Patheos
| URL | www.patheos.com |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Balanced Views of Religion and Spirituality |
| Type of site | Religion |
| Registration | Optional |
| Available language(s) | English |
| Owner | Patheos, Inc. |
| Created by | Leo and Cathie Brunnick |
| Editor | Patton Dodd[1] |
| Launched | September 2008 |
| Alexa rank |  6,533 (April 2013[update])[2] |
| Current status | Active |
Patheos is a website providing information about various religions.
Contents |
History [edit]
Patheos was founded in 2008 by Leo and Cathie Brunnick, both web technology professionals and residents of Denver, Colorado. Leo, a non-practicing Catholic, and Cathie, a Lutheran-turned-Evangelical, started the project the week they were married as they tried to blend their families.[3][4][5]
Having lived among various faiths they amassed hundreds of essays and works from around 200 scholars into a "religion library" that they wanted to become the "WebMD of religion and spirituality". As a start-up, early employees included religious-studies scholars.[3]
The name Patheos is a portmanteau of "path" and "theos", the Greek word for god.[6][7]
Content [edit]
Patheos attempts to strike a middle ground between academia, popular media, and faith sites.[3][8] Beliefnet founder Steven Waldman observed that Patheos is used for learning about other religions, while people use Beliefnet to explain their own religion.[7]
The site features portals with material on Buddhists, Roman Catholics, atheists, evangelicals, Hindus, mainline Protestants, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Pagans, and over 50 belief systems.[3][7] Each portal has its own editor; for instance, the managing editor of the Catholic Portal is Elizabeth Scalia. The online library is intended to provide "accurate, balanced and peer-reviewed information; side-by-side comparisons of religious traditions; directory of worship houses and other religion-related activities; a forum for discussion and debate called the Public Square; and a series of portals to online faith communities and more forums."[4] In addition, Patheos publishes articles of interest to religious historians and people of faith.
The site also features nonsectarian histories, maps, videos of religious services, and weekly debates.[7]
Reception [edit]
Time magazine called Patheos's materials "streamlined" and "reader-friendly".[7] Religion News Service described it as "a more cerebral approach to what Beliefnet's been doing for nearly a decade". Though some technical kinks existed in 2009, it was still "a pretty impressive product".[9]
The site is listed as 10th out of the 50 best spirituality blogs ranked by Online Christian Colleges.[10] It was also ranked by a writer for the Buxton Initiative, a nonprofit supporter of interfaith dialogue, as the seventh top website on Islam, calling it "very objective" and "sort of a Wikipedia just on religion".[11]
In mid-2010, Patheos invited many religious figures and scholars to contribute to a series on the future of religions. This has attracted much attention and increased web-traffic from 100,000 visitors per month to 250,000.[3]
On January 3, 2011, Newsweek listed Patheos as one of "21 Ways To Be Smarter in 2011".[12]
Notes [edit]
- ^ Home About Patheos Patton Dodd
- ^ "Patheos.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
- ^ a b c d e Peggy Fletcher Stack (August 19, 2010). "LDS apostle blogs — along with other Mormons — about faith's future". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ a b Electa Draper (May 10, 2009). "Couple's site invites others on spiritual quest". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ David Ian Miller (May 18, 2009). "Not all who wander are lost". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ "Patheos Q and A". Patheos. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ a b c d e Jeninne Lee-St. John (May 5, 2009). "What Do Religions Believe? A Website with Answers". Time. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ Emily W. Jensen (June 9, 2009). "Bloggernacle Back Bench: Patheos.com, He Said/She Said". Mormon Times (Deseret News). Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ "Finding your own spiritual path(eos)". Religion News Service. May 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ "50 Best Spirituality Bloggers". Online Christian Colleges. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ Rizwaan Akhtar (January 28, 2010). "Rizwaan's top 10 websites on Islam". The Buxton Initiative. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ^ "21 Ways To Be Smarter in 2011". The Daily Beast. January 3, 2011
