Fetzer Institute Appoints Steven Harris as Vice President of Ecosystem Transformation

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Kalamazoo, Michigan, July 8, 2024 — The Fetzer Institute announces the appointment of Steven Harris as vice president, ecosystem transformation, effective July 15. In this new role, he will lead the Institute’s work in select sectors or “ecosystems” to center the sacred and bring spiritual solutions to some of our society’s greatest challenges. Harris will also join the Institute’s leadership team. 

Sparking Religious Curiosity in Today’s Youth

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apopovich@fetzer.org

No one can prepare you for the type of grief that comes with losing a parent at an early age. Yet, I discovered a silver lining in the process: a deeper understanding of my faith.

Don’t get me wrong: there were plenty of moments when I was upset with God, and I had a lot to say to Him. Yet, that confusion and that pain made me believe in something bigger than myself. I felt comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone, but when I looked around at people my age, I still felt isolated and different.

A Journey Through Fog: Spiritual Solidarity in a Secular World 

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apopovich@fetzer.org

In the cold embrace of a winter evening in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a moment of unexpected clarity emerged from the mist, not just the literal fog that disrupted my travel plans but also the metaphorical haze that often separates our personal and professional lives. I was en route to New York City to honor a dear mentor at his memorial service, when my journey unexpectedly became a profound lesson in the power of spirituality and the beauty of human connection. 

On Realistic Hope: A Reflection on Advent, Diwali, and Hanukkah

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apopovich@fetzer.org

“Every spiritual journey is a pilgrimage, an exercise in anticipation and hope.” — Image Journal, “Every Breath a Birth”

The closing months of the year often come with mixed emotions. Although this season is typically marketed as joyful and filled with cheer, gratitude, and connection, our lived reality likely resembles something different.

What Does Spirituality Mean to Us? A Study of Spirituality in the United States Since COVID

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12 years 10 months
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Amy Ferguson
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First Name
Amy
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Ferguson
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I am part of a web of writers, editors, videographers, communicators, and ambassadors who help shine a light on how we can all contribute to a loving world. For me this comes through in three simple words: reveal, serve, and inspire. It means researching, listening, sleuthing, writing, connecting, and conspiring for good. 

Our teachers in this work are numerous. I have learned so much from others' fine "translations" of the need for love in our world--epidemiologists, neuroscientists, and public health specialists, artists, clergy, and various lifelong practitioners of compassion--who carry this work into realms of our social life like schools, prisons, and law enforcement circles.

My background is deep in the humanities, and my family tree is of full Catholics (faithful and lapsed), skeptics, and librarians. I have a master's degree in literature and am drawn to volunteer with arts-related organizations and projects. 


 

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“We are all born with 200 bad poems in us.”  —Billy Collins

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Internal Communications Officer
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Selections from the We the People Book Club.
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aferguson@fetzer.org

This continuation of the Study of Spirituality in the United States builds on the initial study conducted in 2020. Using the original questionnaire, this updated version includes new items seeking to uncover any shifts in how we, in the United States, articulate and embody our faith and spirituality, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defying Darkness: Love's Radical Rebellion Against Global Discord

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apopovich@fetzer.org

 

In the midst of the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, it’s hard to make heads or tails of religion. The situation is complex and multifaceted, with faith playing only a part. But before jumping to the conclusion that humanity would be better off without religion, we must raise a crucial question. How can the underlying source of light within all of the world’s great faith and spiritual traditions be maintained in times of such brutality and darkness? 

Civic Friendship in Jewish Thought 

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12 years 10 months
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Amy Ferguson
Cover Photo
Book stack
First Name
Amy
Last Name
Ferguson
Biography

I am part of a web of writers, editors, videographers, communicators, and ambassadors who help shine a light on how we can all contribute to a loving world. For me this comes through in three simple words: reveal, serve, and inspire. It means researching, listening, sleuthing, writing, connecting, and conspiring for good. 

Our teachers in this work are numerous. I have learned so much from others' fine "translations" of the need for love in our world--epidemiologists, neuroscientists, and public health specialists, artists, clergy, and various lifelong practitioners of compassion--who carry this work into realms of our social life like schools, prisons, and law enforcement circles.

My background is deep in the humanities, and my family tree is of full Catholics (faithful and lapsed), skeptics, and librarians. I have a master's degree in literature and am drawn to volunteer with arts-related organizations and projects. 


 

Quote
Quote

“We are all born with 200 bad poems in us.”  —Billy Collins

Job Title
Internal Communications Officer
Cover Caption
Selections from the We the People Book Club.
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Staff Department
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aferguson@fetzer.org

Recently, the Fetzer Institute had the honor of interviewing our partner, Dr. Shira Billet from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Dr. Billet's research focuses on the beginnings of modern Jewish philosophy and its place within the history of philosophy, especially ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion.

Spiritual Solutions for Political Flourishing

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12 years 10 months
Photo
Amy Ferguson
Cover Photo
Book stack
First Name
Amy
Last Name
Ferguson
Biography

I am part of a web of writers, editors, videographers, communicators, and ambassadors who help shine a light on how we can all contribute to a loving world. For me this comes through in three simple words: reveal, serve, and inspire. It means researching, listening, sleuthing, writing, connecting, and conspiring for good. 

Our teachers in this work are numerous. I have learned so much from others' fine "translations" of the need for love in our world--epidemiologists, neuroscientists, and public health specialists, artists, clergy, and various lifelong practitioners of compassion--who carry this work into realms of our social life like schools, prisons, and law enforcement circles.

My background is deep in the humanities, and my family tree is of full Catholics (faithful and lapsed), skeptics, and librarians. I have a master's degree in literature and am drawn to volunteer with arts-related organizations and projects. 


 

Quote
Quote

“We are all born with 200 bad poems in us.”  —Billy Collins

Job Title
Internal Communications Officer
Cover Caption
Selections from the We the People Book Club.
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Staff Department
Email
aferguson@fetzer.org

In the midst of the prevailing division, polarization, and self-interest in public life, the Fetzer Institute is asking: how can we live a better version of our civic lives?

In Service of Love and Justice in the Black Church: A Conversation with Dr. Jacqueline Rivers

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12 years 10 months
Photo
Amy Ferguson
Cover Photo
Book stack
First Name
Amy
Last Name
Ferguson
Biography

I am part of a web of writers, editors, videographers, communicators, and ambassadors who help shine a light on how we can all contribute to a loving world. For me this comes through in three simple words: reveal, serve, and inspire. It means researching, listening, sleuthing, writing, connecting, and conspiring for good. 

Our teachers in this work are numerous. I have learned so much from others' fine "translations" of the need for love in our world--epidemiologists, neuroscientists, and public health specialists, artists, clergy, and various lifelong practitioners of compassion--who carry this work into realms of our social life like schools, prisons, and law enforcement circles.

My background is deep in the humanities, and my family tree is of full Catholics (faithful and lapsed), skeptics, and librarians. I have a master's degree in literature and am drawn to volunteer with arts-related organizations and projects. 


 

Quote
Quote

“We are all born with 200 bad poems in us.”  —Billy Collins

Job Title
Internal Communications Officer
Cover Caption
Selections from the We the People Book Club.
Engagement Results Display
On
Staff Department
Email
aferguson@fetzer.org

The Fetzer Institute recently had the privilege of speaking with partner Dr. Jacqueline Rivers, the executive director of the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies, which focuses on exploring the relationship between religion, particularly within the Black church tradition, and public life. Collaborating with ecumenical Black church leaders, Dr. Rivers advocates for a civic love ethic inspired by Dr. King, that transcends political binaries. Dr.