Natural theology vs. religious fundamentalism in 12 Years as a Slave

Last updated on: August 16, 2020 at 3:09 pm By Andrew

As far as movies scenes go, it’s a gem in natural theology vs. religious fundamentalism in Christianity over the topic of slavery: There are some deep philosophical, political, and religious themes at play here; first and foremost, who counts as a human being – the debate actually started with Bass’ insinuation of irony on the concern for his well-being, but not Epps’ laborers. Epps’ position is simply that “they ain’t hired help, they’re my property”. As he bought his slaves, he is endowed... Read more

Mandela on the Journey Ahead

Last updated on: December 16, 2021 at 5:29 pm By Andrew

2020 will go down as an epoch year, one for the history books; two viruses, a new one in the form of COVID 19, and an old one in the form of hatred. The cases of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks have revealed something deeply disturbing about our nation: that a movement on the dignity of a particular color of humanity still needs to be had. And make no mistake, it needs to be had, but not just for these victims,... Read more

Podcast Episode 5: Massimo Pigliucci on Stoicism and Some Big Questions

Last updated on: March 31, 2020 at 4:05 pm By Andrew

Episode 5 is here! This episode features a conversation with Massimo Pigliucci and may very well be my favorite podcast to date. Besides Massimo being a prominent philosopher and writer on many of the big questions, his writing and speaking on Stoicism has had a profound influence on me personally. With that, he was also gracious enough to moderate a discussion between myself and my co-author Adam Lee. Outside all his accomplishments as a scientist, philosopher, author, educator, and communicator,... Read more

Book Review: How to be a Stoic

Last updated on: March 22, 2020 at 9:20 pm By Andrew

For those interested in an overview of the history and practice of Stoicism, author Massimo Pigliucci soars as a tour guide par excellence, as does his unique background as a scientist, philosopher, practicing Stoic, author, and communicator. Focus on what you can control; anything else is a harmful double edge sword, it wastes time and energy on what you cannot influence and it distracts from what you can. Stated more eloquently by the author (bold my emphasis): “Stoicism is not... Read more

Podcast Episode 4: James Franklin on Mathematics, Some Big Questions, and Aristotle’s Realism

Last updated on: March 3, 2020 at 8:52 pm By Andrew

Episode 4 is here! This episode features a conversation with James Franklin. Dr. James Franklin is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in Australia and founder of the “Sydney School” in the philosophy of mathematics. He completed his PhD in 1981 at the University of Warwick, on algebraic groups. Since 1981 he has taught in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New South Wales. His research areas include the philosophy of... Read more

Podcast Episode 3: William Jaworski on Hylomorphism and the Big Questions

Last updated on: December 19, 2019 at 5:33 pm By Andrew

Episode 3 is here! This episode features a conversation with William Jaworski. Dr. William Jaworski is an author, consultant, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University in New York. His research focuses mainly on consciousness and its relation to the brain, as well as artificial intelligence and its implications for human well-being. He’s authored a number of books on philosophy of mind from the vantage point of Aristotelian metaphysics which made up the bulk of our discussion. Bill and... Read more

Kierkegaard on Universal Salvation

Last updated on: November 24, 2019 at 9:35 pm By Andrew

A controversial philosopher and theologian; to say the least – Soren Kierkegaard has always been one of my favorites. I’ve always been inspired by his writings on authenticity and truth as subjectivity, and how misunderstood his perspective is/was. In his writings, it is often apparent how far Kierkegaard was from the traditional Christian dogma of his day. He certainly identified as a Christian, but how he defined Christianity (and any authentic belief for that matter) is very much a signature of his thought.... Read more

MLK Jr on Slavery and Human Blindness

Last updated on: October 6, 2019 at 8:01 pm By Andrew

A fantastic quote from one of Martin Luther King Jr’s sermons “Love in Action” on how slavery was propagated. “Slavery in America was perpetuated not merely by human badness, but also by human blindness. True, the causal basis for the system of slavery must to a large extent be traced back to the economic factor. Men convinced themselves that a system that was so economically profitable must be morally justifiable.” He goes on to say that “men conveniently twisted the insights... Read more

Podcast Episode 2: Randal Rauser on Some Big Questions, Epistemological Humility, and Philosophical Theology

Last updated on: September 26, 2019 at 5:19 pm By Andrew

Episode 2 is here! This episode features a conversation with Randal Rauser. Randal is a systematic and analytic theologian, Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton, and author of several books including An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a Bar, which was definitely source of inspiration for my and Adam’s book Meta. Besides giving our book a nice blurb, Randal hosted Adam and I on his podcast and at his home in Edmonton. We also had... Read more

Podcast Episode 1: Adam Lee on Meta, Some Big Questions, and our Debate Turned Friendship (Turned Mission)

Last updated on: August 27, 2019 at 9:44 pm By Andrew

Episode 1 is here! My podcast, like my blog, features the big questions; served with swagger. Science, philosophy, psychology, religion, well-being – the big questions and how these all intersect – the aim of my writing is ultimately the aim of my podcast. The genesis of this podcast ultimately originated from my interest in these areas and some very cool live conversations I’ve been part of with other writers, philosophers, and theologians (and a/theologians). The first episode of the Soapbox Redemption podcast... Read more

What is the lesson in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant?