To take a leap of faith is to bet your belief on an unknown future. But belief is central to the human experience. Whether it’s religious, political, societal, philosophical or spiritual, the act of believing can be a lodestar, a comfort, a ritual, a guiding principle, a reason for living. We place our faith in everything from gods and mortals to medicine and magic, and while the bet doesn’t always pay off, it can usually tell us something about our desires, our values and our selves. 

In this edition:

• We leave planet Earth behind via NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau in search of a connection with alien worlds. 
• We unpack the intricate intersections between the traditional belief systems of Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders and those of the Bible to illustrate the ways in which they nourish one another.  
• We explore the struggle to come to terms with the in/out dilemma of post-faith spirituality, unpick the contradictions and consistencies of Italy’s very own gay saint, and investigate the connection between powerlessness and magical thinking.  
• We dive into the world of doomsday preppers, consider the complex relationship of faith and feminism, and meditate on the ebb and flow of grief.

Griffith Review 86: Leaps of Faith explores the things we believe in – from science and superstition to politics and preppers – and why.   

Published November, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-923213-01-2
Extent: 196pp
Paperback (234 x 153mm), eBook

Cover image: Michael Zavros, The Swan 2015, oil on board, courtesy of the artist