The Rewards of Hard Books

A traditional liberal arts education involves reading classic texts. For various reasons, students often find these books difficult to read. These works can be challenging because of their language, their ideas, and their length. But readers who expend the effort to engage with these volumes can be rewarded, not only with their rich contents, but also with the character trait of perseverance. Many treasures in life can be enjoyed only after prolonged and patient attention. A slow-moving film may prove itself to be deeply meaningful; a time of mundane routine or extended suffering may be pregnant with value and significance.

Why Science Needs Philosophy & Theology

Scientists can tell us what the facts are but we need philosophers and theologians to help us figure out what the facts mean and how to evaluate them. For instance, psychologists can determine how much satisfaction people derive from an activity. However, we need to think philosophically about why people enjoy that pastime and that will require that we find out what it means to them. We will also need to discern whether the involvement in question is genuinely worthwhile. And that will require us to ask if engaging in it contributes to the purpose for which God created us.