A Broader Public: Writing on Religion for a Secular Audience—A Week with Religion Dispatches’ Editors and Author Elizabeth Drescher

A note from the workshop leaders:

In our six years as editors of Religion Dispatches, the internet’s premier forum for thoughtful discussion of religion in the public sphere, we have watched as a new generation of public theologians begins to emerge in American churches, testing their voices in the clamorous world of digital journalism and news media.

In this weeklong workshop held at the Collegeville Institute, we will address the challenges and rewards of writing beyond the pulpit, thinking together about the role of religious voices in a pluralistic society.

We will explore the art and science of writing online commentary and opinion, sharing and critiquing one another’s work as we go. In particular, we will focus on how to engage skillfully and persuasively in larger conversations about social justice, global ethics, politics, pop culture, and the health of the planet.

And, of course, we will give you tips on how to get your writing to a new and larger audience.

Biographies:

Elizabeth Drescher, PhD, a senior correspondent at Religion Dispatches, is the author of the forthcoming book, Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America’s Nones (Oxford University Press). Her previous books include Tweet If You [Heart] Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation (Morehouse 2011) and Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible (with Keith Anderson). Dr. Drescher teaches religion and pastoral ministries at Santa Clara University.

Evan Derkacz, co-editor of Religion Dispatches, helped develop and launch the magazine in 2007. Before that he was a writer and editor for AlterNet, an award-winning news magazine, and media editor for Tikkun magazine.

Lisa Webster has worked in both print and online media, from New York’s Paper Magazine to Tricycle, a quarterly on Buddhism in America. She was managing editor at Word, a pioneering internet publication now archived at the Museum of Modern Art. Since 2008 she has been co-editor of Religion Dispatches.

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Collegeville Institute and Religion Dispatches.

The Collegeville Institute will cover travel expenses to and from the workshop, all workshop fees, and room and board. Those who join the workshop will be expected to reside at the Institute throughout the entire week. Participants will share apartment space, though each person will be assigned a private bedroom. The program is limited to 12 participants.

Application Process:

Application deadline has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for this workshop.

Complete applications include three pieces:

1. Application form
2. Current resume or c.v.
3. Writing sample: We request a writing sample of 750-800 words on a topic drawn from the news, whether in science, history, art, or popular culture. The piece can be previously published, from a personal blog, or written specifically for this application.

After the workshop concludes, each participant is encouraged to submit an original 500-word essay on a topic of his/her choice, intended for a general audience. Participants’ essays may be used as blog entries on the Collegeville Institute’s website or featured in other Collegeville Institute publications. Workshop participants should submit their essays to the Collegeville Institute within three months after the conclusion of the writing workshop.