[Dialogue] Fw: Reflecting on the Turn

[R Williams]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jim Troxel <troxel at consultmillennia.com>
To: Randy Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com>
Cc: Karen Snyder <ksnyder at consultmillennia.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2011 1:38 PM
Subject: Reflecting on the Turn


Randy,
Karen forwarded to me from one of the dialogues your question about the Turn.  Since I am not a subscriber but was intrigued with the question, I post my recollections direct to you.  If you want to post them, you can.  Some are in synch with others Karen forwarded to me; some ideas are different.
 
Reflections from Jim Troxel in maroon.
 
In 1972 the Kemper Insurance Co. gave the Ecumenical Institute its 8-story office building at 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago.  In and around that year the Institute of Cultural Affairs was incorporated and EI/ICA moved its headquarters from its "seminary campus" on the west side to its "insurance building" on north side.  [We purchased the seminary; we were given the insurance building.  The symbolism is rich.  We had to buy our way into the church; the world opened its arms to us.] Subsequently we drew a circle around the wedge blade and announced we were making a "turn to the world."  [Or, did we overlay the Wedge Blade on the world?]
 
Here are some questions regarding "the turn:"  And some of my random responses.
	1. What was going on in the world and internally with EI/O:E that precipitated the "Turn to the World?"
a)    The Order was growing too fast.  We needed to invent significant engagement for everyone.  We had hit a saturation point of placing our religious houses.
b)   The Local Church Experiment was doing well, having an impact, but it was weak on the “parish” pole.  Fifth City was only replicable in a certain sort of way.  We needed a way to show the Church how to care for the World.  We began something along the lines of a “parish experiment” as I recall, but it was half-baked and didn’t last too long.
	1. How did "the turn" affect our story about who we were and what we were doing? (For example, what did we understand we were turning to and what were we turning from?)
a)    Many of those ensconced in the “church” thought we were turning away from it.  I think you could find some evidence of that notion, but that wasn’t intended.  
b)   The “ICA” had been a “division” of the EI, but we spun it off to emphasize our social mission.  I remember hearing this for the first time and said to myself, “I didn’t know that.”  It was a clever/subtle way of making the shift to make it seem seamless.  I use this illustration a lot to remind myself that you invent your story.
	1. What were the strategic and practical implications at that time?
a)    I recall about this same time the concept of “contradictions” entered Joe’s vocabulary.  Those who remember being tutored by him on what contradictions were will remember how difficult it was.  I think identifying the underlying, root causes to society’s ills was one of the drivers of all this.
b)   From the “Turn” you have the social process research, which led to the whistle/pressure points, which led to the ideas of the HDPs and Town Meetings and the rest, as they say, was history.
	1. What are the implications today for ICAs around the world?
a)    On the one hand, absolutely nothing.
b)   On the other, the ICA exists to examine the deep underlying root issues blocking full humanness in our world and then works to catalyze creative responses to it.  This is a timeless task.
I have drafted an outline of a paper on “Why It Failed” trying to capture my recollections and reflections on the demise of the Order.  Some of the origins of the demise are found in the imagery of the “Turn” IMHO.
 
 
 
Jim Troxel
312-922-9920, Ext. 8
Mobile: 312-404-9920
Troxel at ConsultMillennia.com
www.ConsultMillennia.com
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