Peter Preble

Peter Preble

@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Public theologian • Minister & chaplain • Writer on grief, death, faith & public life. Exploring AI, ethics & human flourishing. Helping people discover the sacred in ordinary life.

522 followers794 following1K posts

Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

In 1780, Rev. Simeon Howard reminded Massachusetts lawmakers that public office is a trust, not a possession. Nearly 250 years later, his words still challenge us. First in a series of historic Election Sermons.

Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

What can the Hunter's Moon and the ancient traditions of Samhain teach us about memory, changing seasons, and caring for one another? Perhaps preparing for darkness is one of the quieter forms of hope. Read my latest essay: www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/when... #HuntersMoon #Samhain

frpeterpreble.comWhen the Hunter’s Moon RisesThere is something about the full moon in October that feels different from the others. Perhaps it is the angle of the light, or the way the moon rises above trees already surrendering their leave…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

The Church exists to serve the Gospel. The Gospel does not exist to preserve the Church. What might change if compassion became the measure of our faithfulness? My Reformation Sunday sermon, "The Compassionate Life." www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/the-...

frpeterpreble.comThe Compassionate LifeIn the movie Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones plays Terence Mann, a writer who has become somewhat disillusioned with the world around him. Near the end of the movie, he delivers a wonderful spee…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Every human bears the image of God. This dignity cannot be suspended when conversations get tough. Time to choose kindness over cruelty. #FaithTalk #HumanDignity #ChooseKindness #FaithInAction #Values www.tiktok.com/@frpeterpreb...

tiktok.comEvery human bears the image of God. This dignity cannot be suspended when conversations get tough. Time to choose kindness over cruelty. #FaithTalk #HumanDignity #ChooseKindness #FaithInAction #ValuesTikTok video by Rev. Peter Preble
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Faith isn't just something we believe. It's something we live and, when necessary, speak aloud. In a divided world, even small acts of compassion and courage can carry hope. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/livi... #FaithInAction #Hope

frpeterpreble.comLiving MessagesIn a world filled with noise, division, and uncertainty, our faith must be more than something we believe. It must be something others can see in our actions and hear in our words. Even the smalle…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

What if grief isn't something we need to fix? We've become better at talking about mental health, but not necessarily better at making room for grief. My latest essay in DC Journal: dcjournal.com/america-has-...

dcjournal.comAmerica Has a Grief Problem We Keep Calling a Mental Health Problem – DC Journal - InsideSourcesAmericans have become much better at talking about mental health. We have learned words such as trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, burnout, compassion
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Three children went to school in Oregon today and will never come home. We can pray for their families, but prayer cannot become an excuse for inaction. If we believe every child bears the image of God, protecting their lives must be more than a slogan. www.cnn.com/2026/10/15/u...

cnn.com4 killed, including 3 children, in Oregon elementary school shooting, source says. Teen shooter is also dead, sources say | CNNThree children and one adult were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, according to preliminary information from a law enforcement source.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Jim Bakker's story raises an enduring question: what happens when ministry becomes an empire? The Gospel calls us to service, humility and accountability. Celebrity religion too easily confuses personal success with God's blessing.

RNS@rns.org

OPINION: Jim Bakker turned religious intimacy into an American empire—and showed how faith, fame, fraud and reinvention could share the same stage.

religionnews.comThe Very American Rise and Fall and Rise and Death of Jim BakkerJim Bakker turned religious intimacy into an American empire—and showed how faith, fame, fraud and reinvention could share the same stage.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

We inherit more than our ancestors’ names. We inherit their complicated histories, too. On #Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I reflect on my #Mayflower ancestor, Richard Warren, and what I call “ancestor grief.” @wbur.org www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...

wbur.orgInheriting the whole of our complicated storiesPeter Preble's 11th great-grandfather was Richard Warren, a passenger on the Mayflower and one of the 41 men to sign the Mayflower Compact. The more Preble learned about Warren, the more complicated h...

Peter Preble reposted

Adam Schwarz
@adamjschwarz.bsky.social

Estonian PM Kristen Michal after Trump's diesel deal with Putin: “It will be worth discussing in Estonia and at the European Council next week whether we can quickly contribute more to Ukraine so they can blast Russia's oil refineries to smithereens.”

Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

A lawful order does not erase a soldier's conscience. Asking service members to participate in an execution carries a moral burden that cannot be dismissed as simply doing their duty. Their religious convictions and human dignity matter, too. tinyurl.com/3u8mfe8x

tinyurl.comSoldiers Are Already Looking for a Way Out of Hegseth’s Livestreamed Firing SquadAt least six soldiers are planning to file for preliminary religious exemptions, a nonprofit leader told The Sun. More are expected to follow.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

You don't have to oppose the death penalty to oppose turning an execution into a public spectacle. As a follower of Jesus, I have to ask: Would Jesus recognize what we're doing in his name? www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/just... #DeathPenalty #Faith

frpeterpreble.comJustice Must Never Become a SpectacleBut my immediate concern is not to revisit the entire debate over capital punishment. I recognize that many people, including people of sincere faith, disagree with my position. My concern is the …
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Before we build guardrails for AI, we need to ask what they're protecting. My new series, Love in the Age of AI, begins with human dignity, liberty, and love. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/libe... #AI #Theology

frpeterpreble.comLiberty, Love, and Responsibility in the Age of AIArtificial intelligence is expanding what we can do faster than we can agree on what we should do. But before we build the guardrails, we need to ask what they are protecting. The answer begins no…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Sometimes deconstruction isn't losing faith. It is separating faith from systems of control that claimed God's authority. The Church should not fear difficult questions. We should fear communities where people are afraid to ask them. religionnews.com/2026/10/06/i...

religionnews.comInside the Deconstruction Doulas’ network for former tradwives and ‘ex-fundies’COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (RNS) — ‘Doug Wilson is constantly talking about household voting,’ said Erin Kelly, a cofounder and ‘doula’ for the group. ‘We’ve been hearing that for 30 years.’
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Pope Leo is right: human dignity must remain at the center of #AI and work. But the #dignity belongs to the worker, not the task. The question isn't whether AI replaces work, but whether it enlarges human flourishing. ewtnvatican.com/articles/pop...

ewtnvatican.comPope Leo XIV to Vatican employees: AI cannot replace human workLeo held a private audience on Monday with a delegation of the Vatican Lay Employees Association and the Women in the Vatican Association.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

What does Pete Hegseth believe? His own words, writings, church affiliation, and actions reveal a theology of faith, liberty, and political power worth examining. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/what... #PeteHegseth #Religion #Pentagon

frpeterpreble.comWhat Does Pete Hegseth Believe?Pete Hegseth has made his Christian faith an increasingly visible part of his leadership at the Pentagon. But what does the Secretary of Defense actually believe? His own words, writings, church a…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

“Wisdom for the Way” — What does it mean to care faithfully for what has been entrusted to us, and what will we pass on to those who come after us? www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/10/wisd... #Sermon #WorldCommunionSunday #Stewardship

frpeterpreble.comWisdom for the WayI have been doing this a really long time so it is no surprise that I have preached on this passage a few times. And either because I am remarkably consistent or because I have run out of sermon t…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

REPORTING: I’m looking to speak with current/former military chaplains and endorsers about the Pentagon’s new Office of Religious Affairs. On record or background. DM or Signal: peterpreble.64

Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Why did #Macron skip #Pope Leo’s Mass in #Paris, then attend Mass in #Metz two days later? I followed the question into French laïcité, presidential protocol—and the strange place where #church and state still meet. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/09/when...

frpeterpreble.comWhen Is the President Not the President?Emmanuel Macron skipped Pope Leo XIV’s enormous Mass in Paris, then changed his schedule to attend Mass in Metz. The explanation reveals how much more complicated French laïcité is than “separatio…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

God can't be recruited to sanctify our violence. When faith becomes a weapon for justifying domination, it ceases to witness to God & begins serving human power. Leo’s words are worth hearing: nothing that destroys human dignity can claim God as its author tinyurl.com/29tza3z9

tinyurl.comPope Leo warns: Invoking God to justify war is to 'profane' his nameMETZ, France (RNS) — On his final day in France, Pope Leo XIV urged European leaders to uphold multilateralism and international law and reject the 'illusion' of rearmament.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Poverty is not simply an economic question; it's a moral one. A nation with enormous resources must still decide what we owe one another. Faith cannot make that decision for everyone, but it should never allow Christians to look away from the poor. tinyurl.com/593c4da3

tinyurl.comGeorgia Sen. Rev. Warnock says nation lacks moral will to help poorSen. Warnock criticized recent cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, arguing the nation lacks the moral will to help the poor.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

War is not inevitable, and Christians must never become resigned to it. Peace requires more than wishing violence would end. It demands justice, dialogue, conversion of heart, and the stubborn conviction that another way remains possible. #Peace tinyurl.com/yeyuysp5

tinyurl.comIn France, Pope Leo denounces ‘scourge of war’ in the Middle EastPARIS (RNS) – Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the need to promote peace and build ethical AI safeguards. But the pope also pointed to tensions between the Catholic Church a...
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Healing requires more than sorrow. It requires truth, repentance, accountability & change. At Lourdes, Pope Leo’s insistence that the Church must begin with its own failures matters. May listening to survivors lead not only to words, but continued reform. tinyurl.com/ydcd9e69

tinyurl.comAt Lourdes healing shrine, Pope Leo addresses 'wounds' of clerical abuseLOURDES, France (RNS) — With clerical abuse scandals and the Vatican trial of the Rev. Marko Rupnik looming over the pope's visit to France, Leo encouraged the church to 'have the courage' to recogniz...
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

What can humans do that AI cannot? Maybe that’s the wrong question. What kind of people is God calling us to become? A sermon on AI, dignity, presence & the image of God. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/09/gods... #AI #Theology #HumanDignity

frpeterpreble.comGod’s Sustaining PresenceAs artificial intelligence becomes capable of doing more of the things we once thought uniquely human, perhaps we are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking what humans can do that machines …
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Perhaps the deepest lesson of these moments of lucidity is not that someone with dementia can suddenly “return.” It is that they never ceased to be a person. Our inability to reach someone must never become a reason to diminish their humanity. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comSome dementia patients grow lucid near the end. Scientists hope it’s a clue.Accounts raise tantalizing questions about what happens inside a brain afflicted by dementia and whether cognitive abilities could possibly be restored.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Grief does not follow a hierarchy. Neither should our compassion, or our workplace policies. The question isn't simply who died, but what that relationship meant to the person left behind. Bereavement policy should begin there. www.the-independent.com/life-style/g...

the-independent.comThe hierarchy of grief is a myth – we need to rethink how we understand lossAs new bereavement laws finally recognise a wider range of losses – from the death of a partner or parent to miscarriage, sibling loss, step-family and foster relationships — grief expert Julia Samuel...
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

Something does not have to last forever to have been sacred. For Mabon, some thoughts on autumn, Creationtide, the Wheel of the Year, and what we gather, preserve, and allow to fall. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/09/mabo... #Mabon

frpeterpreble.comMabon, Creationtide, and the Sacred Rhythm of AutumnThere is a phrase I have used for years to describe my spiritual life: My home is Christianity, but I have many cottages. Christianity is home. It is the place from which I understand God and huma…
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

The AI debate needs more than a race for technological supremacy. It needs a conversation about human dignity, responsibility and the common good. The Vatican may have an important role to play, not by providing all the answers, but by insisting we ask the right questions.

Thomas Reese@thomasreesesj.bsky.social

As the US and China race on AI, the Vatican presses for global safeguards religionnews.com/2026/09/21/a... @clairegiangrave.bsky.social

religionnews.comAs the US and China race on AI, the Vatican presses for global safeguardsVATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo is quietly positioning the Vatican as a moral convener in the AI debate and a potential bridge between the rival superpowers.
Peter Preble
@frpeterpreble.bsky.social

AI may be holding up a mirror to us. Cardinal Cupich argued at Notre Dame’s #DELTASummit that AI didn’t invent our habit of reducing people to data—it amplifies it. The deeper question is anthropological. www.frpeterpreble.com/2026/09/ai-i... #AI #Theology #HumanDignity

frpeterpreble.comAI Is Holding Up a Mirror to UsTonight, at the opening Mass of the DELTA Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing at the University of Notre Dame, Cardinal Blase Cupich asked a question that has become increasingly difficult t…