In Good Faith

Jared Stewart shares how he, as someone diagnosed with autism, found a unique personal connection with God and offers insights into the neurodivergent experience in religious settings. He talks about the diversity within the autism spectrum, common misunderstandings, and offers suggestions on how congregations can better support neurodivergent members. Jared Stewart has spent over two decades working with neurodivergent adolescents and adults as a teacher, life coach, and licensed behavior analyst, and has shared his views on the techniques and mindsets that lead to improved outcomes for these individuals with audiences in over 18 countries. His passion for the subject arises from personal experience: he has numerous family members on the Spectrum, and he was diagnosed with autism himself as an adult.

Rev. Dr. Katie O'Dunne discusses her experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including scrupulosity, and her journey through faith and healing. She shares deeply personal anecdotes about how it impacted her ministry, and her efforts to raise awareness and provide support within faith communities. Katie O'Dunne founded 'Stick with the Ick,' a virtual community for those navigating faith and OCD. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, she spent 7 years as the Academy Chaplain and Chair of Religious Studies at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, simultaneously consulting on interfaith programming nationwide. She is also the proud recipient of the award for "distinction in integrative care practices" from Vanderbilt's Doctor of Ministry program.

James Finley shares how he found solace in God amidst family trauma, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings, ultimately becoming a therapist and author. James Finley is faculty member of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Fr. Thomas Merton was Finley’s novice master and spiritual director while he was a monk at the Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and primarily works with people suffering from the long-term effects of internalized trauma and how contemplative prayer can increase their quality of life. He has written numerous books (most recently his memoir, “The Healing Path” in 2022) and he currently hosts the podcast Turning to the Mystics. Dr. Finley will present at the upcoming Faith & Science conference: https://www.faithandscience.eu/

Jennifer Wiseman. PhD., emphasizes the importance of humility and curiosity in both scientific and spiritual endeavors, while also sharing personal experiences of awe and wonder. Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astrophysicist, author, and speaker. She studies the process of star and planet formation in our galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes. She is the Director Emeritus of the program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Wiseman studied physics at MIT, co-discovering comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987, and continued in astronomy with her doctoral research at Harvard. She has worked with several international observatories and is currently a senior astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Wiseman is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, a network of Christians in Science. Dr. Wiseman will present at the upcoming Faith & Science conference: https://www.faithandscience.eu/

Harold Koenig discusses how patients' religious beliefs and practices significantly impact their health and recovery, a realization that stemmed from his days as a nurse and later reinforced during his medical and psychiatric practice. Harold Koenig is Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. He is the lead author of the Handbook of Religion and Health, the seminal research text on the relationship between theistic religion, interfaith worship, and meditative prayer, which is the most cited of all references on religion and health. He has published 65 books on the subject. In 2022 he was ranked 1st in the world by ScholarGPS in the academic discipline of spirituality. Dr. Koenig will present at the upcoming Faith & Science conference: https://www.faithandscience.eu/

Rabbi Adina Allen discusses the profound connection between creativity, spirituality, and healing. She emphasizes that art and creativity are divine acts; the spiritual practice of creative expression is essential to understanding God. Rabbi Adina Allen is cofounder and creative director of Jewish Studio Project (JSP), an organization that sees creativity as a force for spiritual connection and social transformation. Based on the work of her mother, renowned art therapist Pat B. Allen, Adina developed the Jewish Studio Process, a methodology for unlocking creativity, and is the author of The Place of All Possibility: Cultivating Creativity Through Ancient Jewish Wisdom (Ayin, 2024).

Robert Hesse, PhD., talks with Steve about a mystical experience that deeply affected his life and outlook. Hesse also describes his journey back to faith after years away, inspired by Thomas Merton's writings. Robert Hesse is a Catholic deacon and Chairman and Co-Founder of interfaith Contemplative Network. He is a practicing mystic and author of Faith and Science: A Journey into God’s Mystical Love. He holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. He has co-authored neuroscience research studies on improvements in quality-of-life associated with interfaith contemplative prayer. Check out details for the Faith & Science Conference at https://www.faithandscience.eu/.

Zeyneb Sayilgan is a Muslim woman who grew up in Germany as the daughter of Turkish immigrants, where she faced discrimination and challenges due to her faith. She speaks about her move to the United States, where she found a more accepting environment. Zeyneb Sayilgan is the host of the Podcast On Being Muslim: Wisdom from the Risale-i Nur. Her work has appeared in scholarly and popular journals like DIALOG, Religion News Service, Covenant, U.S.Catholic, in German media outlets like Qantara, MIGAZIN, IslamIQ, Islamische Zeitung and Turkish publications like Perspektif.

Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson talk to Steve about their organization Judaism Unbound. Lex Rofeberg is Senior Jewish educator for Judaism Unbound -- a digital, Jewish non-profit organization and oversees Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning), produces and co-hosts its weekly podcast, and facilitates regular forms of communal gathering, via Zoom, for Jews and Jewish-adjacent non-Jews. Dan Libenson is President of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, which is dedicated to helping Jews and fellow travelers apply Jewish wisdom to thrive and shape a better world. He is also the co-host of the Judaism Unbound podcast, as well as The Oral Talmud, a streaming video show soon to be released in podcast form. Dan teaches classes on Judaism and Jewish wisdom at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Zelikow School of Nonprofit Management. Dan is the translator of The Orchard, a novel about the early days of Rabbinic Judaism, by renowned Israeli novelist Yochi Brandes.

Curtis Chang of Redeeming Babel shares his journey of becoming a Christian from a non-Christian family, his youthful challenges of integrating faith with secular life, and his various roles bridging the worlds of theology and secular institutions. Curtis Chang is the founding executive director of Redeeming Babel and host of the Good Faith podcast. Over the course of his career, he has bridged the worlds of secular institutions and theology. In the former world, he is the founder and CEO of Consulting Within Reach (CWR), a firm serving nonprofits and government agencies. His consulting work has won an award in social innovation from the Obama White House, and he teaches strategic planning as a faculty member of American University’s School of International Service. In the Christian world, he is a consulting professor at Duke Divinity School and a Senior Fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary. Curtis is also a former senior pastor of an Evangelical Covenant Church in San Jose, California. He is the author of the book The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your Best Self and co-author of The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics.