Local Church Experiment Hunter Warrior Conversation

Continental Consult Winter Quarter, 1974

The Ixtlan conversation is designed to appropriate the account of a spirit journey in secular terms. This is a rational or intellectual conversation. It is as though you are describing a stick or a rock. The aim is to put this Hunter Warrior, this hero out in front of the group and have them describe him. These conversations are and must be very objective. This are not the time to go deep into yourself. Rather, they are to hinge on the mythical figure of an "eschatological" hero. The intent of the conversation is to get to know him.

At the same time, it is not a normal artform, nor is it like a scripture conversation. That's why you don't do this conversation on the book. The flow is something like this:

First, read the assigned passage from the book.

Second, spin briefly to create a transition to the reading of one of the twelve interpretive frames on the Hunter Warrior (pick one that is disrelated from the passage in the book, since the focus is on the hero, not the particular content of the passage.

Third, converse with the group using questions like those which follow:

1. (Optional) What were some words or phrases that grabbed you?

2. How would you recognize this guy? If you saw such a man on the street, what would he be doing or thinking about?

3. Substitute words (point out words Hunter Warrior). What word might you substitute for Hunter Warrior?

Finish the sentence: The Hunter Warrior is a_____ . What is another term for the qualities he embodies?

NOTE: This question is optional as a substitution question.)

4. When have you seen a man like this? When have you last seen a man who manifested this authority of his own being?

5. (This question is an offstage not really meant to be answered.) When was a time that you spoke with the authority of your own being? (Get off stage with: Well, we can leave that one for you to answer on some other occasion.

This is a recommended flow. Obviously, the guru wiI1 need to alter these specific questions for particular situations and readings. The guru is the key to this conversation. Do not let the apparent simplicity fool you into unpreparedness. Preliminary brooding through the conversation is the best preparation.