God and beer

Bars are for drinking, conventional wisdom would say, and churches are for entering into fellowship with a higher power.

A group of local clergy, however, doesn’t believe that spiritual discussions should be confined to a church setting. And so Catholic priest Father Frank Murphy started Theology on Tap, a forum held 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through March 27 at Moxie’s Bar and Restaurant, 4792 Caughlin Parkway. Topics include “Where is God in my life?” “Religious or spiritual?” and “What is social conscience?”

“Setting it in a bar says there could be more interaction between spiritual life and regular life," says Episcopal priest Rev. Britt Olsen, adding that Theology on Tap is meant to reach those who don’t regularly go to church or who don’t feel comfortable asking hard questions in a church setting. "I think people felt comfortable and excited [at the first forum] about being able to talk about their spiritual lives and their challenges. …There was a lot of honesty."