Five Reasons There’s No Getting Past Religion

February 2, 2016 By Guest Contributor

By David Dark Author, Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious Five Reasons There’s No Getting Past Religion 5. The universe is made of stories. So says the poet Muriel Rukeyser. One person’s guiding story might involve sprinkling water on babies while speaking particular words in the presence of others. Another’s could require an oath of allegiance addressed to a flag. One’s might demand the beheading of journalists while someone else’s deems unfortunate, but also necessary, the deaths of... Read more

Becoming a Recovery-Friendly Church: A Q&A with Jonathan Benz

January 19, 2016 By Deborah Arca

“The truth is people are already suffering from addiction in our pews. The issue is whether we will move out of our denial and respond with grace, healing, and unconditional love.” — Jonathan Benz, author, ordained minister, and certified addictions professional This month in the Patheos Book Club, we’re featuring The Recovery-Minded Church, a timely and practical book for the Church on loving and ministering to people with addiction. Author Jonathan Benz (MS, Palm Beach Atlantic University) is a clinician, public speaker, ordained... Read more

Fractured Not Broken: A Q&A with Kelly Schaefer

November 16, 2015 By Deborah Arca

Reading the new memoir Fractured Not Broken is a practice in humility and compassion. I’ve walked by dozens of people in wheelchairs in my life and never once stopped to wonder what it felt like to be in that chair, really. Author and quadriplegic Kelly Schaeffer changed that. She pulled me into her everyday world of living with a disability and taught me more than I’ve ever imagined about suffering, recovery and living with such physical restrictions. The heartbreaking story of this young woman’s life, completely... Read more

The Vulnerable Pastor: A Q&A with Mandy Smith

November 2, 2015 By Deborah Arca

“When so many are disillusioned by a manipulative or dogmatic church, how refreshing will it be to find the church lead by those who know how to listen and don’t need to control? When women lead in these ways, it not only encourages women, it also frees men to lead in new, whole ways. I’ve watched it and it’s beautiful.” — Mandy Smith, author, The Vulnerable Pastor This month at the Patheos Book Club, we’re talking about the new book The... Read more

Happiness: A Book Review

October 23, 2015 By David Swartz

[Editor’s Note: This post is part of a conversation at the Patheos Book Club on the new book Happiness, by Randy Alcorn.] I have a confession. I really didn’t like two songs that everybody else pretty much loved: Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry. Be Happy” and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”. The secret of the last tune lies in the groove of the music. We could change the lyrics to sing about ketchup and the groove of the music still makes you want to dance... Read more

On Dying Well: A Q&A with Author Janet Wehr

October 6, 2015 By Deborah Arca

“Perhaps the best gift of all that has come to me in my hospice work is that I have no fear of dying myself, and I have had numerous opportunities in my life to test this. My fervent hope for this book is that, by reading it, others may find a greater level of comfort in discussing and contemplating death and dying.” — Janet Wehr, RN, author of Peaceful Passages This month in the Patheos Book Club, we’re talking about a... Read more

Where Jesus Prayed: A Q&A with Danielle Shroyer

September 30, 2015 By Deborah Arca

“I wanted people to see this book as a way of imagining the Lord’s Prayer as a pilgrimaging practice that you could do anytime, not just in the Holy Land.” — Danielle Shroyer, author, Where Jesus Prayed Author and pastor Danielle Shroyer didn’t intend to write a book about her first trip to the Holy Land but upon her return, she couldn’t keep the words from spilling out and into her journal. While in the Holy Land, Shroyer had such... Read more

Stripped: A Q&A with Heather King on Cancer and her Catholic Faith

September 18, 2015 By Deborah Arca

“I didn’t see my cancer a blessing—please!—but I did see it as a mystery. To consent to live in mystery, not to know all the answers, is another kind of poverty. The world sees any kind of poverty as cause for ridicule. Loser! But Christ’s kingdom is not of this world.” — Heather King, author, Stripped This month at Patheos, we’re reading and responding to Heather King’s new memoir Stripped: At the Intersection of Cancer, Culture, and Christ. As the... Read more

At the Intersection of Cancer, Culture and Christ: 15 Years Later

September 15, 2015 By Guest Contributor

[Editor’s Note: As part of this month’s Book Club on the memoir Stripped: At the Intersection of Cancer, Culture and Christ, author Heather King offers a new reflection, 15 years after her diagnosis.] Fifteen years after the events described in my book Stripped, I’m fifteen years closer—I could be a lot closer than that!—to my own death. And I ponder the questions I raised there more deeply than ever. Recently I heard from my old friend Ron. Ron is an editor, a writer,... Read more

What’s The Cause Church? A Q&A with jKonrad Hölé

September 1, 2015 By Deborah Arca

“Church is detrimental to the individual cause, because too much of current day church postures itself as the cause. A destination place mentality. People know the pew they fit, more than the cause they fit.” — jKonrad Hölé, author, The Cause Church Q&A with jKonrad Hölé Author, The Cause Church Now Featured at the Patheos Book Club What’s “The Cause Church?” The Cause Church is a book I wrote about a prototype of thought and approach to modern day congregating church. Something that challenges... Read more