Exploring the divide between sacred and secular perspectives in society
October 2025 – Drew Theological School PhD alum Rory D. McEntee T’22, President and Executive Director of the Charis Foundation for New Monasticism & Interspirituality, has published his second book, The Sacred/Secular Binary: Challenging the Divide in University Culture and Democratic Societies.
McEntee, who earned his PhD in Theological and Philosophical Studies in Religion, draws on his doctoral research in this new work, offering a timely and thought-provoking challenge to the rigid divide between sacred and secular perspectives in society. He argues that creating contemplative spaces and fostering dialogue across differences are essential to the health of our pluralistic democracy.
This latest publication follows his earlier book, The New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living, and reflects his lifelong commitment to bridging traditions, cultivating understanding, and nurturing practices of contemplative living.
As part of the premier launch of the “Theology Without Walls” publication series, Jeffrey Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University, will present on The Sacred/Secular Binary at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting in Boston this November.
Before leading the Charis Foundation, McEntee taught philosophy, world religions, contemporary spiritualities, mathematics, and theology at the university level, and also served as a math and physics teacher and vice principal in secondary education. He earned his MA in Applied Mathematics from the University of Southern California.
