Kairos

Kairos (καιρος) is an ancient Greek word meaning the "right or opportune moment". It is now used in theology to describe the qualitative form of time. In rhetoric kairos is "a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved." (E. C. White, Kaironomia p. 13)

In theology
In the New Testament kairos means 'the appointed time in the purpose of God', the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1.15, the kairos is fulfilled'. It differs from the more usual word for time which is chronos (kronos).

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, before the Divine Liturgy begins, the Deacon exclaims to the Priest, "Kairos tou poiesai to Kyrio" ("It is time [kairos] for the Lord to act"), indicating that the time of the Liturgy is an intersection with Eternity.

In The Interpretation of History, Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich made prominent use of the term. For him, the kairoi are those crises in history which create an opportunity for, and indeed demand, an existential decision by the human subject - the coming of Christ being the prime example.

In the Kairos Document, an example of liberation theology in South Africa under Apartheid, the term kairos is used to denote 'the appointed time', 'the crucial time' into which the document / text is spoken.

Many Roman Catholic churches and Roman Catholic schools have "Kairos Spiritual Retreats." In this sense, kairos is adapted to mean "God's time," as per the Bible.

Kairos is also the name of an international Christian prison ministry, which brings the Cursillo method into correctional facilities. Kairos Prison Ministry is an independent and highly ecumenical organization that draws its members and leadership from Cursillo groups and from such Cursillo-derived groups as Via de Cristo, Walk To Emmaus, and Tres Dias.

KAIROS youth retreats
The Kairos retreat program for high-schooler's is based on the "Christian Awakening" program, which was developed in 1965 by the Diocese of Brooklyn, U.S.A. A team of Priests, Brothers, and Lay People under the direction of Fr. Douglas L. Brown of the Brooklyn Diocese made use of the Cursillo Retreat format, but adapted it for older teenagers. The retreat was immediately successful; within three years it had been adopted in Connecticut, California, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.

In 1970 Brother David Freely of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio took a team to Brooklyn to go through the program. Later that year, with assistance from the Brooklyn Diocese, St. Xavier High School had their first "Christian Awakening." Through the efforts of the Xaverian Brothers, the program spread in five years to all the archdiocesan schools and many of the parishes in the Cincinnati area.

In December, 1975, Fr. Bob Colaresi, O.Carm, from Joliet Catholic High School, further developed the program and made a retreat that was first called Chiros by Fr. Kevin McBrien. In March 1979, it was properly spelled Kairos.

In 1979, Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, a Jesuit high school picked up and further modified the program. By 1995 the program had spread to 20 Jesuit high schools throughout the United States.

KAIROS continues to spread to Catholic schools all across the nation, becoming one of the most effective retreat for adolescents.

The Kairos Experience:

The Kairos Retreat is a four day, three night residential retreat. A number of students attend, led by a team composed of senior students and staff members. Major talks (each team member presents one) are followed by discussion in small groups. There are other particular activities to promote and build community, to foster trust and openness, and to encourage reflection. The key themes are: knowing oneself, discovering Jesus in a personal way, recognizing and responding to Jesus' call, and living the message of Christ. Significant benefits have come to our students from this retreat and to numerous members of our administration, faculty, and staff who have joined student leaders as team members.

Kairos establishes trust. Students speak of their difficulties, joys, and hopes in ways new and rewarding to them. Family and friends become important. Generally, a stirring of sensitivity to self and others grows into a desire for reconciliation. Many retreatants have experienced a deep sense of consolation along with a generous increase of self esteem as a result of the retreat.

The Kairos experience is permeated with a faith dimension. Each day begins and ends with prayer. Three Eucharistic Liturgies are celebrated and a special time given for the sacrament of Reconciliation. The faith dimension enters during talks as they are devoted to building a friendship with God. Faith elements are introduced when reflecting on how God, particularly in Jesus, is present in the personal experiences the team and retreatants share with one another. Each retreatant is encouraged to grow in awareness of the countless opportunities to meet God in our world, especially in others.

There are many spiritual values that naturally flow from the experience of Kairos. Each retreatant learns that he is loved, lovable, and loving. The retreatant comes to see Jesus in a new light, as a real friend, loving and calling him. Each retreatant is challenged to grow in relationships at home, and to deal with personal problems, and as a result, often seeks more caring friendships.

Reflection is prominent throughout the retreat. Initially there are exercises to help the retreatant review what has been good and what has been difficult. At several points in the day there are times for collecting and digesting the events of the retreat. Structured methods help to make this personal. Throughout the retreat, the retreatant is encouraged to take notes and process feelings through journal writing.

Prayer that is genuine, personal, and real becomes a new and happy experience for the retreatant. Liturgy and the reading of Scripture are seen as prayerful times. Many continue to pray and share more in church worship after the retreat.

In the course of the retreat there is a strong, gradual building of community. This supports the retreatants during the retreat and also in the follow-up period. The reality of this often shows up in the school where visible, loving dimensions of community appear. The strength of the Kairos experience further manifests itself in the numbers who join in the voluntary follow-up program. The reunions, conducted by the students, have large numbers on a consistent basis.

In rhetoric
Kairos was central to the Sophists, who stressed the rhetor's ability to adapt to and take advantage of changing, contingent circumstances. In Panathenaicus, Isocrates writes that educated people are those “who manage well the circumstances which they encounter day by day, and who possess a judgment which is accurate in meeting occasions as they arise and rarely misses the expedient course of action”.

Kairos is also very important in Aristotle's scheme of rhetoric. Kairos is, for Aristotle, the time and space context in which the proof will be delivered. Kairos stands alongside other contextual elements of rhetoric: The Audience which is the psychological and emotional makeup of those who will receive the proof; and, To Prepon which is the style with which the orator clothes their proof.

Compare the use of kairos in rhetoric to the use of kairosis in literary aesthetics.

Kairos is also the name of "a refereed online journal exploring the intersections of rhetoric, technology, and pedagogy."