I got to chat with Jeannine Pitas of Vox Nova about my new book, Arriving at Amen and some of her more wide-ranging questions about religion. Here’s a teaser of what she asked: Q: On a more general note, what do you think that Catholics can learn from atheists? In turn, what can atheists learn from us, and how can we present that knowledge in a way that will be met with receptivity? Catholics can learn the tradition of critical... Read more
Ben Kuhn has a great post up on strategies for inviting (and retaining) new kinds of people to a group that you run. Ben is writing specifically about effective altruism, an interest of mine, too, but I think his thoughts generalize pretty well. Hands down, this was my favorite thing that he said: Get interested in other people’s experiences. Don’t try to convince them to “become an EAer;” try to get them to convince you of something. Figure out how their perspective can add to... Read more
Last week I had a Jesuit reviewer for my book, and now I’m delighted to add a Dominican. Br. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. has written about my book for Dominicana, and here’s what he had to say: The great strength of her presentation is that Libresco manages to show how our philosophical and theological prejudices show up in our prayer life. Few considerations could be more profoundly Christian. What we think about the world matters, and it matters most intimately... Read more
Here’s what I’ve been covering in the world of data at FiveThirtyEight this week: A Few People Lead Many Of The Anti-Muslim Groups In The U.S. [T]he simple count of anti-Islam groups can be deceptive. Growth in anti-Muslim groups seems to be driven as much by a few key leaders founding multiple organizations as by new people forming independent groups. … Geller and Spencer are, between the two of them, the leaders of 17 percent (four of 24) of... Read more
You can listen to “Fights in Good Faith,” my weekly radio program, streamed Saturday at 5pm ET and tomorrow (Sun) at 1pm. And it’s now available to download and stream. Every week, I put up a “Radio Readings” post, so you can track down the books, articles, and (this week) productivity tools that I cite on the show. So, without further ado, here’s what I’m talking about this week. Arriving at Acknowledgements My first book, Arriving At Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers that Even I Can... Read more
— 1 — We already had roses and a cat in contention, but I think Pedro may win for best picture with my new book, Arriving At Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers That Even I Can Offer so far. He took this at a Brazilian Congressional hearing that he was speaking at. I’d love to see more action shots from readers — if you don’t have access to a Congress for photoshoots, why not conquer Luxembourg or something, to get a better... Read more
I’m headed over to EWTN’s DC studios this afternoon to tape a short segment on Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers that Even I Can Offer and you can watch it tonight on EWTN News Nightly at 6p ET or when it’s replayed at 9p ET. And, in the meantime, here’s an excerpt of one of the early reviews on Amazon: I love conversion stories and Leah’s is no exception. Her book explores her journey from Javert-inspired Stoicism to a grace-seeking... Read more
I tried to stay up to watch the order button for kindle go live at midnight last night, until I realized that Amazon is located in Seattle and might be timing its midnight accordingly. But, lo, today is finally launch day, and the book is available to order. A few copies shipped early, so, once yours arrives, you have these photos from readers to top: I’m excited for the book to wind up in your hands because writing this book has... Read more
Tomorrow’s the official debut date of Arriving At Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers that Even I Can Offer, my book on learning prayer as a foreign language, relying on secular analogies and sources of beauty to make sense of Catholic spirituality. And the first published review is already out! Fr. David C. Paternostro, SJ took a look at my book for Homiletic and Pastoral Review, a magazine for the clergy and other ministerial workers. Here’s what Fr. Paternostro had to say: The devotions... Read more
Looking for the Ideological Turing Test results? I could still use about 15 more participants, particularly in the second round, so please recruit your friends to play. You can listen to “Fights in Good Faith,” my weekly radio program, streamed Saturday at 5pm ET and tomorrow (Sun) at 1pm. And it’s now available to download and stream. Every week, I put up a “Radio Readings” post, so you can track down the books, articles, and (this week) superhero movies that I cite on... Read more
Unequally Yoked
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