joestoutzenberger

St. Francis of Assisi and Nature

by Joseph Stoutzenberger A few years ago, a publisher approached me about writing a book about Francis of Assisi and nature. I knew Francis is associated with love of creation and is the patron saint of the environment. His statues with birds on his shoulder and other animals at his feet in gardens everywhere attestContinue reading “St. Francis of Assisi and Nature”

Know Thyself

by Joseph Stoutzenberger A professor of mine at Temple University, David Harrington Watt, insisted that it is important in scholarship to let readers know who we are and what has influenced the positions that we are expressing. In my writing, I have always stayed away from talking about myself. If I wrote about, for instance,Continue reading “Know Thyself”

What about Brokenness?

Then I realized that life doesn’t happen in museums and never-opened cabinets. Living, becoming real, always brings with it the danger of being broken. Kintsugi and The Velveteen Rabbit remind us that there is beauty in brokenness.

Sanctuary or Supermarket: Where Is the Church?

What’s missing? How about the everyday, commonplace expressions of love happening in families, in friendships, in schools, in businesses, in supermarkets, in the simple exchanges Catholics make throughout their lives?

What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?

by Joseph Stoutzenberger When Ibram X. Kendi, a fellow Temple University Ph. D., published How to Be an Anti-Racist a few years ago, I immediately got the point. Someone can say, “I am not racist,” or “I harbor no animosity toward members of other races.” Given conditions in the world today, that is not enough.Continue reading “What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?”

Woke Catholicism

I realized that I could not write about “Catholicism” without recognizing the reality of sexual abuse that has taken place in the church in the recent past and today. I looked at other books that described themselves as offering an introduction to or an overview of Catholicism. None that I found addressed this dark side of Catholicism.

Is It Time for Smashing Idols?

The older priests pointed out to him that his job was not to judge but to represent the merciful, loving Christ who told his followers to forgive others “seventy times seven times.” That exchange led me to question if, indeed, there are conflicting notions of “God” within Christianity itself. Are some Christians worshiping idols, even though the name of that idol is “Jesus?”

Are We Misreading “The True Spirit of Christmas”?

By Joseph Stoutzenberger, December 24th, 2023. A Christmas Eve morning news program ended with a panel discussing “the true meaning of Christmas.” At the heart of the discussion was, of course, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” One commentator railed against the materialism underlying all the shopping and gift-giving. Another suggested that doing random acts of kindnessContinue reading “Are We Misreading “The True Spirit of Christmas”?”

Children and Visionaries

by Joseph Stoutzenber I was sitting in a newly redecorated university chapel next to an artist friend of mine. I asked him what he thought of the ornate crucifix behind the altar. He responded, “It pretends to be art.” Despite the many failed attempts at artistic expression intended to open one’s gaze to the holyContinue reading “Children and Visionaries”

Crossing Over and Coming Back

by Joseph Stoutzenberger I spent sixteen years going to Catholic-affiliated schools, so when I graduated from college, I decided to learn about other religions on my own. I recall sitting on the beach at the Jersey shore reading the Qur’an when everyone around me seemed to be reading fluff mystery novels. I moved on toContinue reading “Crossing Over and Coming Back”