Patheos April 2024 Featured Writer Dr. Vance Morgan

Last updated on: November 21, 2024 at 1:44 pm by Alan Crandall

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Patheos April 2024 Featured Writer Dr. Vance Morgan 2024-11-21T13:44:40-07:00 Alan Crandall

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.

Dr. Vance Morgan is the son of a Baptist minister and was brought up in the Fundamentalist Baptist faith. For much of his adult life, Dr. Morgan struggled with the conservative, fundamentalist Protestant Christianity in which he was raised. He has studied many faiths and has played the organ for many Christian places of worship. Dr. Morgan has worked for over 30 years teaching as a non-Catholic professor of philosophy in Catholic institutions of higher learning.

Dr. Morgan is an accomplished author with several books to his credit including “Freelance Christianity: Philosophy, Faith, and the Real World.” in 2017. Dr. Morgan uses writing as an effective vehicle for exploring matters of both the heart and mind of humans and the divine.

When asked about writing for Patheos, Dr. Morgan said, “I have been on Patheos for seven years now—I appreciate being a contributor to the best site available for people interested in reading about and discussing matters of faith and religion. My “section” traffic exploded when I came to Patheos and continues to increase. I continue to appreciate the visibility and attention that Patheos provides.”

Dr. Morgan says his advice for Patheos contributors is fairly simple:

Have something to say. Decide what your lane is, and what the guardrails on that lane are, and travel in that lane consistently. For instance, although I would love to wander into social/political commentary on occasion and rant about threats to our democracy and the insanity of those who do not agree with me, I very seldom do. “Freelance Christianity” is where I reflect and ruminate about the challenges of trying to be a follower of Jesus in a very complicated world that does not make such a journey easy. I bring my experiences and expertise as a college professor to that journey. My readers know from the start that this is the journey they will share with me.
Be consistent. My readers know that they can expect a post from me on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday every week of 1000-1500 words each. If I need to vary that schedule, I let everyone know ahead of time, but I seldom vary. If an expected essay is delayed, I will hear about it! Three times a week is a lot; once a week might work better for others but be consistent.
Writing as a spiritual practice. Twelve years ago, I said to my wife that I would blog “until it becomes just another damn thing that I have to do.” I continue to write because I clarify my thoughts and get new ideas through writing. I also believe that writing is one of my “thin places” where the barrier between what is greater than me and me becomes less of an obstacle and more of a window.
Who is your audience? When people ask me who my blog is for, I usually say that it is for people like me. One of the best pieces of writing advice I ever read was in Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. She says that you should write what you would love to find. If something is of interest to you, write about it knowing that somewhere, someone with the same questions, interests, and concerns will benefit from your work.

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Progressive Christian

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Dr. Vance Morgan

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Patheos March 2024 Featured Writer Mark Wilson