This idea of this twofold aspect of beauty–that it is simultaneously objective and subjective–is not something new, but is found both in Thomas and Aristotle. Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics opens with the claim that the good is that which all men seem to aim at. He goes on to clarify that it is only the virtuous … Continue reading Beauty as Subjective, II
Occasionally, I tell certain students that they can be right or they can be happy. They have usually been eristic, more clever than kind, critical or corrective of their peers in ways which are not fruitful. More in love with their own rightness than is meet. In other words, they are like me, writing checks … Continue reading Would You Rather be Right or Happy?
What is it for a teacher to teach the texts and lessons of old, to revisit each year such things with new faces. It is to visit upon old friends with new; it is to find that in a community of genuine learners and learning, indeed all things are made new. It is to prepare … Continue reading Behold, All Things are Made New by A Child in the Midst
Grace Alone Conquers This is the motto of Trinity House from the Latin Sola Gratia Vincit. What does it mean. Is it a strategy? Shall Trinity House win the Cup at New College Franklin this year by means of grace? Shall we through grace rise up triumphant over our brothers and sisters? Is grace the master … Continue reading Sola Gratia Vincit: A Charge to Trinity House
We study the world that we may understand Scripture, and Scripture teaches us to truly read the world. Is this a conflict of principle or a vicious circle? No, it is the ordinary course of human learning elevated to a glorious pitch. God is pleased to use the things of His creation as a tutor unto … Continue reading On Christian Doctrine: The Rule of Scripture and Knowledge of the Profane
freely adapted from a class in Moral Philosophy at New College Franklin
Adapted from a talk given for Perspective Student Weekend at New College Franklin, Spring 2017 There are times when a song is in my head, or more precisely, part of a song–a refrain which I repeat over and over. No matter how lovely or stirring such a refrain may be, it is imperfect apart from the whole, and … Continue reading Greek is Regular; Greek is Fun: Memory, Science, and the Face of God
In Plato’s dialogues, one finds room for speculation and wonder. One also finds the discipline of logic, the presence of faith, and the need for each these modes of thinking to co-operate with one another. This helps us see why philosophy is a most serious and yet wonderful kind of play. As I embark on further graduate … Continue reading An Introduction to Philosophy, Platonic or Otherwise
In less than three weeks, I begin my first class at Holy Apostles College & Seminary (HACS). Since I was a freshman in college, back in 1997, I began to set my eyes on graduate work in philosophy. I would never have imagined twenty years would stand between those dreams, that I would be taking … Continue reading A New Stage in the Journey
My friend Hannah Eagleson put me in touch with them. the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). ESN is a ministry of InterVarsity geared toward graduate students and those in academics. I was asked to write a short piece for thanksgiving and here it is: http://blog.emergingscholars.org/2016/11/thanksgiving-for-domestic-hospitality-scholars-compass/ Continue reading Thanksgiving & Hospitality with the Emerging Scholars Network
