Category Archives: Uncategorized

From Slavery to Sainthood: The Inspiring Story of Augustus Tolton

The Story of Augustus Tolton From the spring 2024 issue of Parabola magazine, I bring you my essay on America’s first identified Black Catholic priest. Born a slave in Missouri, the Venerable Augustus Tolton found freedom through his great love … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on From Slavery to Sainthood: The Inspiring Story of Augustus Tolton

From the New Issue of Parabola Magazine: Frederick Law Olmsted’s Village in the Woods

You might know him by the emerald jewel of Manhattan, New York’s Central Park, but Frederick Law Olmsted was a landscape architect with far-reaching vision that extended throughout the United States and to my little hometown in Riverside, Illinois. Ahead … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on From the New Issue of Parabola Magazine: Frederick Law Olmsted’s Village in the Woods

From the Summer Issue of Parabola Magazine

Owen Barfield–the Last Oxford Inkling–and the History of Consciousness Back in February, I visited the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College to do some research on Owen Barfield, the fourth Oxford Inkling and friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on From the Summer Issue of Parabola Magazine

From the spring 2023 issue of Parabola: The alchemy of Cinderella

The ancient fairytale–beloved by many, dismissed as antifeminist by a few–was never really about the prince. A Jungian perspective sheds light on the deepest meaning of the story, illuminating archetypes and alchemical symbolism that express fundamental patterns of the human … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on From the spring 2023 issue of Parabola: The alchemy of Cinderella

An Irish Miracle Worker in the Spring Issue of Parabola

Here in the spring issue of Parabola magazine, you’ll find essays by beloved Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver, Zen Master Peter Coyote, and Wisdom teacher Cynthia Bourgeault, along with my piece about the Irish miracle worker, Valentine Greatrakes (1628-1683). “The most … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on An Irish Miracle Worker in the Spring Issue of Parabola

Love letter from a COVID-19 foxhole

There is, I think, cause for optimism, even though the war is just beginning. No doubt, the next couple weeks will be a bumpy ride. Maybe you are one of the fortunate soldiers like me, charged with staying home and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Love letter from a COVID-19 foxhole

The longest night of the year

Long before Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the third century AD, long before the custom of Christmas became a worldwide phenomenon, cultures across the globe celebrated Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. For those of us in the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The longest night of the year

Intelligent design and the imagined world

René Descartes, the French philosopher and mathematician, imagined the cosmos as a complex machine operating according to precise mechanical laws. His theory implies the existence of a designer, a benevolent Creator or watchmaker, and describes an ordered elegance that seems counter to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Intelligent design and the imagined world

Making art while our beds are burning

I’ve been worried about things like climate change, clean air and water, nuclear war, women’s and immigrants’ rights, corporate greed, racism, and affordable health care. So many causes, so little time.  I try to be a good citizen by doing … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Making art while our beds are burning

Artist Waylaid: Michelangelo’s stint as a defense engineer

Artists, writers, creatives, take heart; even Michelangelo was waylaid from his vocation as a sculptor when practical demands required that he direct his efforts elsewhere for a time. The master of Renaissance art was obliged to set aside his excellent … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Artist Waylaid: Michelangelo’s stint as a defense engineer