The Pipe Dream
When you tell people that you are studying philosophy, their first question is almost always the same: “What are you going to do with that?” I usually resist the temptation to hold forth on the intrinsic good of education. Instead, I answer that for some time I have had a pipe dream (so to speak), a plan B, and a plan C. (Fallback plans are something you need with a degree in philosophy.) Plan C would be to become a professional web designer, something I have been doing part-time for several years. Plan B would be to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy in the hopes of some day teaching at the university level. The pipe dream has always been a little hard to describe. About three years ago when I was living in Spain I started dreaming of ways in which I could combine my love for understanding and for ideas with my creative impulse. I had ambitious ideas of films and web magazines and a superhero comic, but opportunities such as these aren’t exactly listed in the Classifieds. Nonetheless, for at least the next six months I am going to have the privilege of pursuing this pipe dream.
On January 26th I completed my coursework for a Masters of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology. (See the opposite side of this letter for a retrospective on my time at Talbot.) Since my future was wide open, several months ago John O’Neal (the director of the campus ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in Spain) mentioned the possibility of my returning to Spain to assist him with several creative projects he was undertaking. The idea of working with John was itself exciting. He has pioneered a unique ministry in Spain that is tailored to skeptical and religiously weary students living in a post-Christian nation. His ideas and attitude have been very influential on my own thinking about how to minister to those who are disenchanted with Christianity here in the States. John is also a visionary, and he has a knack for realizing his ideas. He told me about several of his latest ideas and how I could be involved in them. At the time I had reservations about returning to Spain, but since then I have gained a growing confidence that this is precisely the work for which God has been preparing me. I have made plans to depart on March 8 of this year.
One of the projects I am most excited about is a film we will be creating that will strive to communicate the Gospel through images and music, but without words. This project dovetails with a way in which I have been conceptualizing the Christian story for several years, and I have been excitedly brainstorming and storyboarding since hearing the idea. We will also be making a video of Christian Spanish students giving their testimony and a short film about the Camino de Santiago, a Catholic pilgrimage route across northern Spain. Finally, I will be the web designer for several Agape (Campus Crusade for Christ in Spain) websites. I am very excited about each of these projects, and it is striking to me how God has providentially matched this ministry with my own skills and dreams.Part of the reason I am writing is because I am hoping that some of you who are especially excited about this ministry will be interesting in financially supporting my time in Spain. There is already some funding for the projects on which I will be working, and I will continue freelancing as a web designer to support myself, but I need to raise some support for my flight to and fro and for some of my ministry expenses while I am there. Please see the enclosed slip if you are able and willing to help financially. Whatever the case, I hope you will follow my ministry and misadventures and see the fruits of my labor in Spain on the web at: www.grublet.com/spain. In the meantime, please pray that God would bless me with a special measure of passion and creativity during these next six months. Pray also that we would know how best to use our efforts to reintroduce the people of Spain to Jesus Christ. We have seen God doing a lot of exciting things in Spain over the last few years, and we are hoping that through our sowing we will be softening the heart of Spain toward God.
A Retrospective on My Studies
According to Jesus, the greatest commandment is that we love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our mind. During the last two years I have had the profound privilege of studying under professors who exemplify this calling. I originally came to Talbot School of Theology specifically because I wanted to study under JP Moreland, with whom I was already acquainted. Though JP has had a special ministry in my life, each of my philosophy professors has been an inspiration. They each have unique gifts, but all of them are bright and intellectually rigorous, as well as humble and gentle in spirit. They have modeled for me what it means to be a thoughtful, faithful follower of Jesus. There is a prevailing perception in many circles that Christianity is a little (or a lot) irrational. As a result, Christians themselves often worry that this is the case. I know first-hand that it is not. For years I have read and considered alternative explanations of this breathtaking, bittersweet world of ours. There is no other view of the world that better explains our human experience, none that gives us better reason to think it true, and certainly none that promises to fulfill our deepest longings. I have also seen first-hand that it is not just silly-old-me who thinks this, but many of the best minds of our day.
I have found that many Christians are wary of philosophy. Some philosophers, after all, have relentlessly criticized Christianity and have gone so far as to proclaim “the death of God.” Still, at a typical university the philosophy department is the only place where one can openly and seriously consider religious claims. And now more than ever, there is an abundant witness of highly regarded Christians doing top-notch work in philosophy, whereas in psychology, anthropology, and other humanities there is nary a divergence from a naturalistic (atheistic) view of the world. So, it is an especially exciting time to be a Christian philosopher. There are so many wise and intelligent guides to lead the way. Besides, Christian philosophy is vital to the church. For one, it is unavoidable. We all think and reason, and it is just a matter of whether we do so well or poorly. God created us with curious and probing minds, and surely He expects us to use our minds most of all in our thoughts of Him. The God whom we serve is not superficially but profoundly good, and we don’t fully appreciate this if we fail to think long and hard about Him. Second, the church is continually tempted to think and act like the world around it. Philosophy has the ability to recognize and counteract the enticing but destructive ideas that beckon the church. At the same time, much of the world perceives Christianity to be unbelievable. The Christian philosopher is uniquely equipped to make the case that God is there, that He has made Himself known, and that we can be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Finally, I believe that doubt is a significant impediment to the spiritual lives of many believers. Addressing their concerns and doubts can improve their prayer lives, increase their faith, and embolden their witness.Indeed, doubt has played a significant and continuing role in my own walk with God. I have lamented this fact many a time. Faith, after all, is essential to pleasing and knowing God. And a vital faith depends upon our ability to believe that what is unseen is more real and important than what is seen. In fact, it was wrestling with my Christian beliefs that led me to philosophy in the first place. Of course, philosophy is a two-edged sword. One cannot know beforehand whether one’s cherished beliefs will be found justifiable. In my case, I have lost confidence in many of the beliefs I had held. But I can also say, assuredly, that my confidence in the essential truths that constitute Christian faith is greater by far. It was Socrates’ insight that he who is wisest is he who knows he is not wise. Though I am young in this trade, my own trajectory aims already at his conclusion. In every field, the more we learn, the more we see how little we understand. In theoretical physics, physicists find themselves postulating absurdities like parallel universes and particles that take up no space in order to make sense of baffling data. And in philosophy, one quickly discovers that understanding even simple things, like how two different apples can simultaneously be red, is frustratingly and wonderfully complicated. It is all very humbling. So my studies have reinforced much of my uncertainty. And yet, the claims of Scripture and of Jesus in particular have emerged trustworthy. I am left overwhelmed by how little I know (and hence teachable), and at the same time convinced that Jesus is the best teacher of all (and hence a disciple of Jesus).
Unfortunately, not everyone knows that there is a tremendous and growing resource of Christian thought to answer our most troubling questions and aid our learning. This has always been much of the motivation behind a web magazine that I have been slowly developing over the last few years and will be continuing. I encourage you to make use of the resources I have amassed at www.afterall.net, and to refer any others who might be interested to the site as well.
Finally, I want to thank my family, who have always encouraged my thinking, my questioning, and my less-than-conventional pursuits. They have also personally sacrificed for my studies, and I am deeply grateful.
