Books on Faith & Meaning

Susan Wolf | Meaning in Life and Why it Matters

Professor Susan Wolf joins the Books on Faith & Meaning series, led by Faith Initiative Director Matthew Croasmun, to discuss her recent work, "Meaning in Life and Why it Matters." This clear and compelling text explores human motivation and differentiates meaningfulness from happiness or morality.

Steve Angle | Growing Moral

Philosopher Steve Angle returns to the Books on Faith & Meaning series, led by Faith Initiative Director Matthew Croasmun, to build a case for modern Confucianism as a way of life worth the attention of reflective modern readers with a discussion of his most recent book.

Cole Arthur Riley | This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us

The creator of Black Liturgies, Cole Arthur Riley, tells stories of her family, what they revealed to her, and how they unlocked her spirituality.

Lynn Casteel | On Vanishing

Minister, chaplain, and essayist Lynn Casteel Harper discusses her important book On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear. Harper’s personal, philosophical, and scientific examination of dementia encourages us to reexamine our fears of disappearance, death, and mortality.

Leah Sarna | Pirkei Avot

Rabbanit Leah Sarna, Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs at Drisha, discusses Pirkei Avot, a key ancient text of Rabbinic Judaism exploring topics ranging from the ethics of everyday human interaction, to statements about the relationship of God and humanity.

Meghan Sullivan & Paul Blaschko | The Good Life Method

Notre Dame professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko discuss their recent book, The Good Life Method, a text that invites us to wrestle with questions like what justifies our beliefs, whether we should practice a religion, and what sacrifices we should make for others.

Dr. Asha Shipman I The Bhagavad Gita

Dr. Asha Shipman, the Director of Hindu Life and Hindu Chaplain at Yale University, joins Dr. Matthew Croasmun in conversation about the classic text, the Bhagavad Gita.

Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World | Norman Wirzba

In conversation with Dr. Matthew Croasmun, Dr. Norman Wirzba discusses his latest book, This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place In a Wounded World.

Dr. Martin Nguyen | Modern Muslim Theology

Dr. Matthew Croasmun and author Dr. Martin Nguyen discuss his latest work, Modern Muslim Theology: Engaging God and the World with Faith and Imagination.

Tim Lilburn | Living in the World as if it Were Home

Tim Lilburn, a Canadian poet, essayist, and professor at the University of Victoria, discusses his book, Living in the World as if It Were Home, a collection of meditations steeped in mysticism and ecological poetry.

Professor Steve Angle | The Analects of Confucius

“Confucianism is about being a good person by emphasizing the virtues that go together with creating a society that’s harmonious […] each individual does better when people around us are doing better.” Professor Steve Angle discusses The Analects of Confucius.

Peter Bouteneff | How to Be a Sinner

How can identifying as a sinner bring peace of mind, a clear conscience, and love for others? Dr. Peter Bouteneff discusses his latest work How to Be a Sinner.

Rev. Dr. Angela W. Gorrell | The Gravity of Joy

Rev. Dr. Angela W. Gorrell discusses her latest work The Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found.

Anantanand Rambachan | A Hindu Theology of Liberation

In conversation with Dr. Matthew Croasmun, leading Hindu theologian Dr. Anantanand Rambachan explores how Hindu traditions have contributed to modern struggles for liberation.

Chris Stedman | IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning and Belonging in Our Digital Lives

Dr. Matthew Croasmun and author and humanist leader Chris Stedman discuss his latest work, IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning and Belonging in Our Digital Lives.

Dr. Xavier Pickett | Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited

WIllie James Jennings | After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging

As people committed to fighting against racism, what are we fighting for? In After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging, Willie James Jennings describes insights gained from his extensive experience in theological education, examines how ideas of whiteness distort our understanding of community. and proposes new ways of belonging to one another.

Martin Hägglund | This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom

How do we make meaning of our lives today, when everyone and everything we care about is susceptible to loss? In This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom, Martin Hägglund argues that it is exactly this sense of fragility and the possibility of loss that make our lives meaningful.

Gravity and Grace | Simone Weil

Join Dr. Matthew Croasmun and Dr. Deborah Casewell, a Simone Weil scholar, and lecturer in the Philosophy of Religion at Liverpool Hope University, as they discuss Gravity and Grace by Simone Weil.

The Cross and the Lynching Tree | James Cone

Through passages in James Cone's book The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Dr. Matthew Croasmun explores the parallel between the lynching tree and the cross of Christ, engaging with Cone's words for a deeper understanding of the unyielding hope of the black community.