Faculty & Staff

During my undergraduate studies I was struck by the question, "If my Christian beliefs were bad, would I be able to figure it out and make the required corrections?" I set out to answer this question in two stages. Initially, I needed to inspect my Christian beliefs and understand them; then, I would take these beliefs into the best secular university I could find to see how they held up. I wasn't foolhardy enough to think that I could do the first part on my own, so I went to work on a master's degree in philosophy at Biola University in Southern California and surrounded myself with the very best Christian thinkers I could find. I was surprised by the richness and fullness of Christian belief. I learned that it systematically and intuitively answers the big philosophical questions, it is robustly supported by an ocean of historical evidence, and that without it, it's not clear that the contemporary conception of science is viable. I also took up surfing. Next I began my doctoral work at UT Austin to see if my Christian beliefs could stand up to the scrutiny of a top secular university. I was prepared to receive objections against my views, but was surprised to find very few on offer. My classmates and professors at UT were either Christians or largely misinformed about the view.

A result of this journey is that my faith has become much more stable. No longer do I have significant worries that I'm going to wake up one day and learn my Christian beliefs are undermined. Furthermore, this result is worth sharing, and that's a big part of why I'm passionate about teaching. I'd like nothing more than to share my experience, to help students reflect on the foundations of their faith, and to prepare them to successfully face the challenges of university life.

Of course I'm interested in a few other things too. I love music. Arvo Pärt and Olafur Arnolds got me through my dissertation. My main instrument is electric bass; my favorite is piano. I like board games and retro video games. I have a tremendous difficultly passing up a fishing opportunity. My time in California inflicted me with a dedication to the Los Angeles Angels, a fandom that I've suffered through since moving to Texas. I play Ultimate Frisbee most weeks. I work with the youth at Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

In 2007 I married my wife Ashley. It was the best decision I'll ever make. We have two children, Thomas (3) and Maren (1). If you happen to see a peculiarly small boy conscripting a bunch of third graders to do his bidding, that's probably Thomas. If you happen to see a little girl reading quietly on her own and melting my heart, that's definitely Maren.