About

Let me introduce myself. I am Howard Pepper. While my “being” is more important than labels on what I do, I might call myself an author, teacher, and spiritual coach. I’ve done many things, but most relevant from my past would be pastor, marriage/family and individual therapist, and business/life coach.

I grew up in a conservative Protestant home and church and didn’t depart from that viewpoint, and active ministry within it, until I was 45, twelve years ago. That is a later age than for most to make a radical change. It did come very gradually. Because I was well studied (formal degrees, etc.) for many years and searched widely in constructing a new way of viewing reality, I understand the issues at an unusual depth. I want to use my insights here and in my published writing (see www.GoodNewsBetterNews.com) toward building entirely new perspectives on religion and spirituality. The world is ready for this, despite the fearful hanging-on we see among fundamentalists of various religions.

Perhaps key to the creation of new paradigms is the realization that the “knowledge purveying” institutions of society, primarily religions and science, both react publicly to one another more than to what they observe.

Even their key focal points, “revelation” for religion, and “nature” for science, tend to get posed as oppostites–supernatural and natural. So a few-hundred-year feud has been on. Only very recently are more and more people seeing through the distortion of setting up rigid opposites and shooting down the opponent’s straw men that each side constructs.

While my formal higher education is in the human sciences (psychology/counseling) and theology, I have always had a knack for and interest in the “hard” sciences. This, with my naturally analytical nature, means I approach this blog with perspectives and methods drawn from both science and spirituality. I believe the two can blend well in us all, despite the gulf between them largely fixed by our culture and the media. Many seem to agree with this and long for insights and places for personal expression in this direction. So I intend that this blog be a place of learning and expression, and of finding connecting points and common ground with our “opponents.” This can lead to action toward important ends that both “sides” agree on.

Please post a response to my intentions and comments or just introduce yourself and your interests in this subject.