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Patheos Featured Writers

Ken Chitwood
Writer
Ken Chitwood is a religion nerd, writer and scholar of global Islam and American religion based in Germany. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Salon, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, and numerous other publications. He is the author of The Muslims of Latin America and the Caribbean. Follow Ken on Twitter @kchitwood.
Works by Ken Chitwood
Image and Power, Satire and Sacrilege at the Paris...
Ken Chitwood | August 01, 2024
The Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony uses satire to challenge norms and spark......
A Brief History of the "Culture Wars"
Ken Chitwood | July 09, 2024
for as long as there’s been some thing we call "religion," it has shaped, and been......
How Then Shall We Live, When the World is on Fire?
Ken Chitwood | June 14, 2024
Religious leaders are addressing climate change, showing faith-driven environmental......
How AI Is Becoming Part-And-Parcel To How We Practice...
Ken Chitwood | May 07, 2024
Debates about the best ethical approach — including whether an AI religion can save or......
A Cross in the Barbed Wire: Reflections on Faith &...
Ken Chitwood | April 06, 2024
In the months to come, and as debates intensify, it is imperative to not forget the......
Food's Role in Religion: Feasting, Fasting, and Faith
Ken Chitwood | March 07, 2024
While food and foodways are diverse, the basic processes of collection, cultivation,......
Hate Surge: Unpacking Antisemitism & Islamophobia
Ken Chitwood | February 07, 2024
Exploring the Surge in Antisemitic and Islamophobic Incidents Globally Amid Israel-Hamas......
Predictions for the World of Religion in 2024
Ken Chitwood | January 08, 2024
Dive into the intersection of religion, politics, and society in a world bracing for......
Ten Years of “Being Both”: An Interview About Interfaith...
Ken Chitwood | December 01, 2023
Institutions are becoming more welcoming and inclusive, sometimes even being led by......
Faith Visits Provide Experiences Of A Lifetime
Ken Chitwood | November 08, 2023
There are hundreds of enriching opportunities in any city that can give students......
A Critical Look at Luther Country
Ken Chitwood | October 05, 2023
There are darker, more difficult subjects in need of revisiting in Luther’s life —......
Religion at the Rugby World Cup
Ken Chitwood | September 06, 2023
Explore the intersection of religion and rugby as players' faith influences their......
Does the World Really Need Interreligious Dialogue?
Ken Chitwood | August 08, 2023
Interreligious dialogue has multiple critics, from those who question its effectiveness......
In the Beginning, We Argued Over Origins
Ken Chitwood | July 13, 2023
There are innumerable etiologies floating around the world. The student of religion is......
From Mecca to Mount Kailash: The Enduring Power of...
Ken Chitwood | June 13, 2023
Journeys to holy sites and major religious celebrations can be shot through with......
Should we be comparing Islam and Christianity, the Bible...
Ken Chitwood | May 06, 2023
The hope is that by comparing two things — the known with the unknown, the foreign with......
What Hath Religious Studies To Do With Interreligious...
Ken Chitwood | March 30, 2023
IRD is a human activity. As such, it should be studied and critiqued for how it is part......
Religion and the 2023 Oscars
Ken Chitwood | March 06, 2023
It’s safe to say that if you head to the movies – or catch the Academy Awards ceremony –......
Religion in Your Face: Ash Wednesday and the Practice of...
Ken Chitwood | February 04, 2023
Christians are not alone in marking their faces with religious symbols. There are......
The Past, Present, and Future of Religion
Ken Chitwood | January 03, 2023
Every year, numerous pundits and forecasters offer their crystal-ball takes on financial......
Spiritual Technology: The interface between religion and...
Ken Chitwood | November 28, 2022
From brain stimulation to synthetic psychedelics, new spiritual movements in Silicon......
Oppression or Liberation? Sweating Over Modest Clothing
Ken Chitwood | October 28, 2022
When it comes to whether modest clothing is inherently oppressive or explicitly......
Religion, James Bond Religion
Ken Chitwood | September 30, 2022
...
Is That a "Cult?"
Ken Chitwood | September 03, 2022
In popular parlance, the word “cult” is used to mark certain social groups as irregular,......
What is a "Religious Experience?"
Ken Chitwood | August 04, 2022
Claims of experience and testimonies are not only defined and shaped by social context.......
On a Wing and a Prayer: What Airport Chapels Teach Us...
Ken Chitwood | July 15, 2022
Pew Research Center found that more than half of the U.S.’s large hub airports......
Pilgrimage and Profit in Oberammergau, Germany
Ken Chitwood | July 04, 2022
Pilgrimage and Profit in Oberammergau, Germany...
Learn What Happens When a Couple Sets Out to Visit Every...
Ken Chitwood | April 29, 2022
When Berliners Piet and Ulrike Jonas travel abroad, they head into local churches to......
Going Hungry For God: Why Do People Fast From Food, Drink,...
Ken Chitwood | March 29, 2022
According to Islamic tradition, fasting is required during Ramadan, the ninth month of......
What is "Religion" Anyway?
Ken Chitwood | February 24, 2022
Numerous scholars, saints, and specialists have tried to define religion. But what is......
What You Missed Without Religion Class
Ken Chitwood | February 06, 2022
What You Missed Without Religion Class...
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