Grace

Dr. Grace Adolphsen Brame has spoken and sung in the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. She teaches the Integration of Theology and Spirituality in the Graduate Religion Department of LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA. Nationally, she is known as a lecturer, retreat leader and an author of books and articles in her field. Over forty different journals and magazines such as The Christian Century, The Lutheran, Worship, Sisters Today, and Spirituality Today have published her work. Internationally recognized as a professional mezzo-soprano in opera and concert, she has represented the United States as a musical ambassador in several republics of the former Soviet Union and in France as well as singing her Life of Christ and numerous other recitals in Switzerland and the Caribbean. She was the only delegate from North America to a conference of Asian Lutheran educators (ASAP) in India. There she spoke on the Integration of Theology and Spirituality in the Lutheran Church in North America. Among her best known books are Receptive Prayer: Prayer That Nourishes, Heals, and Empowers and A Manual for Receptive Prayer: For Study, Practice, and Retreats (Latest Editions: Charis Enterprises). In research in Britain, she discovered four of the five missing retreats of Evelyn Underhill which Crossroad published under the title: The Ways of the Spirit. Her latest book is Faith, the Yes of the Heart (Augsburg/Fortress), a theology of spirituality based upon important but relatively unknown facets of Martin Luther's spirituality which break new ground in Luther study. Henri Nouwen wrote of her Receptive Prayer as "a beautiful book." Douglas Steere actively supported its dissemination here and abroad. Marcus Borg has cited Faith, the Yes of the Heart as "wise and insightful." The latter book deals with the integration and balance of objective, theological, creedal faith with faith as a personal relationship of trust, involvement, and commitment. Brame deals with the challenge of extremes in both kinds of faith, and presents chapters on the universal call of God, making choices, silence and Receptive Prayer, suffering, living as God's life-giving vessels, and the cost and joy of dedication to the One who matters most. Brame has lectured at Lutheran, Episcopal, and Methodist Seminaries on the subjects of Receptive Prayer, Spirituality as Discipleship, The Life and Thought of Evelyn Underhill, and Luther's Understanding of Faith as "a confidence on which we stake our lives." (Luther, 1541) Her most recent emphasis is on "The Cross, not as a payment made to a God demanding justice through blood sacrifice, but as continued kenosis, a gift from God of unconditional, self-giving love." She speaks of Salvation as far more than "going to heaven." It emphasizes being "loved, forgiven and freed, fed, included, claimed and healed." That healing is "especially in relationship with God, ourselves, and others, and it is now, as well as in eternity." Her first publication on this subject was published in 2005 by Perspectives in Religion. Her book on this subject was published in the fall of 2010 as THE CROSS: PAYMENT OR GIFT? RETHINKING THE DEATH OF JESUS (Publisher: Charis Enterprises), available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Ingram. In 2007, Brame, in two trips to Tanzania, Africa, was keynote speaker for a church women's conference, concertized, led a retreat on The Spiritual Path, and investigated the needs of Tanzanians. Featured in 2013 fall publications of: World Who's Who Continental Who's Who - Featured Pinnacle Person National Association of Professional Women - "Woman of the Year - 2013-2014"