Title: Holy Ghost in the Catholic Machine: Spirit-Structure Tensions in Parish Preaching Work
Presenter: Jenni Sigler, PhD (Purdue University)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 7-8 pm EST
Description: Most studies of preaching take a theological, biblical, rhetorical, or mechanical angle. But preaching is also work—difficult, time-consuming, prayerful work, and frequently frustrating, exhausting, faith-testing work. In this webinar, Jennifer Sigler will discuss findings from her new book, Holy Ghost in the Catholic Machine, to illustrate how the Church’s work structures, like seminary education, working conditions, parish norms, and even beliefs about God, variably shape preaching’s quality and preachers’ own personal and vocational well-being.
Recorded Webinar Link: https://vimeo.com/904661708
Link to slides: 240117 Sigler CCSN webinar_Trimmed for upload
Presenter bio: J. E. Sigler earned her PhD in organizational communication from Purdue University, specializing in work and vocation, particularly how organizational structures influence people’s experience of work. Her research has been published in Homiletic & Pastoral Review, the Journal of Communication and Religion, and the Journal of Media and Religion. She currently lives in Falls Church, Virginia, where she conducts research on employees’ experience of work and organizations’ efforts to improve that experience.