Catalyst Publications
Publications by Category
Tis the season for “giving up.” It is, after all, Lent, the liturgical season prior to Easter, which recalls the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. For centuries, faithful Christians have fasted as a means of preparation, reminiscent…
Mar/09/2020
Most people I know are able to share stories of good news. If they are football fans, they will talk freely to others about their favorite team, especially if it is having a winning season. Gardeners are more than happy to share gardening t…
Mar/02/2020
Narrative, Allegory and Figural Reading
One of the perpetual challenges faced by readers of the Bible lies in the narrative form of so much of the Bible’s contents—a challenge that is compounded by the alien and peculiar content of so many…
Feb/26/2020
You’d be shocked too if your name appeared in the story of a famous American. I’ve never assumed that I came from a great line of people. Never once did I even dream that I was a Kennedy … or even a Kardashian. Because of this lack of imagi…
Feb/19/2020
A prevalent understanding of Christianity in the western world, both inside and outside the church, goes something like this: Through Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven so that when we die, we will go to heaven instead of hell. This, it is…
Feb/12/2020
When I was a child, my grandmother taught me an old saying, a little rhyme that she would act out with her hands. It went something like this:
“Here is the church.”
(She interlaced her fingers, hiding them inside a two-handed fist.)
“Her…
Feb/10/2020
I just finished teaching a week-long intensive church history survey, and I was struck once again by a pattern I’ve noticed among theologians. The pattern is especially noticeable when I teach the surveys—both early/medieval and Reformation…
Feb/03/2020
This is the third part of a short series on how we as Christians reveal the love of God in Christ in a religiously plural world. In my first post, I discussed the necessity of examining the Christian story thoroughly enough that we feel lik…
Jan/27/2020
Semester break. Vacation. Sabbath. Retreat. Pilgrimage. Sabbatical.
The ideas and possibilities are tantalizing, aren’t they? If, in reading these words, you are the least like me in writing them, scenes of tranquility, quiet rest, or ot…
Jan/20/2020
Meanness explains a lot and it is real. Meanness is behind terrorism, abuse, backstabbing, violence, and murder in the world, not to mention a host of wars and international problems. It leads to fear, loss of hope, anxiety, depression, and…
Jan/13/2020
Last January I had the privilege of coteaching a course on the ecumenical community of Taizé for St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore with my dad, Michael J. Gorman, and Brother John, a member of the Taizé community since the 1970s.…
Jan/06/2020
There are lots of reservations when it comes to the study of theology.
Some people believe that all they need is to acknowledge that they are a sinner in need of God’s grace, accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son, on the cross…
Dec/16/2019
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A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE) John Wesley Fellowships have been awarded to three doctoral stud…
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Announcing that 2026 John Wesley Fellowship Scholarship Applications are now being accepted. Please see the at…
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JWF and Friends of AFTE, we look forward to you joining us Thursday-Sunday, January 15-18, 2026, for the AFTE …
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Twenty John Wesley Fellows, spouses, and friends were able to experience a trip of a lifetime. The travel itin…
"The John Wesley Fellowship provides not only financial support, it is an extraordinary community of Christian scholars — and friends."