Why I Wrote a Wishy-Washy Book

Last updated on: March 8, 2012 at 5:41 am By Ellen Painter Dollar

In re-reading Kathleen Norris’s sort-of-memoir Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life, I came across this declaration: I am telling stories, not writing prescriptions. And I thought, Yes! Yes. Me too. In writing about her experience with acedia (a state of spiritual malaise and indifference), Norris might end up helping readers recognize and combat this sin in their own lives. But the book is first and foremost Norris’s story, not a how-to book with step-by-step instructions for... Read more

Who Should Read My Book? And Why?

Last updated on: March 6, 2012 at 12:40 pm By Ellen Painter Dollar

Yesterday, I had a great conversation at a local coffeehouse with Rick Green, a columnist from the Hartford Courant. Rick concluded his interview by asking two very important questions: Who should read No Easy Choice? And why? (He also asked why I didn’t end the book with a clear conclusion that reproductive technologies are a good or bad thing, or that using such technologies is right or wrong. I’ll tackle that question tomorrow.) So who should read my book? Or... Read more

Praying to a God Who Cares About Suffering Nations, and Also My Dog

Last updated on: March 5, 2012 at 1:12 pm By Ellen Painter Dollar

Although I’ve struggled with prayer for my entire adult life, I think I’ve finally found a prayer practice that I can stick with. As I have mentioned before, I’m using Phyllis Tickle’s book series The Divine Hours to “pray the hours.” Praying the hours is an ancient practice, used in many monastic communities, in which we set aside other tasks at certain times during the day to pray. Although a monastic community might have six or seven set prayer times... Read more

Patheos Peeps: Brian McLaren on Adding Something During Lent

Last updated on: March 1, 2012 at 5:40 am By Ellen Painter Dollar

Every Friday, I post a link to a blog post written by one of my fellow bloggers at Patheos, a web portal devoted to religion and spirituality. I encourage my blog readers to click through to read these posts, comment, and if you like what you read, follow these bloggers as well. On his “Naked Theology” blog hosted by the Patheos Progressive Christian Portal, theologian Brian McLaren ponders adding something of value to our routines during Lent, rather than giving... Read more

A Mom Asks Santorum to “Meet My Son”

Last updated on: February 29, 2012 at 1:43 pm By Ellen Painter Dollar

Presidential contender Rick Santorum recently criticized the Obama administration’s health care reform because it requires provision of free prenatal testing for pregnant women. Santorum stated that, “Free prenatal testing ends up in more abortions and therefore less care that has to be done because we cull the ranks of the disabled in our society.” Responding to Santorum in a brutally honest post on Slate, Emily Rapp writes that, if she had known via prenatal testing that her son Ronan had... Read more

The God of Whiners

Last updated on: February 29, 2012 at 12:03 pm By Ellen Painter Dollar

Last Thursday, my writer-blogger-OI-mom friend Rachel and I (we refer to ourselves as the “OI giantesses,” because at 5′ 1″ and 4′ 8″ respectively, we are indeed huge by the standards of OI, the genetic bone disorder we share) spent the day together; it was our first face-to-face meeting after about a year of online communication. True to our expectations, Rachel and I discovered that we could be ourselves with the other, warts and all. One of the “warts” we... Read more

“Biblical” Views on Abortion Are Younger Than I Am

Last updated on: February 27, 2012 at 6:02 am By Ellen Painter Dollar

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a pro-choice Christian. I’ve paid a price for holding that position and being willing to talk about it. I lost a valued writing job. I’ve been called awful, hateful names by other Christians. I have also received grace and hospitality from Christians who are passionately pro-life, as when my colleague Karen Swallow Prior and I did a series of posts about our abortion positions over on Amy Julia Becker’s... Read more

Patheos Peeps: Adam McHugh on Dealing with Criticism

Last updated on: February 24, 2012 at 6:10 am By Ellen Painter Dollar

Every Friday, I post a link to a blog post written by one of my fellow bloggers at Patheos, a web portal devoted to religion and spirituality. I encourage my blog readers to click through to read these posts, comment, and if you like what you read, follow these bloggers as well. (OK, I’m cheating a little bit this week. Adam McHugh is actually not a Patheos blogger. Adam currently blogs on his own at Introverts in the Church. But... Read more

Revisiting the Daisies (Or, Why the Online World Isn’t All Bad)

Last updated on: February 23, 2012 at 5:49 am By Ellen Painter Dollar

My Facebook news feed yesterday morning was full of good-byes from friends who will fast from social media for Lent. I understand this impulse; social media can be distracting and disconnecting, tempting us to interact with a computer screen instead of what is right in front of us—our work, our families, our friends, ourselves. My own Lent discipline involves being more intentional about how I use my computer when I’m working. But the online world has also given me connections—real,... Read more