Denyse O’Leary

Denyse O’Leary is a freelance journalist based in Victoria, Canada. Specializing in faith and science issues, she is co-author, with neuroscientist Mario Beauregard, of The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist's Case for the Existence of the Soul; and with neurosurgeon Michael Egnor of the forthcoming The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul (Worthy, 2025). She received her degree in honors English language and literature.

Archives

The Immortal Mind

A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul
Michael Egnor and Denyse O’Leary
June 3, 2025
Is there scientific proof of the soul? Many scientists and doctors believe that there is no such thing as the soul. That there is no part of us that persists beyond death. We are not spiritual in any respect. We are made up of cells and tissue, and completely controlled by a material organ in our heads: the brain. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Michael Egnor, practicing neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and Professor of Neurosurgery at Stony Brook University, makes the case—based on 40 years of practice and over 7,000 brain surgeries—that science has gotten it all wrong. The human brain is incredible, mysterious, and powerful. But it’s not what makes us who we are. The soul does that. Drawing on the most important research studies in neuroscience, Dr. Egnor presents …

New Book: The Catholic Case for the Design of Nature

Fr. Martin Hilbert notes that the history of life seems more like a separate collection of bushes than a single tree
Denyse O'Leary
February 9, 2025
The great Catholic theologian Aquinas noted that “what happens in the working of nature is either always, or mostly, for the better,” which rules out chance.

Are Churches Becoming Victims of Stockholm Syndrome?

In a new book, John West looks at the problem of evangelical church leaders adopting the belief systems of their opponents, perhaps to stay safe
Denyse O'Leary
January 12, 2025
The challenge, he argues, is to maintain Christian values while challenging Christian leaders who compromise in order to stay safe and successful.

Facebook Fact-checkers, Facing Doom, Call Urgent Meeting

One possible interpretation is that Zuckerberg was as afraid of these freelance censors as anyone else and saw a chance to neutralize the threat
Denyse O'Leary
January 8, 2025
Seth Dillon notes that the goal of fact-checking isn't to eliminate misinformation but dissent, to make it impossible to challenge preferred narratives.