Building spirituality in secular spaces
Meaning, Belonging, and Narrative Agency
Faithscape examines the positive and negative impacts of religion, why people are drawn to their churches, and how congregations reach people through technology and media. The aim is to understand how religious communities provide meaning and belonging, and how those functions could extend to secular audiences.
The project connects cognitive psychology, narrative studies, religious studies, and urban design around a shared question: how do communities give people opportunities to shape their own stories and contribute to collective life?
Building Spirituality in Secular Spaces
The practical question is how shared time, ritual, learning, and community can take shape outside religious institutions. This work informs Vitality AZ’s plans for routine community events in the Phoenix metro area, beginning in early 2027. Shared meals, art, play, and conversation provide a setting for developing these ideas with residents.
From New Sage
New Sage is where I publish findings, commentary, and opinions for a public audience. Named after a biweekly neighborhood paper founded in 1946 in Sunnyslope, Phoenix, it connects this research to questions about community life.