Kate Bowler

Kate Bowler is a New York Times best-selling author and professor at Duke Divinity School. She is best known for her book Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved and her other works of writing. She has also been a contributor to The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Guardian, Vox, and The Washington Post, among many other publications.

Bowler was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan and received both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Trinity Western University. After this, she went on to receive her doctorate from Duke Divinity School in Christian History and Theology. Since 2011, Bowler has taught the history of popular religion at Duke, focusing on the rise of prosperity gospel, politics, and how to make sense of suffering.

Bowler's most notable work is her 2018 memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved. This work began as an exploration of the way Americans come together to make sense of suffering, but eventually became an autobiographical narrative after Bowler was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2015. In this work, Bowler confronts the notion of a higher power, the power of prayer and healing, the power of modern medicine, and the experiences and feelings of those on the receiving end of treatment or lack thereof.

Bowler’s other works of writing have included Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, and You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit. Blessed is Bowler's exploration into the rise of the American prosperity gospel which has provided tangible evidence of a tension between spiritual piety and wealth accumulation. You Are What You Love is a look into how our habits, culture, and what we watch, listen to, and read all shape the way we view the world and, ultimately, the way we live our lives.

In addition, Bowler’s 2019 work, Everything is Spiritual, bears the same name as one of her popular Ted Talks, and examines the way we are formed by the language and habits of our everyday lives.

Bowler’s work has been honored with seven awards, including the Two-Year Book Award from the American Academy of Religion, and the Best First Book from the American Academy of Religion, as well as the MLA Prize. She continues to give public talks and lectures on topics related to suffering, power, and faith.

Bowler’s influence has been felt especially in her tireless attempts to make sense of the tragedies that befall us, and the power our everyday lives have to make and unmake us. In her work, she has been able to provide an authentic, thoughtful answer to help people who are trying to make sense of life's suffering. Kate Bowler is an inspiring voice in a culture of modern suffering.