Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Back to all writers

Patheos Featured Writers

Elizabeth Duffy

Columnist

Elizabeth Duffy is a freelance writer and author of a bi-monthly column at Patheos, "The Constant Convert." Duffy contributed a chapter to the book, Style, Sex and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter edited by Hallie Lord. Elizabeth's writing has also appeared in The Catholic Educator, and online at Faith and Family Magazine, the Korrektiv Press Blog, and numerous other venues, including her personal blog, "Betty Duffy." She and her husband are expecting their sixth child.

Works by Elizabeth Duffy

Training the Ear of My Heart

Elizabeth Duffy | March 27, 2018

...

Suffering and Ash Wednesday

Elizabeth Duffy | February 14, 2018

...

Homecomings

Elizabeth Duffy | October 04, 2017

...

The Spirit’s Indwelling

Elizabeth Duffy | September 19, 2017

...

Movements of the Lord

Elizabeth Duffy | June 06, 2017

...

Wrestling

Elizabeth Duffy | February 02, 2017

...

There Is No Free Breakfast

Elizabeth Duffy | January 05, 2017

...

Stiff Necked Church Lady

Elizabeth Duffy | November 15, 2016

...

Glorying in Flawless Skin and God’s Love

Elizabeth Duffy | October 24, 2016

...

The Crazy Sex Lady at the Solitary Banquet

Elizabeth Duffy | September 28, 2016

...

I Have No Idea Where I’m Going

Elizabeth Duffy | September 07, 2016

...

Maybe the Kids Will Sleep in Tomorrow

Elizabeth Duffy | August 03, 2016

...

Gotta Dance

Elizabeth Duffy | July 11, 2016

...

Eden at the Indy 500

Elizabeth Duffy | June 13, 2016

...

The Prophet of Uninterrupted Complaint

Elizabeth Duffy | May 23, 2016

...

Imitating the Saints

Elizabeth Duffy | April 07, 2016

...

What You May Have Missed

Elizabeth Duffy | March 16, 2016

...

What Happened to Fun?

Elizabeth Duffy | March 16, 2016

...

The Thirst Is Good

Elizabeth Duffy | February 26, 2016

...

The Erotic Powers of the Holy Spirit

Elizabeth Duffy | February 02, 2016

...

Less is More, and More and More of My Writing Around the...

Elizabeth Duffy | December 30, 2015

...

The Tyrannical Self-Gaze

Elizabeth Duffy | November 24, 2015

...

Becoming Food

Elizabeth Duffy | September 18, 2015

...

Exile Among Exiles

Elizabeth Duffy | August 20, 2015

...

80's Free Range Childhood Was Not the Same as 50's...

Elizabeth Duffy | April 24, 2015

...

Miracles Don't Happen If You Never Ask For Them

Elizabeth Duffy | April 13, 2015

...

The Pleasure of Watching a Camel Pass Through the Eye of a...

Elizabeth Duffy | March 13, 2015

...

Disarming my Accuser, with the Sacrament of Confession

Elizabeth Duffy | March 10, 2015

...

Forcing the Changes

Elizabeth Duffy | December 19, 2014

...

The Mom Who Cares

Elizabeth Duffy | December 09, 2014

...

Pope Makes Time for Autism, Can We?

Elizabeth Duffy | November 19, 2014

...

Serious Men. Serious Toast.

Elizabeth Duffy | November 11, 2014

...

Between fatigue and falling down: Rapture!

Elizabeth Duffy | November 10, 2014

...

Somebody's Got To Do It

Elizabeth Duffy | October 23, 2014

...

Book Recommendation: "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall...

Elizabeth Duffy | August 11, 2014

...

Life Drifts From One Party to the Next

Elizabeth Duffy | July 16, 2014

...

The Idiot Experience of Righteous Anger

Elizabeth Duffy | July 03, 2014

...

Little Free Library: Leave a Book, Return a Book

Elizabeth Duffy | June 14, 2014

...

Cloudy Skies and Ivy

Elizabeth Duffy | June 10, 2014

...

Beyond School Spirit: When Love is the Only Reason to Play

Elizabeth Duffy | June 04, 2014

...

Do you subscribe to Living Faith?

Elizabeth Duffy | April 03, 2014

...

Becoming More Human

Elizabeth Duffy | March 10, 2014

...

SoulCore: A Mary-led, Spirit-led Workout

Elizabeth Duffy | March 07, 2014

...

Living Faith, Daily Catholic Devotions

Elizabeth Duffy | March 05, 2014

...

Immediate Book Meme

Elizabeth Duffy | February 19, 2014

...

A Kind of Catechesis

Elizabeth Duffy | February 10, 2014

...

Kicking Catechesis Out of the Classroom

Elizabeth Duffy | February 04, 2014

...

Pope Francis's Consistent and Boldly Proclaimed Pro-life...

Elizabeth Duffy | January 14, 2014

...

Must Get This Album: Mavis Staples

Elizabeth Duffy | December 30, 2013

...

Oriental Duck Soup

Elizabeth Duffy | December 06, 2013

...

Writing About Miscarriage

Elizabeth Duffy | November 14, 2013

...

Why Dogs can be a Baby's Best Friend

Elizabeth Duffy | November 05, 2013

...

Giving Our Widow's Mite

Elizabeth Duffy | November 03, 2013

...

No Guilt, Ugly-As-Sin, Pumpkin Pie-ish Dessert

Elizabeth Duffy | October 31, 2013

...

Links

Elizabeth Duffy | October 15, 2013

...

Borrowing a page

Elizabeth Duffy | October 09, 2013

...

The Art of Raising a Puppy

Elizabeth Duffy | October 06, 2013

...

Word Made Flesh

Elizabeth Duffy | September 23, 2013

...

The Virtual Binge

Elizabeth Duffy | September 18, 2013

...

Slave-driver

Elizabeth Duffy | September 16, 2013

...

"Let Everything that Breathes Praise the Lord!"

Elizabeth Duffy | September 12, 2013

...

"MOOOOOMMMM!"

Elizabeth Duffy | September 11, 2013

...

Book giveaway: Love and Salt

Elizabeth Duffy | September 10, 2013

...

Catholics of the Year

Elizabeth Duffy | September 10, 2013

...

Singing From the Grave

Elizabeth Duffy | September 04, 2013

...

Clearing

Elizabeth Duffy | August 23, 2013

...

The Idiot Christian: How to be Inconvenient to Classify

Elizabeth Duffy | August 23, 2013

...

Change and Surrender

Elizabeth Duffy | August 22, 2013

...

Back to School Quick Takes

Elizabeth Duffy | August 15, 2013

...

Destroying Your Marriage 101: How to do Everything Right...

Elizabeth Duffy | July 30, 2013

...

The Gift of the Priesthood

Elizabeth Duffy | July 22, 2013

...

The Old New Creation

Elizabeth Duffy | July 22, 2013

...

Quick Takes: Fights, Flies, and the Sleep of all Sleeps

Elizabeth Duffy | July 19, 2013

...

How to Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

Elizabeth Duffy | July 16, 2013

...

Christmas in July

Elizabeth Duffy | July 05, 2013

...

Five Favorites

Elizabeth Duffy | July 04, 2013

...

A Kindness

Elizabeth Duffy | July 02, 2013

...

Quick Takes: Summertime and the Living is...Rather Awful

Elizabeth Duffy | June 28, 2013

...

Divesting Myself of Fifty Percent of My Belongings

Elizabeth Duffy | June 19, 2013

...

Lucky Ducks

Elizabeth Duffy | June 18, 2013

...

Don't Swim Alone

Elizabeth Duffy | June 05, 2013

...

Expert Service

Elizabeth Duffy | June 03, 2013

...

Towards a True Sex Education

Elizabeth Duffy | May 29, 2013

...

Tune in!

Elizabeth Duffy | May 22, 2013

...

Items and Ideas: A Review of Strange Gods by Elizabeth...

Elizabeth Duffy | May 20, 2013

...

When in Doubt, Blame the Parents: Do Parents Cause...

Elizabeth Duffy | May 17, 2013

...

New From Korrektiv Records!

Elizabeth Duffy | May 10, 2013

...

Making Friends, Loving Enemies

Elizabeth Duffy | May 07, 2013

...

The Best of Both Mothers

Elizabeth Duffy | April 30, 2013

...

Overcoming Insecurity in Marriage

Elizabeth Duffy | April 25, 2013

...

Don't miss:

Elizabeth Duffy | April 24, 2013

...

The Soul of Good Manners

Elizabeth Duffy | April 23, 2013

...

The Repulsive Truth

Elizabeth Duffy | April 15, 2013

...

Strength for loving

Elizabeth Duffy | April 10, 2013

...

I don't trust the weather.

Elizabeth Duffy | April 04, 2013

...

Why I am Catholic, because... Life!... in Abundance!

Elizabeth Duffy | April 01, 2013

...

My Berry Favorites

Elizabeth Duffy | March 13, 2013

...

Caught Stealing

Elizabeth Duffy | March 08, 2013

...

Friendship shared in letters: a review of Love and Salt

Elizabeth Duffy | February 12, 2013

...

Wonder Mother

Elizabeth Duffy | February 01, 2013

...

Pop Music isn't what it used to be

Elizabeth Duffy | January 28, 2013

...

Baby Notes: thoughts on recently having a baby

Elizabeth Duffy | January 17, 2013

...

Quick Takes

Elizabeth Duffy | December 28, 2012

...

Looking for signs of God (in all the wrong places)

Elizabeth Duffy | December 21, 2012

...

What does help for moms look like?

Elizabeth Duffy | December 04, 2012

...

From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart: Chris Haw's journey...

Elizabeth Duffy | November 28, 2012

...

My Sisters the Saints

Elizabeth Duffy | November 15, 2012

...

Joining the Conversation on Faith

Elizabeth Duffy | October 19, 2012

...

Re-igniting the Romance of Faith

Elizabeth Duffy | October 17, 2012

Using the Year of Faith for refreshment and a good stretch....

The Discipline of Desire

Elizabeth Duffy | October 03, 2012

Frustrated longing disorients us from God's intent and purposes for our lives....

Divine Privilege of the Pretty

Elizabeth Duffy | September 19, 2012

The awful moment when you realize that bring pretty doesn't get you anywhere with God....

Virtual Lesions in the Body of Christ

Elizabeth Duffy | September 05, 2012

Having the last word can be isolating and destructive in person, and online, too....

The Fruit Long-Despaired Of

Elizabeth Duffy | August 15, 2012

In a summer of drought, orchards and children begin to show their first fruits; suddenly......

The Grounding Power of Grace

Elizabeth Duffy | July 25, 2012

How extending a hand can prevent future shooting tragedies....

"Things are . . . O.K.," but I'm Ready to Care, Again

Elizabeth Duffy | July 12, 2012

Whether it's one's soul or one's house, it's not enough to have something new or to slap......

The Indispensable One and Only

Elizabeth Duffy | June 27, 2012

While women continue to explore whether they truly can "have it all," the media......

Outrage and Outrageous Mercy

Elizabeth Duffy | May 30, 2012

Not only do I not need someone to give me permission to be angry, the feeling of outrage......

Pub Life: Drinking and the Public Life of the Family

Elizabeth Duffy | May 16, 2012

In community we learn to forgive others' faults so we can move on to brighter horizons......

An Apprenticeship in Empathy

Elizabeth Duffy | May 02, 2012

On the internet and elsewhere, does emotional frigidity render us unable to empathize......

Women's Pay and Childcare: Sides of a Coin

Elizabeth Duffy | April 18, 2012

Most childcare providers are women, paid a pittance in order to accommodate other women......

Giving Up Nouns for Lent

Elizabeth Duffy | March 28, 2012

It's always around this time of year that I wish I had given up a noun rather than a......

Pain Avoidance and the Acceptable Time

Elizabeth Duffy | March 14, 2012

At this point in Lent, we're often ready to admit to ourselves, even to say out loud,......

Complementarity, Not Competition

Elizabeth Duffy | February 02, 2012

For feminism to have gained a foothold, men had to collude with it, and it has been in......

Modern Problems

Elizabeth Duffy | January 19, 2012

The many conveniences of modernity can make us feel superfluous in our own lives. To......

The Fallacy of the "Yummy Mummy"

Elizabeth Duffy | January 05, 2012

The start of a New Year has many of us itching for better habits and a better physique.......

Holiness, Not Hot Air

Elizabeth Duffy | December 22, 2011

At Mount de Sales Academy in Maryland, the Nashville Dominican Sisters and faithful lay......

Salvation and the Drama of Publication

Elizabeth Duffy | December 08, 2011

In today's publishing climate, authors grappling with spiritual issues turn to......

Buying Stuff for a Life I Don't Live

Elizabeth Duffy | November 25, 2011

Over the years I have accumulated an outrageous number of artifacts for a multi-faceted......

Virtually Pleasuring Ourselves Out of Existence

Elizabeth Duffy | November 10, 2011

The internet stimulates a pleasure circuit in the brain so powerful it causes us to......

The Way Not to Die

Elizabeth Duffy | October 26, 2011

Crucifixion is not a good time. It's unlikely that I will ever manage it with grace and......

New Love, New Vocabulary

Elizabeth Duffy | October 12, 2011

If you want renewal, sometimes you have to change the script -- both the internal one......

View all featured writers

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos