeanor and invited the audience to ask questions. He encouraged discussion rather than simply reading selections from his book, though the passages were still prominent in the talk. Then he dove into explaining the mission and heart of his book. “We all want to lead a full-hearted life. To have a sense of who we are, that we are being true to ourselves, and that what we do in this world matters… to take joy in being alive.”
The book walks with the reader as they explore what they believe and how their current practices provide them with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Owensby’s goal, he states, is “not to tell people what to think, but to encourage them to think for themselves.” As he strode back and forth, he discussed issues with materialism, considering what consciousness is and how it affects purpose, and even bringing up how mortality makes it difficult to ascribe meaning to a purely materialistic world.
So, with all these big ideas, what can someone actually take away from Owensby’s talk? What does Owensby suggest? He suggests the very thing he had been doing the whole time: open and loving conversation. “Invite people to reflect upon [questions like] “how that’s working for you? Can you lead the life you’re yearning to have? Are your deepest longings going to be met with that series of beliefs and the practices that arise from them?”” He encouraged the audience to listen to others, not simply to shove personal opinions upon someone. “Our best shot is to be good listeners… I really believe in building relationships, showing that you trust another person’s humanity, and that you’re interested and care.”