Category: Writing

MDiv Thesis: “Becoming truth about ‘true becoming'”

Kyle

I realized today, in preparation for a talk on science and faith for Region IV of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (about which: more in a subsequent post), that I never uploaded my MDiv thesis: “Becoming truth about ‘true becoming’: Providence, causality, and science in a secular age.” So I’m doing so now (click here to download it).

The very brief gist: I believe many people intellectually dismiss religion because of a perceived conflict with science, especially thanks to the influence of the New Atheists (who are generally better scientists than they are philosophers) and despite exciting advancements in science during the twentieth century. These advancements make science much more hospitable to claims about metaphysical reality than was the science of the nineteenth century.

Lots of smart Christians have written about why these two not-so-distant cousins needn’t be in conflict, and this is my little contribution. I wrote about providence because “what do Christians believe God actually does?” is an important question in these proceedings. The fledgling position I stake out certainly isn’t going to revolutionize the debate. But I do hope my summary of the common positions and the lens with which I look at them is of some value.

The best part of the experience was getting to chat about it over Skype with my advisor, Ian Markham, and my outside reader, Keith Ward. They are two important voices in these scholarly but very public conversations, and they took me to school in important ways. My only regret is that I haven’t spent more time with this subject since. So I’m grateful for this opportunity tonight.

Yoder Prize Submission — “Love Together: A moral-theological reflection”

Kyle

VTS Dean and President Ian Markham wrote in his commentary today that “The Ronnie A. Yoder Scholarship was established … as an invitation for VTS seminarians to reflect on the significance and centrality of love as the center for Christian theology, life, preaching, and practice, which can be a theme that unites the major world religions.”


I am the very grateful recipient of the Yoder Prize this year, and I thought I’d post my submission here in case there is some interest in reading it. I’d like to thank my wonderful fiancée, Kristin Saylor, who teaches me more about love every day, and my parents, Joanne and Chris Oliver, for setting such a sterling example of “love that can last.” Thanks also to Tim Sedgwick for much instruction (in class and by example) about how to write virtue ethics (and much more besides) and to Judge Yoder for his generous support of this scholarship.