Bio
Rev. Dr. Stephanie Rutt is the Founding Minister of the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple, a non-denominational church she founded in 2009. She is the director of the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living and creator of the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary, a two-year program, focused on the integration of prayer, meditation and spiritual practices from the world’s major faith traditions. The twenty–six module core curriculum, The Path of Crow: Journey to Your Inner Treasure, invites seminarians on the ultimate treasure hunt to discover their divine purpose and to offer their unique gifts in service to the greater good. In addition, she created an optional third year, the Spiritual Mentoring Certificate Program, which trained seminarians, as well as health care professionals, in cultivating pastoral mentoring skills. In 2018, she transferred the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary and the Spiritual Mentoring Certificate Programs over to the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple. For more information, and to see other programs offered by the Temple, please visit www.tolinterfaithtemple.org
Rev. Stephanie earned the Doctor of Ministry degree in 2017 from Andover Newton Theological School (now a part of Yale Divinity School) where she graduated with honors and was inducted into the Jonathan Edwards Society. Her dissertation, “The Call of the Mourning Dove: How Sacred Sound Awakens Mystical Unity,” was awarded the Frederick Buechner Prize for Excellence in Writing. Dr. S. Mark Heim, nationally recognized theologian, contributed the Forward. She is also the author of four other books listed on the "Home" page and you can explore in depth on the "Books" page.
She graduated from the New Seminary in New York City in 2005 and was ordained an interfaith minister. In the 1980s and 90s, Rev. Dr. Rutt worked as a mental health counselor and taught for many years on the college level in the behavioral sciences including eight years with the University of New Hampshire. During that time period, she also earned certifications in various yoga and meditation disciplines and in the late 90s opened the Tree of Life Yoga Studio which later became the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living.
Rev. Stephanie posts regularly on her blog, “Become a Force for Good: Rev. Stephanie’s blog,” WordPress.com, and publishes Guest Commentaries and Opinion pieces in local newsprint. Please see "Newsprint Publications," page for a complete listing. Also, over the years, she has created numerous sacred studies programs for her community through the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living. Just a sampling is listed on the "Home" page. She has lectured nationally on the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic and on Mantra Prayer, including at the Haden Institute in North Carolina, and at international conferences of World AWAKE, Inc., formally the International Organization for Interfaith Ministers.
Rev. Stephanie has served her local interfaith council through visioning such programs as the “To Hear How Others Pray” series which invited lay people and faith leaders of different faiths to share personal experiences of prayer as a way of highlighting all peoples’ common humanity while respecting religious difference. In 2016 and 2017, she led local faith communities in right action through the “Under One Sky Interfaith Peace Walk” which offered a visual demonstration of how people from across faith traditions could stand and walk together in unity and solidarity while, simultaneously, forging a common goal for peace.
Today, Rev. Dr. Rutt is writing her memoir and continuing to evolve a new paradigm she's creating, 3 Feathers Trilogy of Love, exploring how Mantra Prayer, Ecstatic Dance & Spirit Journeys may be used to experience mystical unity with the One called by many names.
Rev. Dr. Stephanie Rutt is the Founding Minister of the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple, a non-denominational church she founded in 2009. She is the director of the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living and creator of the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary, a two-year program, focused on the integration of prayer, meditation and spiritual practices from the world’s major faith traditions. The twenty–six module core curriculum, The Path of Crow: Journey to Your Inner Treasure, invites seminarians on the ultimate treasure hunt to discover their divine purpose and to offer their unique gifts in service to the greater good. In addition, she created an optional third year, the Spiritual Mentoring Certificate Program, which trained seminarians, as well as health care professionals, in cultivating pastoral mentoring skills. In 2018, she transferred the Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary and the Spiritual Mentoring Certificate Programs over to the Tree of Life Interfaith Temple. For more information, and to see other programs offered by the Temple, please visit www.tolinterfaithtemple.org
Rev. Stephanie earned the Doctor of Ministry degree in 2017 from Andover Newton Theological School (now a part of Yale Divinity School) where she graduated with honors and was inducted into the Jonathan Edwards Society. Her dissertation, “The Call of the Mourning Dove: How Sacred Sound Awakens Mystical Unity,” was awarded the Frederick Buechner Prize for Excellence in Writing. Dr. S. Mark Heim, nationally recognized theologian, contributed the Forward. She is also the author of four other books listed on the "Home" page and you can explore in depth on the "Books" page.
She graduated from the New Seminary in New York City in 2005 and was ordained an interfaith minister. In the 1980s and 90s, Rev. Dr. Rutt worked as a mental health counselor and taught for many years on the college level in the behavioral sciences including eight years with the University of New Hampshire. During that time period, she also earned certifications in various yoga and meditation disciplines and in the late 90s opened the Tree of Life Yoga Studio which later became the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living.
Rev. Stephanie posts regularly on her blog, “Become a Force for Good: Rev. Stephanie’s blog,” WordPress.com, and publishes Guest Commentaries and Opinion pieces in local newsprint. Please see "Newsprint Publications," page for a complete listing. Also, over the years, she has created numerous sacred studies programs for her community through the Tree of Life School for Sacred Living. Just a sampling is listed on the "Home" page. She has lectured nationally on the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic and on Mantra Prayer, including at the Haden Institute in North Carolina, and at international conferences of World AWAKE, Inc., formally the International Organization for Interfaith Ministers.
Rev. Stephanie has served her local interfaith council through visioning such programs as the “To Hear How Others Pray” series which invited lay people and faith leaders of different faiths to share personal experiences of prayer as a way of highlighting all peoples’ common humanity while respecting religious difference. In 2016 and 2017, she led local faith communities in right action through the “Under One Sky Interfaith Peace Walk” which offered a visual demonstration of how people from across faith traditions could stand and walk together in unity and solidarity while, simultaneously, forging a common goal for peace.
Today, Rev. Dr. Rutt is writing her memoir and continuing to evolve a new paradigm she's creating, 3 Feathers Trilogy of Love, exploring how Mantra Prayer, Ecstatic Dance & Spirit Journeys may be used to experience mystical unity with the One called by many names.