One can judge the character of an author by his self-deprecation. Immediately, in the introduction to Faith, Reason and Beyond Reason, Mark Boone makes clear he does not know it all. Knowledge (epistemology) is the framework for Boone’s book, yet his first paragraph admits how much he learned from a student. Were I a screenwriter,
Dave Beck honored me by asking if I would write the foreword to his book. Here is my reflection on his memoir Fragments. Find his book here. Professor’s offices in older buildings are quite small. David’s 8 x 10-foot space was where we first met. The discussions we had knocked down walls, opening literary vistas before
When I first began teaching Christian high school students in the 1980’s I would often reference First Testament teaching on “the remnant,” reminding students that Christians are never far from persecution. Students were exposed to names such as Justin Martyr, Origen, Irenaeus, or Tertullian and texts such as “The Epistle to Diognetus,” Pliny’s letter to
When I was a boy, I wanted to be an astronaut. My favorite TV program was “Lost in Space.” I remember fervently praying that I would be allowed to be someone who could travel to distant stars. [I became a theologian instead. Some may see a connection there. 😊] Coupled with my space odyssey, I
“Tech Execs Require Nannies to Sign Contract Barring Screens,” was an article I introduced in a course I teach entitled “Reading, Writing & Inquiry.” The students were stunned to learn that Silicon Valley leaders do not allow their own children to view anything on screens during the day. Students astutely noted, “they must know something,
My review of Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell by Jason L. Riley (New York, NY: Basic Books. 2021. 291 pp. $30. Hardcover.) will appear in an upcoming issue of Christian Education Journal. A legacy of ideas generates generational impact. For a long time, I have wondered if my own ideas would be lost to the
There are only two choices. Give me a minute to explain. “Humanly speaking,” “not necessarily,” and “it does not automatically follow” are phrases we use to admit our best plans, policies, and practices are ultimately outside our control. Our individual, limited viewpoint – we are all fallen, fallible, finite – leaves us with only two
This speech was delivered during the 2025 Research Week Awards Ceremony (30 April 2025). Many thanks for the kind invitation from Jeremy McGinness, Associate Dean, Research, Instruction, and Collections. Further thanks is owed to Dr. John Eller whose three-volume biography of Ray Bradbury I mined for background information. In addition, I thank The Ray Bradbury
What’s my job as a professor? Give me a minute to explain. My job, as a professor, is to hold a mirror up to myself and my students, asking each one of us to be honest about our beliefs. We may not agree with each other. But to appreciate others’ points of view, without necessarily
Are you a YouTube commercial, advertising your beliefs? Give me a minute to explain. Sports teams and race car drivers wear the names of advertisers on their uniforms. And I wonder what kind of advertisements are seen on us? How have we been influenced by groups, organizations, institutions, or communities? How do our views of
Before I open a book, this is what I do. Give me a minute to explain. Thomas Aquinas wrote “A Prayer Before Study” where he prayed, “Grant to me keenness of mind, capacity to remember, skill in learning, subtlety to interpret, and eloquence in speech. May you guide the beginning of my work, direct its
Weather is constantly changing. But we don’t like change. Give Me a Minute to explain why. In her letters Flannery O’Connor stated, “All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and change is painful” O’Connor’s ideas track with biblical truth. Grace is an undeserved, God-given gift, rescuing us from sin; but we like