Writing and Scholarship
Two important cornerstones of my ministry are clear communication and intellectual engagement. I am a life-long learner who relishes engaging with new ideas and diverse thinkers. And I don't think this engagement should be confined to the realms of the academy and theological schools! I believe our congregations can be rich sites of theological and ethical wrestling and innovation. After all, our congregations are the places where the work of religion and theology is practiced everyday and made real and palpable.
Below you will find a sampling of some of my blogs and written communications with a congregation, as well as some more scholarly work. I enjoy working in both of these mediums and especially love opportunities to bridge the gap between the two.
Blogs and Columns
"How can I look back on my actions and decisions with both honesty and compassion? How can I take accountability for mistakes I’ve made without convincing myself I am an inherently bad person for making them? "
"As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that revelation isn’t sealed. This means there is more to the sacred than we know, and there is always a different way forward that we haven’t dreamed of yet. "
"If we’re willing to stay committed, stay open, and lean into the work, we can transform conflict into something beautiful we haven’t been able to imagine yet."
"Providing a space of peace, respite, and welcome amidst the chaos of our world is a radical and holy act."
"This covenantal faith, without creed or dogma, is not always an easy one to navigate or explain. But I think the ability to hold nuance, sit in uncertainty, and stay both committed and open minded/hearted will serve us well in the days ahead."
"Each falling flake was a reminder to tread carefully on this sacred ground, to take time to focus on nurturing relationships and building trust, and to resist urgency and delight in the unexpected."
Academic Writing
My academic research interests are in the realm of lived religious practice and the sociology of religion. I am especially curious about the rise of the religiously unaffiliated or "spiritual but not religious" in America, influences of individualism and late stage capitalism on religious practice, and the history and practice of religious pilgrimage.