William D. Glenn
I Came Here Seeking a Person: One Gay Man's Spiritual Journey
I Came Here Seeking a Person: One Gay Man’s Spiritual Journey is William’s recently published spiritually-focused memoir: from his childhood in an Irish Catholic family in the Midwest in the 50’s and 60’s, through his nearly decade as a Jesuit, to his subsequent life as a sober, out gay man, detailing his complex journey of faith in practice over the span of his 74 years.
“This gorgeously written book is more than a memoir; it is a celebration of holy moments nestled in the ordinary trajectory of a life: prophetic callings and fallings in love, echoing emptiness and luminous epiphany, magical encounters and a reverence for trees. It is a beckoning, a heart-song, an invitation to discover the face of the divine in each other. This is a magnificent book!”
— Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair, Wild Mercy and God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
“In a long line of compelling spiritual autobiographies, starting from Augustine straight through Thomas Merton, Bill Glenn’s deeply interior story of his life and times is a moving witness to what so many of us saw, felt, and ultimately, but for the grace of God, survived. How often does one get to sit down and spend a big swath of time with a sharp mind and an open heart, with a man who can tell not just his own story but the story of a whole generation, and do so from the inside out, with grace, insight and wisdom? Not often. Bill’s book is such a gift.”
— Robert Hopcke, author of There Are No Accidents: Synchronicity and the Stories of Our Lives, A Guided Tour to the Collected Works of C.G. Jung, and Men’s Dreams, Men’s Healing.
“Writing with stunning insightfulness and unprotected candor, Bill Glenn invites readers to become rapt companions on the journey into his psyche, heart and soul. I Came Here Seeking a Person is a deep and fascinating book worthy of the great Thomas Merton, whom Bill considers his mentor.”
— Ron Hansen, author, Mariette in Ecstasy, Exile, and the National Book Award nominated Atticus
About William D. Glenn
Raised in a large Irish Catholic family in Nebraska, William D. Glenn, a former Jesuit, has spent his career as a community leader in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Recently retired after a thirty-five-year career as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, Glenn is currently the chair of the board of trustees of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, is a co-founder, with his husband Scott Hafner, of the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion at the Pacific School of Religion (PSR), also in Berkeley, and is past president of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF).
A noted speaker and writer, Glenn blogged at A Voluptuous God, co-facilitated a group for lifers at San Quentin State Penitentiary for nine years, and for many years led an intentional prayer community in the Bay Area.
Glenn holds three master’s degrees: an MDiv from the PSR, where he was awarded the Paul Wesley Yinger Award for Distinguished Preaching, a MA in clinical psychology from the University of San Francisco, and a MA in American Studies from Saint Louis University.
Glenn is the recipient of The James R. Harrison Leadership Award of the SFAF, the Light in the Grove Award from the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco, and many other commendations for his community service.
Image on the left: William in 2022.
Image on the right: William at the age of 9.
Interview: notes from the interior
An interview with William Glenn about the spiritual life, produced by Honeyland Farms, Brooklyn.
More interviews
Mystical Positivist Episode 408: William D. Glenn
January 21, 2023
The Mystical Positivist is a podcast hosted by Stuart Goodnick and Robert Schmidt and dedicated to the application of reason in the pursuit of spiritual practice and development.
Interview with Brian McNaught: Service to Others with Humility
March 25, 2021
William has been aware of his relationship with the Divine since early childhood, and of his call to be in service to others. He joins Hayley and Brian in a wonderful exploration of the workings of the ego in doing the work we feel destined to do.
Interview with Kirk Prine: Queer Tribal Elders
August 19, 2022
Interview with Dominic Longo along with Gregg Cassin: HIV & Covid Heroes & Shadows
April 9, 2020
Conversation around what the experience of Covid and the reflection on HIV have stirred up in us. We focused today on moments when in the epidemic they surprised themselves – acting from either their higher self or their lower self in ways they would never have expected.
A Conversation with the GTU Board of Trustees Chair William Glenn.
August 10, 2020
The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is pleased to announce the selection of William D. Glenn as Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter (AFP Golden Gate). The AFP Golden Gate Chapter presents this award to an individual who…
Events
William hosts book party, book signing, and various events. Please see the calendar below for schedules. Contact William if you would like to discuss opportunities to host events.
I Came Here Seeking a Person is dedicated to my husband Scott Hafner: Lifeguard Extraordinaire.
