Category Archives: Academia

Parent category for posts having to do with academics and university life.

New Material on the Way

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Dr. J

What a year this has been. I’ve had a very heavy teaching load and more administrative duties at the university. I’ve also increased my output of scholarly writing and frequency of work-related travel. So this blog has fallen by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books | 3 Comments

Moscow Becomes French (Briefly)

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Dr. J

Historical causation, the freewill/determinism dilemma, and the authority of scripture are just a few of the heavy topics we covered in the last set of readings. Now it’s time to press on. Here are the readings for the coming week: … Continue reading →

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Napoleon Blows Things Up

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Dr. J

This past week’s readings included many explosions and attempts to immanentize the eschaton. I expect more of the same this week. Let’s begin. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book XI, Chapters … Continue reading →

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Scientist Works Way Back to God

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Dr. J

Big news in the Great Books Project today: we are cracking open a new volume, something we haven’t done since beginning War and Peace. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book X, Chapters … Continue reading →

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Back to War with the Little Corporal

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Dr. J

Last week we passed 22,500 pages of reading in the Great Books Project. We also have a new work to consider this week, something I know will be a breath of fresh air. Let’s get to it. Here are the … Continue reading →

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Adam Knew Everything

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Dr. J

There were several downers in last week’s readings for the Great Books Project–broken engagements, creation of governments, etc.–but we soldier on, undeterred. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book IX (GBWW Vol. … Continue reading →

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Nasty, Brutish, and Short?

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Dr. J

Heavy things to discuss in the Great Books Project this week, things like life in a state of savagery. Let’s get to it. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book VIII (GBWW … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare Slut-Shames Time

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Dr. J

I’m back again after a long hiatus with more of the Great Books Project. Let’s dig right into it. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book VII (GBWW Vol. 51, pp. 275-302) … Continue reading →

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Scientist: Science Is Anti-Rationalistic, Naive

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Dr. J

Political absolutism, scholastic philosophy, determinism, history of science: we are all over the place in this week’s readings. Let’s get to it. Here are the readings for the coming week: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Book VI (GBWW Vol. … Continue reading →

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Plato Hates on Immigrants

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Dr. J

My sophomore class has been reading Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 for the past week, and I started feeling really guilty for not having made a Great Books Project post in a while, so here we are! (By the way, we’ve just crossed … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | 2 Comments