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April 2020

April 02, 2020

“I Don’t Know”: The most profoundly religious statement of all

Let me tell you here first, “trust in God” has never floated my boat as...

March 2020

March 29, 2020

Step back, be quiet, and be at peace

My friend Mitch, who is the priest-in-charge at the Episcopal church I attend, has asked...

March 18, 2020

The Coronavirus, the Apocalypse, and the Book of Revelation

There is something appropriate about teaching a course named “Apocalypse” in the middle of world...

March 16, 2020

Managing Our Lives Without God

God would have us know that we must live as people who manage our lives...

March 14, 2020

Jesus’ Advice Concerning the Coronavirus: Don’t Be Afraid of Tomorrow

If there ever was a time when Jesus’ suggestion that we should “not worry about...

March 05, 2020

When I’m Sixty-Four

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?" Paul McCartney,...

March 02, 2020

God Is Doing the Best that God Can Do

Frank Tupper, an important Baptist theologian who argued that God is in control of very...

February 2020

February 26, 2020

What I Learned When I Visited Cuba

Cuba and Fidel Castro are in the news, as Bernie Sanders seeks to explain why...

February 18, 2020

When an Important Memory Turns Out to be Wrong

My youngest son, Justin, has a remarkable memory--for, as he puts it, "totally useless facts."...

February 06, 2020

No Sacred Cows: An Exchange Between an Atheist and a Person of Faith

One of the many things that make teaching a rewarding vocation is receiving unsolicited testimonials...

February 02, 2020

Idolatry and Abortion

I wrote the essay that follows several months ago; on the advice of some trusted...

January 2020

January 26, 2020

Staying Sane During the Impeachment Trial

The other day somebody wrote on Twitter that “President Trump is the best president in...

January 23, 2020

Best of 2019 #2: Noah and his Children–Bad News for White Evangelical Christians

Last November, I used a Michael Gerson essay as a jumping off point for a...

January 21, 2020

As the Impeachment Trial Begins, Don’t Forget to Think–Even When It’s Hard

Today, the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump begins in earnest. As we...

January 19, 2020

American Airlines 4395, Bombing Raids Over Germany, and a Spark of the Divine

Perhaps a novel whose main character is the squadron leader for World War II bombing...

January 14, 2020

Life Lessons Learned from “The Muppet Show”

I have a good friend and colleague in the philosophy department who has twin daughters....

January 04, 2020

On the Art of Discussion: How to Avoid Being an Ass

In final preparation for the spring semester that will begin in ten days, I am...

December 2019

December 31, 2019

Letting God Creep In

About halfway through his lengthy essay, Schjeldahl notes his agreement with one of Weil’s...

December 12, 2019

“It has been done in your name”: A Dickensian Tale of “Good Christians” Doing Harm

One of my teaching teammates this past semester in the interdisciplinary course I regularly participate...

December 08, 2019

There Is No Immaculate Perception

I have taught philosophy in Catholic higher education for twenty-eight years as a non-Catholic. Although...

December 05, 2019

How to tell the difference between elitism and knowing WTF you are talking about

I haven’t posted anything political here in a while; it’s Advent, and I’m trying to...

December 05, 2019

Preserving Hope when Things Turn Dark

For the past several years, I have had the privilege of giving a sermon at...

November 2019

November 25, 2019

Things I Am Thankful For–what is your list?

I have a Facebook acquaintance, a fellow graduate of St. John’s College, who posts five...

November 23, 2019

Difficult Dialogues: Can We Disagree Without Demonizing?

Over the past several years on my campus, events called “Difficult Dialogues” have regularly been...

November 21, 2019

What Are You Afraid Of?

I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with a young man named...

November 17, 2019

White Privilege and Jesus

In my General Ethics class, my students and I have just finished a three week...

November 15, 2019

Another School Shooting: Should Teachers Be Armed?

Next Monday, I will be starting the final unit of the semester with my General...

November 08, 2019

Does God Exist? What would a betting person say?

During a recent unit in my General Ethics class called “Does ethics have anything to...

November 06, 2019

Saint Andrew, Bagpipes, and Cats

I had a lovely lunch last week with one of my best and most valued...

November 03, 2019

Noah and his Children: Bad News for White Evangelical Christians

“White evangelical Protestants (WEPs) are fully disrobed,” writes Michael Gerson, concluding that “the older generation...

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