Hi, I’m Jason, and I’m a sects maniac.
I’m also a husband, father, son, IT worker, Freemason, Star Trek nerd, podcaster, and PhD student at Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS).
Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated with what and how people believe.
Prior to my time at CTS, most of what I knew about religion had been gleaned from my own reading, observations, and intentional engagement with people of diverse religious backgrounds. Much of this was before the Internet was as ubiquitous as it is today, so I actually had to read books and travel to meet people! I had earned a BA in History, and thankfully, several of my undergrad professors allowed me to focus on religious history as much as was feasible. Still, before seminary, my religious studies education mostly took the form of autodidactism. After a while, I began to feel as though I possessed a growing catalog of beliefs, customs, and traditions which I considered most valuable, most sacred. Certainly, the number of religious books, tracts, and periodicals accumulating on my physical shelves was growing, too.
One of the books that had the most impact on me was the fourth edition of Steven L. Shields’ Divergent Paths of the Restoration. I read and re-read that book like some people recycle their favorite novel. It is a catalog of the various expressions of the Latter Day Saint movement (over two hundred at the time of its publication in 1990) and I became hooked on learning about the depth and diversity of belief. Another book that impressed me was J. Gordon Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religion. I used to sit at my high school library reading through it like I was trying to find the answer to questions I hadn’t thought of yet. I finally found my own copy on eBay and still look through it sometimes.
Religion is at the core of who we are and how we see the world, even those of us who may not have any formal religious affiliation. I seek to connect with believers and learn from them, regardless of what they believe, or don’t. I welcome you to join me on this journey of discovery.