[Dialogue] Remembering Frank Knutson

[Karen Snyder]

Paul Noah asked that the following be posted from him and the letter Frank Knutson wrote him about his hopes for the July Archives Sojourn 2023:


I knew Frank "Most Holy One” Knutson. We worked with others on collecting and presenting the archives of the ICA. While “tongue in cheek" was an operating principle of his constant humility he was very clear about the emerging task of the archive team.

Here is an email from Frank May 24, 2023:
 Some reflections on our conversation yesterday about the Archives. As we talked about where the weight of the  archives needed to be—the story of How it All Came About. If I were to put weight on our story, it would look like this; 50% Christian Faith and Life Community (CF&LC <>), 25% Order Ecumenical (O:E), 12.5% each, Ecumenical Institute (EI) & Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA).

 CF&LC began with the audacious objective to Renew the Church of Jesus Christ as Mission to the World. (Period). If they had stopped there and set out they would of failed. So the task was broken down to three stratagies—Contextual Re-Education,  Structural Re-Formulation and Spiritual Re-Motivation. Genius. Now the task was doable—create structures, programs and methods to accomplish renewal.

 From these three strategies came; RS!, Imaginal Education, crucial methods, gridding, story/song/symbol, basis for the Academy, start of the Order—the basis for all that followed. The list goes on.

We reached far back into history to the ancient church and religious orders gleaning strengths and weaknesses, adapting and updating to 20th century understandings those elements that provided historical contnuity.

 Brought down from the 'heavens' the primary  symbols of the church—God, Jesus, Holy Sprit, humanizing and grounding them in everyday life. Probably our greatest gift. We are experiencing the last throws of the old time religion grounded in the second story universe—Mega churches, C.I.N.O. (Christians In Name Only), Evangelical movements, etc.

 The creation of our Commonness; rituals, songs, symbols, methods, structures, Religious Houses, is the basis for our successes This is the story to be told. The creation of HDPs, TMs, Social Process, NRMs, etc. are all secondary to the story of what it takes to create the programs necessary to the times.

 The two weeks this July would be well spent in writing the compelling story of How it All Came About.

 Frank






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