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The Institute for Christian Studies is an independent graduate school for interdisciplinary philosophy. Drawing on the humanities and social sciences, we address questions of truth, justice and social ethics from both theological and philosophical perspectives.
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Glory to God in the Kitchen—Art Exhibition and ReceptionMy series of six, still life oil paintings were small in size. Including the frames, five out of the six paintings measured 12 by 16 inches, and one was 9 by 11inches. Initially, I hung the pictures on two, free-standing display panels facing each other in the center of the rotunda, which was well lit and easily seen from the entrance. I also included another panel displaying two small-framed posters designed to match the framed paintings. These advertised the show and included the date and time for the closing reception. I also included an additional framed piece with a brief biography and artist’s statement. The original intent was for the small exhibit to remained on display throughout the month of October. However, the library decided to extend the show into the month of November. After the first month it became clear that the artwork was dwarfed by the large gallery space and the library called to inquire if I might add more artwork to fill out and to expand the show. I agreed to add a few more painted floral paintings which I completed a year before as well as a landscape painting with an autumn color palette. I was concerned that adding additional works that were not directly related to the still life series and theme would dilute the impact and change the mood of the show. I did so reluctantly at first, but I had to admit that the original series of six small canvases appeared “lost” in the gallery space and that adding extra art for an additional month was an appropriate and reasonable request. So, I added the additional pieces which were slightly larger in size- when framed, they measured :14 by 18 inches; 16 by 20-inches and 18 by 24 inches. The extra art did indeed manage to “fill the space in a beautiful way”— to quote Georgia O’Keeffe —when asked to explain the purpose of art. My fear of adding the other pieces turned out to be unfounded and the show “pulled together” quite nicely. The floral paintings and the landscape additions turned out to harmonize well with the original still life paintings and when viewed all together were not at all discordant, but actually created a unified display which appeared visually connected. The viewing public seemed well pleased and the show received numerous compliments and positive comments from library patrons and others who were passing by as I was hanging the paintings. I tried to be as respectful and as quiet as possible while hammering and using various hardware necessary to create the display. Library patrons walked freely throughout the gallery while the show was going up on the walls and some seemed to enjoy watching the process; while others were curious and asked questions about the artwork.
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"I believe in the resurrection of the body"“I believe in the resurrection of the body.” This fundamental tenet of the Christian faith extends beyond belief and into every corner of life. It provides the basis from which we might understand our whole selves as whole selves--to take into account where we are in body, heart, mind, and action. In terms of a guiding idea for curriculum development and for education, this statement calls us to see ourselves and others in primarily relational terms; to value people’s integral and multivalent relationships and all aspects of who, where, and what they are. Such an approach leads to a view of education--and of the human person--inextricably developed “from the ground up.”
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Moral Ontology in the Age of Science: A Philosophical Case for the Mystery of GoodnessIn this dissertation, I attempt to convince an audience of modern naturalists that Socrates’ famous moral thesis—that we should prefer to suffer injustice rather than inflict it, because it is impossible for an unjust person to be happy—is true. Rather than logical proof, however, I focus on questions of rhetoric and of spiritual practice. In short, I argue that the existential truth of Socrates’ claim only begins to manifest for those who adopt a particular curriculum of spiritual training, which combines the pursuit of moral goodness with the pursuit of self-knowledge; this training, however, needs to be undertaken under the aegis of a philosophical rhetoric that first opens us to at least the possibility that Socrates might be right. In the first two chapters of this dissertation, therefore, I focus on rhetoric, as the attempt to destabilize the common naturalist confidence that their own scientific worldview is grounded on the true nature of reality, and that this unprecedented understanding shows Socrates’ moral thesis to be nonsense. Following this, from chapters three to five, I present the aforementioned spiritual curriculum: the “spirituality from above,” oriented towards moral goodness, in contradistinction to the “spirituality from below” that is oriented toward self-knowledge. After presenting the logic of this bivalent practice in chapter three, I then explicate it with reference to the philosophies of David Hume and Richard Rorty (chapter four), and then Plato and Nietzsche (chapter five). Finally, in chapter six, I consider what accepting the truth of Socrates’ moral thesis would mean for the way we live our everyday lives, under conditions of peace, in which the question of whether to suffer or inflict injustice will likely not be a pressing existential concern, and the question of what it actually means to be just will always be unclear and disputed.
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Incarnating the God Who May Be: Christology and Incarnational Humanism in Bonhoeffer and KearneyThis thesis examines questions of humanity and divinity that are pressing in contemporary philosophy and theology as seen in the thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Richard Kearney. Both these thinkers seek to address issues around transcendence/immanence, sameness/difference, ontology/ethics, and post-metaphysical approaches to God. Chapter one explores the many convergences in their thinking with regards to these topics. Chapter two looks at the main divergence in their thinking: their respective Christologies. Chapter three, following up on the exploration of convergences and divergences in their thought, examines a possible way in which to mediate the difference in their otherwise similar patterns of thinking. The thesis aims, overall, to show that a Christologically-based incarnational humanism is a suitable and appropriate live option that is not only biblical, but also responds to issues in both contemporary philosophy and theology, providing a way to understand how the possibility of divine incarnation depends upon our ongoing human response.
