Category Archives: Religion

Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman’s Journey with Depression and Faith

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Monica A. Coleman’s memoir touches on a lot of significant themes: faith, grief, trauma, rape, depression, prayer, race, family, friendship, and history among them. She begins with the story of her great-grandfather who died, it was said, “of grief,” hanging … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction, Religion | 8 Comments

The Givenness of Things

Posted on July 17, 2016 by

If you’re a regular or long-time reader of this blog, you’re probably aware that I’m a tremendous fan of the work of Marilynne Robinson. I’ve read and loved all her novels, and I marveled at her 2012 essay collection, When I Was … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion, Short Stories/Essays | 3 Comments

My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer

Posted on November 6, 2015 by

This book by poet Christian Wiman is not easy to describe. It’s not exactly a memoir, although it contains elements of memoir, and it’s not exactly an essay collection, although each chapter dances around a particular theme or idea. His … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction, Religion, Short Stories/Essays | 8 Comments

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

Posted on September 22, 2015 by

Mine is a stubborn and recalcitrant faith. It’s all elbows and motion and kicked-up dust, like cartoon characters locked in a cloudy brawl. I’m still early in my journey, but I suspect it will go on like this for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction, Religion | 13 Comments

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

Posted on March 1, 2015 by

“What sorts of things do you read?” people ask me, when they find out that reading is almost my only hobby. “Almost anything,” I tell them. “All sorts. Horror, romance, literary fiction, mysteries, religion, biography, history, psychology, science writing. Well … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 15 Comments

The Bush Was Blazing But Not Consumed

Posted on January 8, 2015 by

I’m taking a class at my church called Education for Ministry. It’s basically a four-year study of the Bible and church history. Each year, the program has a theme, and participants read something related to that theme. This year, our … Continue reading →

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Retreat Reading

Posted on June 23, 2014 by

I just returned from a weekend on retreat at the monastery of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was a remarkable weekend, filled with time for prayer and reflection—and all the quiet I could want. … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction, Poetry, Religion | 4 Comments

A Jesuit Off-Broadway

Posted on March 26, 2014 by

Those who know me well will probably know right away why this book appealed to me. It’s Jesuits. It’s theatre. How could I not want to read it? What’s more, it’s by James Martin, whose work I’ve previously enjoyed. So … Continue reading →

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Joss Whedon and Religion: Essays on an Angry Atheist’s Explorations of the Sacred

Posted on December 12, 2013 by

Most people know me as a reader, but I believe that a good TV show or movie can be every bit as rewarding as a good book. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of those TV shows that I return … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion, Short Stories/Essays | Tagged | 15 Comments

Acedia and Me

Posted on December 2, 2013 by

Acedia (more often spelled accidie) is a spiritual state that’s a bit difficult to define. It shares some topography with depression and despair, but it can’t be cured with medication. It has been conflated with the sin of sloth, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction, Religion | 8 Comments