In Their Element

Origins

Dr. Matthew McLain | Dean, School of Science, Mathematics, Technology & Health

“I love teaching the Origins class at TMU because it’s our opportunity to dive deep into the connection between Scripture, science, and philosophy as it relates to the creation and history of all things. We get to read from Christian and non-Christian authors on these topics and discuss how to think biblically about hard questions related to evolution, deep time, fossils, and the place of science in our world.” — MM

Jane Austen

Dr. Kurt Hild | Professor, English

“I think what ‘intrigues’ or challenges me begins with how popular Jane Austen has remained in the 200-plus years since her death. Even though marriage mores seem to be shifting in the 21st century, men and women still desire to love and be loved by that one special person. Although Jane Austen never married, she observed human nature as a pastor’s daughter and was keenly aware of how women thought. We read these novels and see the growth and maturity of a woman to deal with the fundamentally significant matters of religion, love, marriage, and family.” — KH

The Bible and Money

Dr. Michael Forgerson | Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies

“Financial advisors or tax guys are not going to necessarily give true biblical advice, because they haven’t truly interfaced the advice they give with Scripture. But money is important, and handling money biblically is important. In The Bible and Money, we look at both what the world says about money and also, crucially, what Scripture says about money.” — MF

Machiavelli

Dr. Gregg Frazer | Dean, John P. Stead School of Humanities

“I teach the political philosophy of 16th-century writer Niccolo Machiavelli and how to understand that controversial and largely misunderstood figure. I explain how Machiavelli serves as a watershed between classical political philosophy and modern political philosophy — changing the way philosophers approach the study of politics. The main reason that I enjoy teaching the class is that Machiavelli is fun to read. He says outrageous things and is not afraid to say what most people think, but are afraid to state openly. That is not only fun to read, but reveals a lot about human nature. Students (almost universally) enjoy the class, and that makes it more enjoyable to teach.” — GF

Subscribe to the Magazine