Fall 2023: Speaking and Teaching

If I Might Briefly Have Your Attention...

A break in the regular writing to give a backstory, to say thank you, and to ask a question. If you’re interested in having me come work with you later this year, let’s talk.

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The Backstory

When I first began this nearly two years ago, it was largely as an exercise to write myself more fully into a vocation. My own journey as a teacher and scholar has been one of pilgrimage: I began my career and training nearly fifteen years ago teaching primarily systematics and historical theology, and over time, began to see my primary calling as one of Christian ethics. Through a series of opportunities, I began to lean into that. It came first in my dissertation and some independent studies for students, and then at Logsdon Seminary (RIP) as the Chair of Christian Ethics (RIP).

When I moved to my current position at Abilene Christian University, it was the first time that I *hadn’t* had to be a teaching jack-of-all-trades. For the first time, I could call upon my deep toolkit of theology without having to be all the things, and could just settle into ethics, as far as my own disciplinary interests go. I still teach theology courses every year, and still read in it often; systematic theology is coming up this summer, and my most recent book was digging out Bonhoeffer’s theology of Christian community.

But if, fifteen years ago, I was reading and teaching theology, and looking at ethics with a sideways glance, those roles are very much reversed now. Theology is always and ever home base; I will always do theological ethics as a matter of conviction. But it is the shape of the Christian moral life that I find myself inescapably preoccupied by. Starting this newsletter nearly two years ago was part of continuing to work out that vocation in public, with others, and for the sake of others.

The Thank You

As of last week, there were nearly 900(!) people on the mailing list. For that, I’m more amazed than anything: there are newsletters that are much more broad appeal, and so, for something as specific as the Christian moral life. And so, always, thank you for reading.

This is a labor of love for the most part, with a small group of paying supporters who help turn this into something which benefits my family. If you’ve read and benefited from this, I’d love for you to consider supporting this. I have a handful of newsletters that I do the same for, because good things exist in the world when we help them grow.

The Question

This Spring, I’ve traveled all over creation, from Austin and Beaumont and Little Rock, to Abilene, Dallas, and Gainesville, Florida.

It’s been a whirlwind of goodness, talking with students, ministers, and church folk, and meeting in churches, universities, seminaries, and classrooms. From a weekend Bible study for 2nd Baptist Church in Little Rock to a series of lectures for a church in Beaumont, to this weekend’s lectures for the Festival of Faith and Learning at Perkins School of Theology, it’s been a rich and busy season.

Our conversations have mostly circled around the themes of From Isolation to Community, but they’ve always been in service of addressing the deep hunger that I sent Christians having for moral guidance.

Beginning this Fall, if the themes of this newsletter or from my writing sound like something you want to share with your church, university, or organization, let me know. At this point, August through October are pretty open, but trying to limit myself to 2-3 events: one of the lessons I learned this Spring was that my capacities of time and energy are not endless, and that my kids are growing up too fast.

As far as format, it’s a matter of what works for the material and the group: this Spring has brought consultations with church staffs, weekend Bible studies, formal lectures, seminar style discussions, and lunch talks.

So, if that sounds like you, let’s talk.

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Reading: Still working through Confederacy of Dunces, though I’ve picked up Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy alongside it. I got news last week that I was selected to be a part of a project sponsored by Baylor University that helps ethicists and theologians add psychological science to their toolkits, so several titles on virtue and psychology are waiting in the wings. Expect some reflection on the role of scarcity and how it affects the moral life in coming months. Lots of student papers and proposals for papers, as it is that season.