Sacred Listening Theory
Sacred Listening Theory is a framework that emphasizes the importance of attentive, empathetic listening rooted in the recognition of the divine image in each person. It involves aligning with the speaker’s experience and identifying patterns that reveal deeper truths, fostering meaningful and transformative connections across entire communities.
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Watch the video below or scroll down to read more.
Overview
Sacred Listening Theory
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Sacred Listening is listening to each other in divine encounter, systematically. It is both a theory and a process. The three-part theory integrates principles from Theology, Communication, and Sociology.
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Theology helps us find and embrace the sacredness of every person, which sets the tone for every interaction (Imago Dei).
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Communication studies center the importance of genuine engagement (Alignment) in ways that respect the context of the sacred person we’re interacting with.
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Sociology guides the insightful analysis of conversational patterns (Patterns) and gives us ways to use what we learn to connect deeply, follow up and scale relationships beyond ourselves. ​
​Sacred Listening Process
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The Sacred Listening process is easy to use, replicable, and scalable. It translates to any context and embodies a framework that can be practiced in large settings, small groups, or individual interactions. The process is directly connected to the theory.
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The first phase (Intentions) of the process is to center everyone and create a sacred space through ritual and setting intentions.
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The second phase (Ask and Record) aligns everyone through inquiry and sharing which is carefully tuned to the diverse methods by which people express their experiences.
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The third phase (Explore and Follow-up) requires thoughtfulness and planning to look for patterns in what people share and find ways to use those patterns to follow-up and scale the relationships.
Coming Soon
COMING SOON
Stay tuned for our White Paper about the theory and process of Sacred Listening and our upcoming article in the Journal of Moral Theology.