“If my words fulfill their intention, which is to catalyze a next step, big or small, into the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible, my very ordinariness becomes highly significant. It shows how close we all are, all of us ordinary humans, to a profound transformation of consciousness and being. If I, an ordinary man, can see it, we must almost be there.” — Charles Eisenstein, The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible In a time... Read more
“In a world where “virgin” is deemed a dirty word and “slut” worn as a badge of honor, most people today don’t see sexual purity as something sacred worth fighting for. Sadly, many are seduced into believing a lie … one that says sex is “no big deal.” Abstinence is about as archaic in our culture as a cassette tape. It’s now considered a given that young people are sexually active and while many in the church try to ignore this fact,... Read more
How Did You Become a Writer? (Short answer: By writing) By Brian Doyle Is a question asked of me surprisingly often when I visit schools, which I much enjoy not only as part of my overarching subtle devious plan to get on the good side of the children who will soon run the world, but also for the consistent entertainment of their artlessly honest questions (the best ever: Is that your real nose?), and for the sometimes deeply piercing depth of... Read more
By Anna Quinn If you want to coddle old grudges, do not read this book. If you want to maintain safe boundaries in a strained friendship, do not read this book. If you want to continue to justify yourself with your “to-do” list, do not read this book. But if you want to consider that grace might be more radical and liberating than you have ever dreamed possible, if you want to be free from the guilt of your sins... Read more
The worlds of Church and women I inhabit are quite different than the worlds of author Renee Swope. Yet I always want to celebrate the path that is opened for women to understand their value in the family of God-in-Christ. In her new book, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God’s Promises, Renee Swope has opened that path to women who struggle as she has with a lack of confidence, a lack of self-worth,... Read more
Between our finite words and an infinite God there’s a lot a room for uncertainty. A lot of room for doubts. An endless space for questions and conflicts of interpretation. And if we’re talking about God, that’s probably how it ought to be. Read more
I could hardly contain my tears while reading Kyle Cupp’s new book, Living by Faith, Dwelling in Doubt. His story of the pain of a broken childhood and the loss of a newborn daughter in early fatherhood was shared with so much tenderness, honesty, and aching love, it was almost too much to bear. But I did bear it and am glad, because Kyle’s responses to his heartbreak also held beauty and nourishment for my soul, as he passionately struggles... Read more
This month in the Patheos Book Club, we’re reading renowned New Testament scholar N. T. Wright’s “magnum opus,” Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Wright answered some questions for us about his passion for Paul, and the scope and hope of this epic project. It is truly not an exaggeration to say Paul and the Faithfulness of God has been “much anticipated.” What are your hopes for this finished product? My main hope is that the book will remake the way the next generation tackles... Read more
By Tim Muldoon Review of Chris Lowney’s Pope Francis: Why He Leads the Way He Leads About a decade ago, I wrote a book on Ignatian spirituality—that is, the tradition of prayer and spiritual exercise rooted in the writings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. It was early in the Amazon era, and I found that my small book was put in categories that matched other treatments of the same topic. One of those books... Read more
By Tim Muldoon Review of Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage, by Greg and Lisa Popcak There is almost nothing in contemporary popular culture that is good for marriage. On the contrary, there are many significant obstacles or hurdles that a couple must learn to ignore if they are to make a marriage work, not the least of which is the very basic question of why to even bother getting... Read more
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