Author Archives: fatherbrad1971

About fatherbrad1971

Professor of Philosophy and World Religions at Saddleback Community College, Mission Viejo, CA. Episcopal priest since 1971 in Diocese of Los Angeles (retired). Owner of Desert Spirit Press, publishers of books on desert spirituality. Author, "The Spirit in the Desert: PIlgrimages to Sacred Sites in the Owens Valley." and "Encounters with the World's Religions: the Numinous on Highway 395". Memberships: Nevada Archaeological Association, Western Writers of America, California Cattlemen's Association, American Association of University Professors, Outdoor Writers of California, American Academy of Religion, Western Folklore Association.

Desert Petroglyphs: Ikons to the Ancient Ones

Posted on September 1, 2023 by fatherbrad1971

November 2022. Dense, frigid air seeps into the car as I drive east on Highway 136 toward Death Valley. The road ahead will be blocked because of torrential monsoonal rains in August that wiped out most of the highways within … Continue reading →

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Meeting Doubting Thomas Again for the First Time

Posted on April 12, 2023 by fatherbrad1971

I am sharing these thoughts with my brother and sister clergy out there in Cyberspace. We have completed the liturgies of Holy Week and some of us have numbed brains after all of this.  Hopefully, you are finding some recharge … Continue reading →

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Academic Book Review of Desert Spirituality for Men

Posted on February 17, 2023 by fatherbrad1971

Book Review from Anglican Theological Review Volume 104, Issue 4, November 2022, pp.507-508 Desert Spirituality for Men. By Brad Karelius. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2022. 180 pp. $21.00 (paperback), $36.00 {cloth). Brad Karelius, an Episcopal priest and professor, has … Continue reading →

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The Desert Mothers: Amma Syncletica

Posted on August 26, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

(The following is Part Two from the workshop on the Desert Mystics that I presented June 4, 2022, for the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Orange at their Center for Spiritual Development, Orange, California) On a chilly March morning, during … Continue reading →

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Press Release for my new book, Desert Spirituality for Men

Posted on August 24, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

Inspired by Richard Rohr, Ronald Rolheiser, Belden Lane, and Thomas Merton, Desert Spirituality for Men reveals the transformative and healing power of the desert—for men who actively seek God. Blending a memoir of his son’s fight for life, reflections on … Continue reading →

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My new book has been published: Desert Spirituality for Men

Posted on June 21, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

Good News! My new book, Desert Spirituality for Men, is now available to order from my publisher Wipf and Stock. Here are some endorsements: “Equal parts travelogue and diary, confession and acknowledgment of the many people who helped him along … Continue reading →

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The Desert Mothers of Egypt Part I, Amma Mary the Harlot

Posted on June 8, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

(The following is Part One from Encountering Your True Self with the Desert Mystics, presented June 4, 2022, at the Center for Spiritual Development, Orange, California; a ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Orange). Thank you for joining … Continue reading →

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The Desert Mystics: Anthony of the Desert

Posted on March 18, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

On a mild December morning, I am walking in the desert near Lone Pine, California, on a cattle trail through spindly creosote and fragrant sagebrush toward Mount Whitney and the Sierra Nevada mountains. In this desert landscape, where I feel … Continue reading →

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The Desert Mystics: Abba Moses the Black

Posted on February 8, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

(The following is Part One, Abba Moses the Black, from my workshop, Encountering Your True Self with the Desert Mystics, presented at the Center for Spiritual Development, The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Orange, Saturday, February 5, 2022.) I am … Continue reading →

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Registration Now Open for Seminar on Desert Mystics

Posted on January 22, 2022 by fatherbrad1971

I invite you to join me at my seminar on the Desert Mystics, Saturday, February 5th, from 10 am to noon (Pacific Standard Time) on Zoom. This will be Part One of a Two Part series. Part One is an … Continue reading →

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