About The Lamplighter
The Lamplighter exists for people who sense that something important has gone missing — not just in culture, but in themselves. Drawing on Christian Spirituality, Virtue Ethics, Philosophy, as well as Modern Psychology, I write about what it means to live with depth, integrity, and purpose in an age that makes all three difficult.
Posts here cluster around a few themes:
The Given World: Encountering Meaning in Nature and Everyday Life.
The Interior Life: Personal Psychology, Virtue, Peace, Happiness and Christian Spiritual Formation.
Relationships: The Dynamics of Our Connections to Others from the Romantic and Familial to the Societal.
Culture and the Moral Imagination: Commentary on Cultural Trends as Spiritual and Moral Formation.
Practical Theology: Christian Theological Perspectives on the Issues of Living Daily in a Difficult and Beautiful World.
About the Author
The lamplighter emerges at dusk to do his duty. Moving almost unnoticed through the streets, he leaves the world a little brighter behind him. The Lamplighter is my attempt to do something similar in the digital realm. Everything here is my attempt to shed light on the darkness and confusion of modern life.
I am a chaplain, board-certified pastoral counselor, coach, and communication scholar with a PhD in Communication, a Master's in Theology, and an undergraduate degree in Psychology. For over 20 years I have worked with people navigating questions of meaning, identity, and emotional depth — in the counseling room, the classroom, and the written word. I am the author of The Common Good and Character and Community, and a recurring voice on podcasts exploring faith, virtue, and the inner life. These days, I work extensively with private clients helping them develop their inner lives, mature in virtue, accomplish their goals and live deeper, more meaningful lives.
The lights here are always on. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at deanabbott at substack.com, by following me on Twitter, checking out my most recent book and the one before that, or simply by booking a free fifteen minute call.
Some Podcast Appearances
I am a frequent guest on others’ podcasts to talk about any number of topics. Here are a few examples.
In this episode of “Preach with Peach”, Jack Peach and I discuss the emotionally dangerous nature of our society and its impact on relationships.
In this episode of the Animus podcast, Mark Derian and I discuss Les Miserables, virtue and its connection to emotional fulfillment.
Jeremy Kee interviews me on the Through the Keyhole podcast here.
Alex Kaschuta and I chat here:
Leslie Elliot Boyce and I discuss the ways to reach young men in despair here:
