Faith & Disbelief Archive

A recent survey of American Catholics provides surprising numbers on key areas of beliefs and the authority of the pope. In reading it, the shift in identity for them is readily apparent and this led me to wonder if many were simply Catholic in name, but not really in faith. Perhaps American Catholics need

My newest piece, “That’s not academics, Texas; it’s religious indoctrination,” is up at Toledo Faith and Values (the local hub of The Religion News Service). A recent report on Texas religion courses in public schools showed a significant bias in teaching for several districts. In some of these instances, the bias was deemed intentional.

My latest contribution to Toledo Faith and Values, “Why Everyone Should Write an Autobiography,” went up almost two weeks ago. The timing of its publication, while entirely coincidental (I wrote it in December), connects with a recent kerfuffle over the relationship between journalism and narcissism. At Gawker, Hamilton Nolan’s piece “Journalism Is Not Narcissism,” challenged

Tell someone you are studying religion and they often assume that you are a theologian or looking to “become a priest” (an assumption more common than you might think). It is true that theologians are studying religion, but this is not the same as the academic field known as religious studies. Theologians are adherents

As if the Sandy Hook shooting wasn’t tragic enough, many of the responses from religious leaders represented the worst in humanity. As a result, I wrote (somewhat therapeutically) “Why Do Some Theologians Blame The Victim?” for The Huffington Post religion section. There is not much I need to say to lead into this except that I hope

Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious by Chris Stedman Beacon Press, 2012 208 pages (Kindle) Available Amazon Powell “I had never heard the word ‘faitheist’ before,” says Chris Stedman, “but I was pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment.” So begins Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious,

My newest article, “A priest, a rabbi, and an atheist walk into a conference,” for ToledoFAVS.com (our local hub of the Religion News Service) is up. In this piece I reflect on this year’s annual meetings of The American Academy of Religion and The Society of Biblical Literature through the eyes of two scientific studies on group

Much of what counts for a success in dialogue, whether it is in the family or in diplomatic relations, hinges upon the ability to empathize. One might be able to reach a temporary resolution, but it will be short-lived if those doing the negotiating can’t put themselves in the shoes of others. But what