NEWSLETTER OF TALBOT’S MA PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM FALL...

WITH ALL YOUR MIND Fall 2009

With All Your Mind

On Ethics and Economicsby Scott B. Rae

“Capitalism is evil.”

— Michael Moore

Chances are good that you’ve recently seen or heard somebody

ar t i cu late th i s idea about capitalism.

In the Fall of 2009, filmmaker

Michael Moore unveiled his latest film – a critique of capitalism

entitled, Capitalism: A Love Story. In the movie, Moore draws

a s tark conc lus ion – that

capitalism is evil , that it ’s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e n e a r

catastrophic meltdown in the financial markets of 2007-2008,

and that it needs to be replaced.

For example, when GM finally declared bankruptcy, Moore

b lamed GM for be ing “a corporation that ruined my

hometown and brought misery,

divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, physical and mental debilitation,

and drug addiction to the people I grew up with.”1

Capitalism does have its share

of critics, and they have come out with a vengeance during the late

2000’s economic downturn. Such criticism is not new.

Sir Martin Sorrell, the British

e x e c u t i v e s t a t e d b l u n t l y, “Capitalism messed up, or to be

more precise, capitalists did.”2

Economics commentator Martin Wolf put it this way – “Another

ideological god has failed (refer-ring to free market capitalism)...3

“It’s All About Greed”The most common criticism

of capitalism is that it is a system

“based on greed.” In his film,

Michael Moore goes so far as to accuse capitalism of being a

system of “legalized greed.” Most people regard greed as a

vice (it’s one of the seven deadly

sins!). Thus, the argument about capitalism goes something like

this – if greed is a vice, which it is, and capitalism is based on greed,

then capitalism must be immoral!

Religious Left leaders make this charge frequently, insisting that

capitalism is based on the “greed principle,”4 and that capitalist

culture glorifies greed.5

One way to respond to this charge is to insist that greed is not

a vice – in fact, this is the response of both Gordon Gekko

(the fictitious character from the

1987 movie Wall Street) and

IN THIS ISSUE+Scott Rae examines the

ethics of a capitalist economy. pg. 1

+Highlights from this fall’s bootcamp and dessert reception. pg. 4-5

+Owen Anderson gives a colloquium at the Talbot Philosophical Society pg. 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pg. 6 MA Grads in Further Studies

Pgs. 7-9 Faculty Updates

Pgs. 10-14 Alumni Updates

Pg. 15 Ministry Update

Pg. 16 Faculty and Alumni Books

NEWSLETTER OF TALBOT’S MA PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM FALL 2009


philosopher Ayn Rand. Gekko,

whose character is loosely based on the former Wall Street tycoon

Ivan Boesky, said that “greed, for

lack of a better word, is good – greed is right, greed works.”

Many people believe that this view came directly from Adam

Smith’s The Wealth of Nations –

that Smith himself believed and taught that greed was good.6

Rand, on the other hand, developed a version of what is

commonly known as ethical

egoism—a philosophical system that glorifies the pursuit of

self-interest, and equates altruism and pity with

weakness.7

Rand was an un-abashed enthusiast for

capitalism, having grown up in communist Russia,

and was not shy about saying that

the basis of capitalism was greed, and that this was commendable.8

Most people, understandably, have a lot of difficulty with the

notion that greed is good, since

it’s not hard to make the case that greed is corrosive to an indi-

vidual’s soul (see Ebenezer Scrooge) and destructive to

others.

A second way to respond to the charge that capitalism is based

on greed is to insist that greed is not the basis for capitalism –

something else is, perhaps, self-

interest, but that’s not the same thing as greed. This is more the

view of Adam Smith, who was not an economist, but a moral

philosopher attempting to apply

his view of morality to economic life. Yet even for Smith, there was

more to it than simply self-interest

– that was one of several motivations that were necessary

for the market system to function properly.

The charge of greed is

misplaced because it aims at the wrong target. Greed is fun-

damentally a matter of the human hear t , no t o f any

economic system. Greed can and

does flourish in any economic

arrangement because greed is a

constant human temptation. Of course, greed comes out in

capitalism. But greed is hardly

unique to capitalism. In fact, greed flourished under various

forms of socialism, and avarice is often the most blatant among

dictatorships in the developing

world. While the critic of capitalism

may eventually agree that greed is indeed a matter of the heart, he

or she would likely insist that

greed is much more of a problem in capitalist systems than in any

others. But notice that this is different from the claim that

capitalism is based on greed. The

temptations to greed may be

more acute in systems that

generate wealth like capitalism does because the possibilities for

accumulating wealth are greater.

But when wealth is being created and people have more resources,

the possibilities for charity are also greater, because people have

more resources at their disposal.

The vices of greed, envy and covetousness can also flourish in

systems that make upward mobility difficult – people envy

their neighbors when they feel

stuck and can’t get ahead. This is why in the culture of

the Bible, where upward mobility was virtually

non-existent, the Bible

commends contentment and has little to say

regarding ambition. The opposite of contentment

in the Bible is not ambition, but

envy/covetousness.9 Let’s look more closely at the

charge that greed is the basis for capitalism. It’s often assumed

that greed is the same thing as

self-interest, and that Adam Smith believed that they were the

same thing. But neither of those things are true. Greed is not the

same as self-interest. Self-interest

is nothing more than looking out for your own interests, and surely

the desire to better yourself is not necessarily being greedy. Of

course, the desire to better myself

to the level of someone like Bill Gates – that may be greedy. The

Bible is very helpful in making this distinction. The New

NEWSLETTER OF TALBOT’S MA PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM PAGE 2

Greed is not the same as self-interest.

Self-interest is nothing more than

looking out for your own interests, and

surely the desire to better yourself is

not necessarily being greedy.


Testament does not condemn self-

interest. It actually commends a p e r s o n’s s e l f i n t e re s t bu t

mandates that it be balanced by a

concern for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4 – “do not look out for

your own interests only, but also for the interests of others”).

Not only is self-interest not

the same thing as greed, but Adam Smith did not believe that

they were the same either. He dist inguished between sel f-

interest, which was legitimate, and

selfishness, which he viewed as evil.

Here’s the classic part of The Wealth of Nations that leads people

to think that Smith believed that

greed was good: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher,

the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their

regard for their own interest. We

address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love,

and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their

advantages.”10 It is often drawn

from this classic statement that it’s

the greed of the producer that brings society its goods/services,

and that the pursuit of individual

greed will result in the advance of the common good.

However, this segment from Smith needs to be read with his

developed moral philosophy

clearly in mind. Remember, Smith was not an economist, but

a moral philosopher by training. And his work, The Theory of Moral

Sentiments actually was written

before The Wealth of Nations. He did not believe that human beings

were egoists only capable of acting in their self-interest. He

believed that human beings were

motivated by what he called the “social passions,” and that justice,

prudence and benevolence were also key components to governing

a person’s pursuit of self-interest.

He also defended the ideas of cooperation and sympathy as part

of the social passions, which he considered equally as influential

on a person as self-interest. The

butcher, brewer and baker all

needed cooperation in addition to self-interest in order to flourish.

This is why Smith said something

that sounds remarkable today, that, “commerce softens and

polishes men.”11 Smith saw an economic

system based on trade and mutual

advantage as a great improve-ment over the way goods and

services had been distributed in most of the history of civilization.

Smith advocated an “enlightened

self-interest” in which a person possessed the internal resources

necessary to provide checks and balances on his or her self-

interest. It’s not just because

these traits are necessary for maximizing long ter m sel f

interest that Smith advocates them – it’s also because for Smith,

they are a part of human nature

as a rational person.12


1Michael Moore, “Goodbye GM,” Huffington Post, June 1, 2009, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/goodbye-gm_b_209603.html).

2Martin Sorrell, “The Pendulum Will Swing Back,” Financial Times, (April 9, 2009): 9. 3Martin Wolf, “Seeds of Its Own Destruction,” Financial Times, (March 8, 2009): 1. 4Tony Campolo, Letters to a Young Evangelical, (New York: Basic Books, 2006). 5 Jim Wallis, God’s Politics, (San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 2005), 263, cited in Jay W. Richards, Money, Greed and God, (New

York: Harper One, 2009): 112.6Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, (London: W. Strahan and T. Caddell, 1776). 7Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, (New York: Signet, 1964).8See the further discussion of Rand in chapter seven.9To read more on this point, see Kenman L. Wong and Scott B. Rae, Business as Transformational Service: A Christian Vision,

(Downers Grove, Ill., Intervarsity Press), forthcoming in 2010. 10Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, ed. R.H. Campbell and A.S. Skinner, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976, reprinted

Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1981): I.ii.2.11Smith, The Wealth of Nations.12Patricia H. Werhane, Adam Smith and His Legacy for Modern Capitalism, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991): 108-109.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/goodbye-gm_b_209603.html






The second annual Philosophy Bootcamp was very

successful this year. Lavaris McCellion headed up a team of

very capable continuing students who taught overviews of

Logic, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion,

Philosophy of Science, and Philosophy of Mind to an

incoming class of 25 students. A dinner was held on the

Sunday before classes, welcoming the new students. Then

two days of classes followed, culminating with special words

from and lunch with Dr. William Lane Craig. The new

students felt welcome and well-prepared when classes started

the following Wednesday.

Philosophy Bootcamp Fall 2009



Each year the Philosophy Department holds a Dessert Reception at the Philosophy House on the

Tuesday evening before classes begin. This year approximately 40 people attended including new

students, continuing students, faculty and alumni. The faculty and alumni shared advice for the

students. Dr. Rae encouraged everyone by relating the success of our graduates and the strength of our

department. A good time was had by all.

Dessert Receptoion



In October, the Talbot Philosophical Society welcomed Dr. Owen Anderson

to give a colloquium at Talbot. Dr. Anderson was with us for three days, giving a

colloquium on “Natural Law after Fideism” with the MA Philosophy students and

another on the “Clarity of God’s Existence” for the university.

Dr. Anderson received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Arizona State University

in 2006. He has been teaching at Arizona State since 2002 in the New College of

Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, where he taught philosophy, religious studies,

and U.S. history. He is currently an assistant professor in Philosophy of Religion.

As a fellow brother in Christ, Dr. Anderson enjoyed meeting with our

students, both in the formal lectures, as well as informally over coffee and at meals.

He noted, “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Biola/Talbot and have taken away fresh insights and inspiration. I

am very impressed with the students and faculty. My favorite time was after my presentations, getting to talk with

students about their questions and goals. I'm looking forward to continuing to keep in contact with those I met,

and to continue to share ideas about how we can integrate philosophy into our lives.

Dr. Anderson Visits Talbot Philosophical Society

We have reached a milestone in our program during the last year. We now have 117 students from the MA

Philosophy of Religion and Ethics program who have gone on to study in PhD or other doctorate programs.

Some have already completed their degrees and others are still continuing their studies. We have nine graduating

students this year who are applying for graduate studies.

The following began their studies after graduating in the 2008-2009 school year:

Tim Bayless UC IrvineChong Choe Baylor

Tim Duncan PharmD program

Matt Getz Notre DameKeith Hess UC Santa Barbara

Robbie Hirsch UC DavisStacie Hocke Tennessee

Sam Huang Rice Law

Ross Inman EdinburghShaun McNaughton Law school – several offers

Daniel Richardson Med school – several choicesSteve Tsai Claremont

Peter Younger Baylor

MA Grads in Further Studies


Faculty UpdatesNEWSLETTER OF TALBOT’S MA PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM PAGE 7

Dr. Scott Rae Professor of Philosophy of Religion & Ethics; Department Chair

Dr. Rae is looking forward to being on Sabbatical this coming spring – to work on the third edition

of his book on business ethics, Beyond Integrity, with colleague Kenman Wong (Seattle Pacific

University). He will also be working on a revision of a previous book on reproductive technologies, in partnership

with Joy Riley, MD, executive director of the Tennessee Center for Bioethics and Culture.

Dr. Rae has two books in press this fall that will be out this spring – Business as Transformational Service:

A Christian Vision with IVP (Co-authored with Kenman Wong), and The Virtues of Capitalism: A Moral Case

For Free Markets, with Northfield Press, a subsidiary of Moody Press (Co-authored with Austin Hill).

Dr. Rae also hosted the showing of a new film on stem cell research and bioethics, entitled Lines that

Divide, on campus with the director, Brian Godawa and the executive producer, Jennifer Lahl, executive director

of the Center for Bioethics and Culture. The three of them were on a panel for Q&A following the film’s

showing.

Dr. Rae spoke at the Defending the Faith lecture series in Turlock, CA, and an ethics conference at Bread

of Life Church in Torrance, CA. He also delivered a plenary address at the annual meetings of the Evangelical

Theological Society in New Orleans, on the subject of “Business and Spiritual Formation.”

Dr. David Horner Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Philosophy

Dr. Horner recently returned from Hungary, where he preached at the Danube International

Church and then taught a one-week intensive course in ethics to Eastern European campus

ministers. Since he was a missionary in Eastern Europe during Iron Curtain days he was very happy to be able to

get back to that part of the world – especially after needing to cancel his trip there a year ago because of his health

problems. Last summer he also taught at Campus Crusade for Christ’s Institute of Biblical Studies in Colorado.

In September Dr. Horner completed a nearly 400-page manuscript, tentatively titled, UniverSanity: How to

Go to College Without Losing Your Mind, Your Faith, or Your Character. It is under contract with InterVarsity

Academic. With Talbot alumnus David Turner, he wrote a chapter on zeal as a biblical virtue for a forthcoming

Eerdmans book on Christian virtue ethics (edited by Dr. Geivett and Talbot alumnus Mike Austin).

Late in the summer a film crew came to Biola and interviewed Dr. Horner for the pilot of a proposed skeptical

TV series. As his health improves he is beginning to speak publicly again, including recent talks at First

Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, at the Evangelical Christian Credit Union, and at two Biola University

chapels. He is a plenary speaker at the Venture 2010 Northwest Campus Crusade for Christ Winter Conference

in Portland.



Dr. William Lane Craig Research Professor of Philosophy

In November Dr. Craig debated Francisco Ayala at Indiana University on the topic, “Is

Intelligent Design Viable?” Comments about this debate can be found here:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7659&autologin=true

In October, Dr. Craig gave a talk at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church on the topic, “How did the Universe

Begin?” The talk was part of an “apologetics series” at the church. More about that event can be read here:

http://www.biola.edu/news/articles/2009/091005_saddleback.cfm and http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/

News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7561

In July, Dr. Craig was in Israel, where he had the opportunity to encourage Christian soldiers in the Israeli

Defense Forces and speak on the topic, "The Problem of Evil and Suffering" and on "The Historicity of Jesus'

Resurrection." He was also able to speak on the subject "Is God a Delusion?" at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

You can read more about these events here:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7275

Recently Released Books & Articles

- God is Great, God is Good (IVP, 2009) with co-editor Chad Meister.

- Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) with co-editor J.P. Moreland.

- Contending with Christianity’s Critics (Broadman & Holman, 2009) with co-editor Paul Copan

- Article on “Divine Eternity” in the Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology

(Oxford University Press, 2009), Editors Thomas Flint and Michael Rea.

- Article on John Meier’s view of the resurrection of Jesus in the Heythrop Journal (July 2008)

Forthcoming work

With the publisher, David C. Cook, Dr. Craig will release his book, On Guard, in Spring 2010; it will be a

training manual for laymen in defending their faith. Dr. Craig also continues to read and research concerning the

ontological status of abstract objects and the doctrine of divine aseity.

Dr. J.P. Moreland Distinguished Professor of Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

My edited volume with co-editor Bill Craig – The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology –

just came out and it looks great! I had an article appear in Philosophia Christi in which I criticized

John Searle's attempt to harmonize libertarian free will with naturalism. I have spoken 30 times around the

country this last year on secular campuses, churches, and conferences. My main activity, however, has been

additional research in order to update my current courses and add four new electives I will start teaching in the fall

of 2011.



http://www.biola.edu/news/articles/2009/091005_saddleback.cfm

http://www.biola.edu/news/articles/2009/091005_saddleback.cfm








Dr. Doug Geivett Professor of Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

Dr. Geivett lectured on “Comparative Worldviews” for the GLDI Conference in June. He

debated with John Shook on the question “Does God Exist?” at the Center for Inquiry, Buffalo,

NY (July 31, 2009). This debate can be viewed online on Youtube. He presented a workshop on

the use of film in teaching during the Biola Faculty Retreat in August. He presented a paper titled, “An Anti-

naturalist Argument from Beauty (co-authored with Jim Spiegel) at the annual conference of the Evangelical

Philosophical Society (New Orleans in November), and spoke on “Family Values and the Value of Families: An

Economic Apologetic for Christianity,” for the EPS Conference on Apologetics (New Orleans in November).

While teaching his normal academic load at Talbot, Doug has been serving as liaison for visiting scholar,

Dr. Xiangui Su, of the philosophy faculty at Beijing University, China.


Dr. Timothy Pickavance Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

This semester, my third back at Talbot, has been almost as busy as the first! Jamie and I

purchased a house in early October. We're very glad that process is over (it was exhausting!), and

are so thankful to God for providing a home for us. Our son, Lyle, is a joy, and we've stayed busy at home

entertaining him in all sorts of ways. (If you're interested in pictures and videos, check out

timandjamie.blogspot.com.) I suppose I should mention some of the more professional things going on as well,

though I'd prefer to just brag about Lyle. In July and again in October I had a chance to speak at a couple

different churches in the area. Both times I spoke about Christian ethics. And both times were, from my

perspective anyway, fantastic. These were my first two church-speaking opportunities, and it was a pleasure to

speak so directly to Christ's body, to witness again, from what was for me a new angle, the ways that philosophy

can serve the Church. Even more professionally, I'll be giving a paper called "A New(ish?) Argument Against

Humeanism" in the middle of November at the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual meeting in New

Orleans. I doubt I'll take that one to a church any time soon.

Dr. Garry DeWeese Professor of Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

I have been away from Talbot on a study leave during the Fall semester. The time has allowed

me to concentrate on finishing Doing Philosophy as a Christian (tentative title – forthcoming

from InterVarsity), and to do research and begin writing Natural Science, Christian Faith (B&H

Publishing, projected for release in 2011). I’ve also managed to crank out a couple of articles

which are under submission. On a personal note, my wife Barbara’s mother, who had been living with us for two

years suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, passed away in early November, a “welcome sorrow,” as now she is

with the Lord and free from the awful disease. Both Barb and I look forward to returning to Talbot in January –

we really miss the wonderful supportive community of faculty and staff, and also our interactions with the fantastic

students the Lord brings to our department.

http://timandjamie.blogspot.com

http://timandjamie.blogspot.com


Chris Gadsen writes: I am in my 4th year of the PhD program at the

Univeristy of Missouri, and working with "Faculty Commons" (the

faculty ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ) as well. I recently spoke

at a Campus Crusade campus-wide outreach on the problem of evil.

We've had one more child since moving to Missouri - Julia (2 yrs). So

Kristin and I have 4 now: Phoebe (10), Clark (8), Will (5) and Julia (2).

Kristin is homeschooling the oldest 3, which is amazing. I'm working on

my dissertation proposal. I'm hoping to write somewhere in the

intersection of epistemology, ethics and philosophy of religion, with a

special interest in the ethics of religious belief. My dissertation advisor is

Matt McGrath, an up and coming epistemologist/metaphysician.

Graduate school (+ ministry and family) is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but God has been

unbelievably faithful to multiply my small talents. I hope to finish in 2 years. Chris Gadsen (’03)

Eric Twisselmann tells us: Last May, we welcomed our 4th child and second son, Ian

Seth, to the Twisselclan. He joins Colin and Lauren (6) and Sarah (3). My wife,

Mandi, began homeschooling the twins this Fall. I'm still teaching literature at La

Serna High School, as well as Introduction to Philosophy. I have been offering this

philosophy class for 8 years now, and it continues to be one of the more popular

electives at our school, as it continues to stimulate meaningful conversations

between students about questions that matter. The LORD has seen fit to bless

this forum in rich and exciting ways, and there isn't a day that goes by in the

classroom that I'm not in debt to the training I received in the MA program. I've

also been blessed to have taught Intro to Philosophy as an adjunct for Biola for

the last 6 and a half years, and am ever-grateful for the chance to interact with

Christ-seeking young men and women who are passionate about wisdom and truth. I have included a picture of

our son, Ian, because he's absolutely beautiful. =) Eric Twisselmann (’03)

Greg Bock says: Heather and I just had our second child, Evangeline Leigh (7lbs

12oz), on October 10th. Heather just finished her first season as head coach of

cross country at Karns High School, and I am enjoying my second year as an

assistant professor of philosophy at Walters State Community College in

Morristown, Tennessee. I am still working toward my PhD in philosophy at the

University of Tennessee, hoping to graduate in the next two years.

Greg Bock (’05)


Messages from Alumni


Jon Reibsamen tells us: I am currently studying and teaching at

Saint Louis University, in St. Louis, MO. I am in my second year

of the program here, where I am specializing in epistemology

and philosophy of religion. I am teaching historical introduction

to philosophy to undergraduates. I also volunteer at an after-

school program for immigrant and refugee children, and serve

with my wife on our church's missions committee. As you can

see, my wife and I enjoy Cardinals baseball games in our spare

time. Jonathan Reibsamen (’06)

Kevin Wong writes: I am currently working as the Annual Fund

Coordinator in Biola's Alumni Relations department and as an

adjunct professor of philosophy for Biola's MA in Christian

Apologetics and MA in Science and Religion program. As the Annual

Fund Coordinator, I supervise and operate Biola's Phonathon which

contacts alumni and friends of the university to raise funds to help

current students, including Talbot students. As an adjunct professor, I

teach epistemology and metaphysics to non-philosophers.

I recently got engaged to Sarah Grace Hannesson on October 24th.

We have been dating for a year now and are very excited to solidify

our relationship in holy matrimony. We are going to marry in June, after which I will be going back to school for

a second master's degree in theology and then applying for Ph.D programs in theology. Kevin Wong (’08)

Dale and Jonalyn Fincher anticipate the arrival of two "babies"

this Spring. The first is a print-baby, Coffee Shop

Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk

(Zondervan 2010), their newest book, all about how

followers of Jesus can talk about Jesus in a humble, smart and

culturally-savvy way.

Their second is little baby boy Fincher expected to join their

family February 25, 2010. They're packing in the speaking

with their non-profit Soulation (www.soulation.org) before they begin nesting for his arrival.

Dale (’02) and Jonalyn (’03) Fincher



http://www.soulation.org

http://www.soulation.org


Mike Austin tells us: This fall, I officially received tenure, which is very nice to

have behind me. I'm teaching in the Honors Program at EKU this fall, and in

the spring I'm offering a new course entitled "God and the Good Life." I

received an NEH Enduring Questions grant to develop and offer this

course. My latest book was published in August with Kregel Academic, and

is entitled "Wise Stewards: Philosophical Foundations of Christian

Parenting." It covers some recent philosophy of the family concerning the

grounds of the rights and obligations of parents. I argue for a stewardship

view of parenthood in which the primary aim of parents for their children

is shalom. Most of the book concerns practical ethics, including the

following topics: key virtues for Christian families, everyday ethical issues

(e.g. religious upbringing, educational choice), and reproductive

technologies. On the home front life is going well. Dawn works at the

school that all 3 of our daughters attend, and we are enjoying being part of

a church that is focused on the needs of the poorest people in our county and the needs of people in the city of

Ranquitte, Haiti. Mike Austin (’00)

Corey Miller writes: We recently were blessed with a third child,

Dacey Lee Miller, to add to our others, Parker (7) and Sadie (4).

We've recently come on staff with Faculty Commons, Campus

Crusade. Our target university will be Purdue where we'll seek

to win, build, and send university professors for Christ. In

addition, Corey has been all but accepted to continue his same

dissertation work via University of Aberdeen once our financial

support is raised. And he'll continue to teach adjunct courses in

philosophy and comparative religions at Indiana University-

Kokomo. Corey Miller (’01)

Mark Hansard writes: We left Academic Initiative, and Campus Crusade in January

and I joined InterVarsity staff. I am working with the Grad & Faculty ministry at UC-

Irvine. I am still answering emails for Josh McDowell's office in my spare time.

Mark Hansard (’03)




Matt Jordan says: I graduated in June 2009 from The Ohio State University with

a Ph.D. in philosophy. My wife Jen and I have four children: David (8), Danny

(almost 6), Adalie (almost 4), and John (2). My dissertation was titled Divine

Attitude Theory: A Defense of a Theistic Account of Deontic Properties. I have two

papers forthcoming in journals: "Bioethics and Human Dignity" will be

published in The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and "Theistic Ethics: Not as

Bad as You Think" will appear in Philo. He is currently a visiting assistant

professor of philosophy at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois.

Matt Jordan (’03)

Jason Barbieri shares: We (my wife Mandi and I, along with our

three daughters - Madeline (7), Maribelle (2), and Malia (born

11/2) are up here in Logan, UT serving with The Navigators

collegiate ministry, working to minister to the student body of

Utah State University. We came to this campus specificially

because we really sensed the Lord putting Mormon college

students on our hearts (something that he actually began

doing during my days at Talbot). We just moved here in mid-

Sept., so we're really just getting started with the work on

campus. But it is exciting to be here, and we are anxious to

see what the Lord has in store! Jason Barbieri (’02)

Zac Frampton tells us: After graduation, I moved back to my home town

of Turlock, CA and took a job as the Director of Public Relations/

Recovery Counselor (and was just named Senior Director) at Prodigal

Sons & Daughters--a Christ-centered, outpatient, addiction recovery

ministry. One particularly exciting development since I've come on

board has been the timely growth of our teen/young adult recovery

group in light of the growing heroine/prescription painkiller epidemic

here in the Central Valley. We experience no shortage of miracle

stories in the form of young men and women turning from enslavement

to addiction to freedom in Christ.

Zac Frampton (’08)




Gauthier Daugimont says: Laura (Biola '02) and I are still living in Brussels,

Belgium. Laura is a music teacher and I am a math and religion teacher in

High School, as well as a Chemistry assistant at the university of

Brussels. We have 3 children, Elise (almost 4 years), Gabriel (2 years) and

Julie (born 11/7). Gauthier Daugimont(’02)

Bradley Rettler shares: I'm in the middle of my second year at Notre Dame,

still slogging through coursework, and I'm presenting a paper at the Central

APA. Bradley Rettler (’08)

Nathan Gann has informed us: We are planting a church in Mason

City, IA! Elizabeth grew up a half-hour from here, and her parents

still pastor a church in that hometown. A lot has happened since I

graduated in 2004! Until we moved to Mason City this summer, I

spent the last 5 years on the executive staff at Word of Life Church

in St. Joseph, MO (JP and Scott came out during that time). I got to

do a lot of teaching (apologetics, spiritual formation, etc.), artist

ministry stuff, preaching, and discipling youth & young adults.

Recently being ordained by my pastor was an honor, and what else

happened...Silas just turned 2!! About our church - we plan to start

monthly preview services in the spring with our launch team, and by next fall we publicly launch the church.

(We are doing this with Converge...which happens to include churches with Greg Boyd and John Piper...talk

about eclectic!) Nathan Gann (’04)

David Wright tells us: Since graduating I have gotten married to Lynn Pooley who worked in the MA Apologetics

program. She was the event coordinator for that program when I was at Talbot. We got married in December

of ’07, and now have our first baby, Grace Margaret, born Sept 1 of this year. We are living in Pittsburgh and I’m

in the 3rd year of a PhD in Theatre. You may not remember my odd ambitions of completing the MA Phil and

then proceeding to a PhD in Theatre, but the training you all gave me has been invaluable to my work now, and I

pray for you all often. David Wright (’05)




We hope you’re enjoyingourcurrenteditionofWithAllYourMind. It’sveryimportanttoustokeepyouwellinformed about thattheMAPhil. programisuptoandwehopeyou Aind ithelpful toyou. Ourstudentsaredoingwellandthe facultyareasusual, Alourishing,butwith toomuch todo. We’vemissedGarryDeWeeseashe’sbeen inColoradoonSabbatical. AndpleasekeepDaveHornerinyourprayersforhisongoinghealthissues–hehasdayswherehethinkshe’smakingprogressandotherswherehe’snotsosure. We are so pleased with howwell ournewestprof, Dr. Tim Pickavance is Aitting in and how thestudentsarereallyenjoyingbeingaroundhim. He’sinhissecondyearandhasthejoyandchallengeofanewbabyathome,whichhementionedinhisfacultyupdate.

Inthepastfewmonths,wehavesentoutletterstoallouralumniandallourprogram’sdonorsforthelastdecade.Ifyou’regettingournewsletter,youmostlikelygotaletterfrommealso.InitImentionedtheAinancial challengeswe are facing as a department. Though Biola remains in pretty good shape, ourprogramspeciAicallyhasbeenraising ourown funding to take care of thingssuchasadditional travel toconferences for both faculty and students, books and professional memberships for faculty, and somescholarships for students. The giving for the program has fallen off dramatically since the economicdownturnof the last twoyears. Sowe let youknowaboutthat–and some of you haverespondedverygenerously,forwhichwearedeeplyappreciative.Butweacknowledgethatthisisonlyastartatrecoveringwhat has been lost in our giving over the past 2 years. We realize that we are not alone amongorganizationsthathavebeenfeeling Ainancialpainduring thistime,butthelossof incomeforushasmadeitmoredifAiculttoaccomplishwhatwebelieveGodhassetinfrontofus–toequipstudentstorepresentaChristianworldviewinthechurch,theacademyandthecultureatlarge.

Ifyouhavebeengiving tohelpsupportourprogram,orjustbegangivinginthepastfewmonths,nowmore thanever,wearesoappreciativeofyourAinancialsupport.Wesimplycouldnotdothiswereitnotforyour continued support. If you have not been giving to our program, this is a critical time –would youseriouslyconsiderstarting tosupportus–withsomethinglike$25‐50/month,orwithaone‐timegiftthatwould be an investmentin the program? We nowofferthe abilitytodebitanaccountyou chooseonamonthly basis, and have it done automatically, if that would be of interest. You can visit http://www.biola.edu/admin/donations/eftformore information.Manyofouralumssupport the program andwe would be sograteful if youwould join them in supporting usAinancially–I knowit’s challenging toconsideratthistime,butwewouldbeverythankfultohaveyoujoinusinthisway.

ServingtheKingdomtogether,

ScottB.RaeDepartmentChair

Ministry Partnership by Dr. Scott Rae


http://www.biola.edu/admin/donations/eft






Selections of Current Faculty and Alumni Publications

TheBlackwellCompaniontoNaturalTheologyeditedbyWilliamLaneCraigandJ.P.Moreland(Blackwell,2008)

With the help of in-depth essays

from some of the world's leading philosophers, The

Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology explores

the nature and existence of God through human

reason and evidence from the natural world.

• Provides in-depth and cutting-edge treatment

of natural theology’s main arguments

• Includes contributions from first-rate

philosophers well known for their work on the

relevant topics

• Updates relevant arguments in light of the

most current, state-of-the-art philosophical and

scientific discussions

• Stands in useful contrast and opposition to the

arguments of the “new atheists”

RubySlippersJonalynGraceFincher(Zondervan,2008)

Femininity itself runs deeper than

aprons, frills, or romance. It begins

with feminine souls who are living cameos of the

triune God. Fincher explores the essence of

femininity. She examines what a soul is, what is

meant by “feminine,” and how those two things

unite into a picture of God on Earth that is both

similar to and distinctive from men.

Fincher goes step by step through what it means

to be a woman and how to cultivate her soul,

choosing not to shy away from psychology, theology

or personal transparency. In her journey she

discovers an understanding of femininity that is

timeless and groundbreaking. The roles melt away

into something like Dorothy’s ruby slippers,

something women have always had – the souls to

walk today with freedom and femininity.

If you are interested in giving to the MA Philosophy program using EFT (automatic debit), please refer to Dr. Rae’s directions in the Ministry Partnership section on page 15.

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