Back to Faculty
 |
Ruth and Rimmer DeVries Associate Professor of Reformed Theology and Public Life
Curriculum Vita
|
Degrees Earned:
Ph.D., 1993 Princeton University
M.A., 1987 Princeton University
M.Div., 1985 Union Theological Seminary, New York
B.A., 1981 St. Olaf College
_____________________________________________________________
Areas of Specialization:
Christian Moral Theology (history and problems); Moral Philosophy (history and problems);
Contemporary Social Ethics and Criticism; Modern Religious Thought
_____________________________________________________________
Professional Experience:
Rimmer and Ruth de Vries Associate Professor of Reformed Theology and Public Life,
Princeton Theological Seminary, 2007-
Associate Professor of Religion, University of Tulsa, 1998-
Director, University Honors Program, University of Tulsa, 2001-2004
Assistant Professor of Religion, University of Tulsa, 1990-1997
______________________________________________________________
Professional Memberships:
American Academy of Religion
Society of Christian Ethics
Society for Values in Higher Education
_______________________________________________________________
Honors, Awards, and Fellowships:
Henry Luce III Fellowship, 2010-2011
Senior Fellow, Emory University, Center of the Study of Law and Religion, 2006-2010
Visiting Scholar, Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, 2006
Lilly Endowment/Louisville Institute, Christian Faith and Life Sabbatical Grant, 2004-2005
Oklahoma Humanities Council Scholar Research Grant, 2003
Excellence in Teaching Award, Arts and Sciences, University of Tulsa, 1996
Faculty Development Summer Fellowship, University of Tulsa, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2006
Multicultural Course Development Fellowship, University of Tulsa, 1992
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, 1989-90
Mellon Foundation Humanities Prize, Princeton University, 1988-89
Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, 1988
Princeton University Fellowship, 1985-89
Travelling Fellowship, Union Theological Seminary, 1985 (the seminary's highest academic
honor for a graduating senior)
Merit Fellow, Union Theological Seminary, 1982-85
Phi Beta Kappa, 1981
_____________________________________________________________
Books:
Contingency and Fortune in Aquinas's Ethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999)
(Reviewed in Ethics, Mind, Modern Theology, Journal of Theological Studies, Pro Ecclesia,
Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Religious Ethics, Review of Metaphysics, Religious
Studies Review, The Thomist)
_______________________________________________________
Books, Forthcoming and In Progress:
On Tolerance and Forbearance: Moral Inquiries Natural and Supernatural (a draft complete
and under review)
Counting Virtues: the Difference that Transcendence Makes (under contract, Oxford University
Press)
__________________________________________________________
Journal Articles and Book Chapters:
"Aquinas on Virtue and the Goods of Fortune," Thomist 60:4 (October 1996): 537-570
"Health, Fortune and Moral Authority in Medicine," Christian Bioethics 2:1 (1996): 42-65
"Representation and Reality in the Study of Culture," (with Peter Stromberg) American
Anthropologist 99:1 (March 1997): 123-134
"Rorty and Aquinas on Courage and Contingency," Journal of Religion 77/3 (July 1997): 402-
420
"Augustine on Justifying Coercion," Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics 17 (1997): 49-70
"Psychology and Theodicy in Aquinas," Medieval Philosophy and Theology 7/2 (1998):125-152
"Sieges, Shipwrecks, and Sensible Knaves: Justice and Utility in Butler and Hume,” Journal of
Religious Ethics 28/2 (2000): 253-280
“Comment on Charles Mathewes’s ‘Agency, Nature, Transcendence, and Moralist: A Review of
Recent Work in Moral Psychology’” Journal of Religious Ethics 28/3 (2000): 473-477
“Nature, Grace, and Toleration: Civil Society and the Twinned Church,” Annual of the Society of
Christian Ethics 21 (2001): 85-104
“Contemporary Protestant Thomism,” in Aquinas As Authority, vol. VII, Publications of the
Thomas Instituut Utrecht, eds. Paul Van Geest, Harm Goris, Carlo Leget (Leuven: Peeters,
2002): 235-251
“Virtue and Moral Realism,” Nova et Vetera 2/1 (2004): 169-182.
“Parts, Wholes, and Opposites: John Milbank as Geisteshistoriker,” Journal of Religious Ethics
32/2 (2004): 257-269.
“Nature’s Grace: Aquinas and Wittgenstein on Natural Law and Moral Knowledge,” in
Grammar and Grace: Reformulations of Aquinas and Wittgenstein, eds. Jeffrey Stout and Robert
MacSwain (London: SCM Press, 2004): 154-174.
“Tolerance Among the Fathers,” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 26/1 (2006): 3-36.
“Some Thoughts on Doing Theology in Public,” Princeton Seminary Bulletin, 28/3 (December
2007): 235-243.
“Here the Shoe Pinches: Kuyper, Tolerance, and the Virtues,” in Kuyper Center Review, volume
1, Politics, Religion, and Sphere Sovereignty, ed. Gordon Graham (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
2010): 117-137.
“Just Democracy, Just Church: Hauerwas and Coles on Radical Democracy and Christianity,”
Scottish Journal of Theology (forthcoming).
“Barth and Werpehowski on War, Presumption, and Exception,” in Barth’s Theological Ethics
(forthcoming)
“Augustine Counting Virtues,” Augustinian Studies (forthcoming)
____________________________________________________________
Professional Presentations:
"Courage, Contingency, and Rorty on the Rescue of the Danish Jews," 23rd Annual Scholars'
Conference on the Holocaust and the German Church Struggle, Tulsa, OK, March, 1993
"Aquinas on the Goods of Fortune and the Large Scale Virtues," Society of Christian Ethics
Annual Meeting, Chicago, January, 1994
"Health, Fortune, Fortune and Moral Authority in Medicine," Southwest Regional AAR, Dallas,
March, 1994
Respondent to three papers on Bioethics, Southwest Regional AAR, Dallas, March, 1995
"Theodicy and Psychology in Augustine and Aquinas," Southwest Regional AAR, Dallas,
March, 1996
Roundtable on Michael J. Sandel, Democracy's Discontent, Oklahoma Political Science
Association, Tulsa, November, 1996
"Augustine on Justifying Coercion," Society of Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, Cincinnati,
January, 1997
"Philosophy in Fides et Ratio," Catholic Theology Interest Group, Society of Christian Ethics
Annual Meeting, San Francisco, January, 1999
“Two Varieties of Natural Law Minimalism: Rethinking Aquinas and Wittgenstein” and
“Realism, Anti-Realism, and Cultural Difference,” Department of Philosophy,
University of Bucharest, Romania, May 2000
“Protestant Thomism in the Twentieth Century,” Thomas Instituut te Utrecht, Congress 2000,
Leusden, The Netherlands, December 2000
“Nature, Grace, and Toleration,” Society of Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, Chicago, January,
2001
Breakfast Session on Contingency and Fortune in Aquinas’s Ethics, Society of Christian Ethics
Annual Meeting, Chicago, January, 2001
“Postmodernist Bourgeois Thomism,” Philosophy and Theology Departments, Gonzaga
University; “Aquinas and Wittgenstein on Natural Law and Moral Knowledge,” Gonzaga
University Law School, November 2002
“Nature’s Grace: Aquinas and Wittgenstein and Natural Law,” Keynote Address, Wester
Philosophy Conference, Oklahoma State University, March 2003
“How to We Respond to Evil?” NCCJ Interfaith Trialogue Series, February 2004
“Tolerance Among the Fathers,” Society of Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, Miami, January,
2005
“Churches, Clubs, & Cockfights: Civil Society and the Sources of Tolerance,” University of
Richmond, February 2005
“Tolerance Among the Virtues,” Florida State University, February 2006
“Tolerance and Discontent,” OSLEP Lecture, University of Tulsa, March 2006
“Augustine on Coercion and Forbearance,” Villanova University, March 2007
“Shrugs and Laments in a Flourishing Life,” Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory
University, April 2007
“Some Thoughts on Doing Theology in Public,” Inaugural Lecture, Princeton Theological
Seminary, September 2007
“Just Democracy, Just Church: A Response to Hauerwas and Coles,” Society of Christian Ethics
Annual Meeting, Atlanta, January, 2008
“’Here the Shoe Pinches’: Kuyper, Tolerance, and the Virtues,” closing address, Kuyper Center
Conference on Kuyper and Civil Society, Princeton Theological Seminary, April 2008
“Creation, Recreation, and the Common Good,” Providence College, April 2008
“Imperfect Virtue, Imperfect Happiness,” Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory
University, April 2008
“Counting Virtues,” Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University, April 2009
“Augustine Counting Virtues,” Reconsiderations III, Villanova University, September 2009
“Aquinas on Maimonides: A Response to Kenneth Seekin,” Tikvah Project on Jewish Thought,
Princeton University, November 2009
“The Sermon on the Mount as Law: Aquinas on Matthew 5-7,” Center for Human Values,
Princeton University, February 2010
"Tolerance and Forbearance: Rethinking Christian Attitudes toward Difference," Institute of
Faith and Public Life, Princeton Theological Seminary, May 2010
“The Pursuit of Happiness in Interreligious Perspective,” Panel Presentation, Emory University,
October 2010
"Christianity, the Enlightenment, and Political Life: A Transformed Landscape?”, Society of
Christian Ethics Annual Meeting, New Orleans, January 2011
“Aquinas on Virtue Specification,” Political Philosophy Colloquium, Politics Department,
Princeton University, February 2011
_____________________________________________________________________
Encyclopedia Entrees
“Aristotelianism” in Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, eds. David Fergusson, Karen
Kilby, Ian MacFarland, and Iain Torrance (forthcoming)
______________________________________________________________________
Book Reviews:
Book Notes review of James Nelson, The Intimate Connection: Male Sexuality, Male
Spirituality, in Religious Studies Review, 15/3 (July 1989).
Book Notes review of Brad Inwood, Ethics and Human Action in Early Stoicism, in Religious
Studies Review, 16/4 (October 1990).
Book Notes review of John Kilcullen, Sincerity and Truth: Essays on Arnauld, Bayle, and
Toleration, in Religious Studies Review, 17/4 (October 1991).
Review of Jean Porter, Recovery of Virtue: The Relevance of Aquinas for Christian Ethics, in
Theology Today, 49/1 (April, 1992): 88-91.
Review of Stanley Hauerwas, Against the Nations: War and Service in a Liberal Society, in
Ethics (October, 1994).
Book Notes Review of Bonnie Kent, Virtues of the Will: The Transformation of Ethics in the
Late Thirteenth Century, in Religious Studies Review, 23/1 (January 1997).
Review of G. Scott Davis, Warcraft and the Fragility of Virtue: An Essay in Aristotelian Ethics,
in Religion, 27/3 (July 1997): 288-289.
Book Notes Review of Roger Crisp (ed.), How Shall We Live?: Essays on the Virtues, in
Religious Studies Review, 23/4 (October 1997).
Review of G. Simon Harak (ed.), Aquinas and Empowerment: Classical Ethics for Ordinary
Lives in Ethics 109/3 (April 1999): 695-696.
Review of Diana Fritz Cates, Choosing to Feel: Virtue, Friendship, and Compassion for Friends
in Modern Theology 15/1 (January 1999): 106-107.
Book Notes Review of Anthony J. Lisska, Aquinas's Theory of Natural Law: An Analytic
Reconstruction in Religious Studies Review 25/1 (January 1999): 65.
Review of Stephen L. Brock, Action and Conduct: Thomas Aquinas and the Theory of Action in
The Thomist 63/4 (October, 1999): 655-659.
Review of Eldon Eisenach, The Next Religious Establishment: National Identity and Political
Theology in Post-Protestant America in The Tulsa World (24 September 2000)
Book note review of William Cavanaugh, Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire in
Theology Today (forthcoming)
Review of Matthew Levering, Biblical Natural Law: A Theocentric and Teleological Approach
in Studies in Christian Ethics 23/3 (August 2101):
_____________________________________________________________
Reviews, Forthcoming and in Progress
A review essay of Jean Porter’s work on Natural law and moral theology, solicited by the JRE
and due Summer 2010.
_____________________________________________________________
Courses Taught, University of Tulsa
Explaining Religion
Christian Ethics and Modern Society
God and Human Suffering
Studies in Religious Conversion and Experience
Friendship and Love
Augustine
Resistance, Rebellion, and Death
Aquinas on Virtue and Vice
Toleration and Moral Diversity
Wittgentstein
Plato and the Greek Polis
Philosophy, War, and Law in Ancient Greece
_____________________________________________________________
Courses Taught, Princeton Theological Seminary
Ethics and the Problem of Evil
Friendship, Love, and Justice
Christian Ethics and Modern Times
War and Christian Conscience
Aquinas on Virtues and Laws
Contemporary Moral Theology
Trajectories in Neo-Calvinism
Augustine on Ethics and Politics
_____________________________________________________________
Doctoral Students
Adam Eitel, “Aquinas’s Pneumatology”
David Decosimo, “Aquinas and Al-Ghazali on the Virtues of the Outsider” (PU)
Will Barnett, “Divine Freedom in Barth and Jenson”
C.J. Dickson
Matthew Bruce
Derek Wodard-Lehman
Dennis Yap (PU)
Michael Lamb (PU)
_____________________________________________________________
Independent Studies, PTS
Eddie Martin, “Bonhoeffer and King,” 2009
Greg Thogmartin and Randy Roberts, “Just War in Christian Context,” 2009
Will Rush and Drew Harmon, “Aquinas’s Commentary on Aristotle’s Ethics,” 2009
Nicole Rienstra, “Modern Papal Social Thought,” 2009
Four doctoral students and four M.Div.’s, “Aquinas on the Spirit,” 2010
John Owen, “Modern Military Chaplaincy,” May 2010
Kai-Li Chui, “Confucian Ethics,” Spring 2010
_____________________________________________________________
Professional Service Activities
Program Committee, Society of Christian Ethics, 2005-2006
Editorial Board, Journal of Religious Ethics, 2003-2009
Editorial Board, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 2001-2005
Nominating Committee, Society of Christian Ethics, 2001-2002
Referee, Journal of Religion, 1997-
Journal of Religious Ethics, 1997-2003
Thomist, 1997-
Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 1997-
Journal of the History of Ideas, 2005
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2009
Manuscript Reviewer, Catholic University America of Press, 2000
Cambridge University Press, 2001, 2002, 2003
Eerdmans, 2001, 2003
Princeton University Press, 2005, 2006
University of Chicago Press, 2007
Oxford University Press, 2008
External Reader, qualifying exams, Duke University Dept. of Religion, Fall 2001
Editor, Special Focus on John Milbank’s Moral Theology, Journal of Religious Ethics 32/2
(Summer 2004)
External Reviewer for Tenure cases at Northwestern (2000), Indiana/Purdue (2005), Princeton
University (2008), Yale (2009), Georgia State (2009), Villanova (2009)
Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University 2006-2010
Senior Editor Search Committee, Journal of Religious Ethics, 2009-2010
Faculty Liason, Institute of Faith and Public Life, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2009-
Faculty, Science of Ministry Institute, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2010-
_____________________________________________________________
Civic Service Activities
Hillcrest Medical Center Institutional Review Board, 1992-1999
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center-Tulsa Institutional Review Board, 1995-2000
Frequent lecturer at local churches and interfaith groups (Tulsa, Central NJ).
Little League Baseball Coach, 2001-2006
____________________________ _________________________________
The University of Tulsa Service Activities
Department Advising Liaison to Religion Majors, 1990-2000
Religion Department Library Liaison, 1990-2004
Chair, Snuggs Lectureship, 1990-2001
Conference Executive Committee, "Pragmatism and the Politics of Culture," 1992-1993
Kendall College of Arts and Sciences BDM Committee, 1993
Women's Studies Program Review Committee, 1993
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee 1993-2000
Phi Beta Kappa Committee on Members in Course, 1993-2000
Rhodes/Marshall Scholarship Selection and Interview Committees, 1993-
Lecture/Conversation, Rhodes/Marshall Scholarship Nominees, October 1994
Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Student Affairs, 1994
Chair, Women's Studies Program Interim Director Search Committee, 1994
First Year Student Adviser, 1994-1995
Executive Committee, College of Arts and Sciences, 1994-1996
Warren Chair in Catholic Studies Search Committee, 1995
Bell Distinguished Visiting Professor, Anglican/Ecumenical Studies Search Committee, 1995
Panel Moderator, TU International Conference, 1996
Reader, Women's Studies Summer Fellowship Proposals, 1996
University Senate, 1996-1999
Chair, By-Laws Committee, University Senate, 1996
Panelist, "Diverse Perspectives," Multicultural Studies Colloquium, 1996
Panelist, Kendall Fellows Forum on Teaching, 1996
Historian, Phi Beta Kappa, 1997-1998
Kendall Teaching Fellows Selection Committee, 1997
Kendall College Excellence in Teaching Award Committee, 1997-1998
Ad hoc Committee on the College Teaching Award, 1997
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy Search Committee, 1997
Phi Alpha Theta/History Club Lecture, "A Short History of the Will," March 1998
Member, Professor Kerry Strayer's Fourth Year Review Committee, September 1998
Member, Ad Hoc Committee on the State of the College of Arts and Sciences, 1998
Vice President, Phi Beta Kappa, 1999-2000
Habitat for Humanity Site Coordinator, Service Day, Student Orientation, August 1999
Acting Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Spring 2000
Member, Professor Jeffrey Hockett’s Post-Tenure Review Committee, Spring 2000
Honors Program Selection Committee, 2000-2004
President, Phi Beta Kappa, 2000-2001
Lecturer, Arts and Sciences TURC Seminar, Summer 2000
Presenter, Sharp Colloquy on the Human Genome Project, September 2000
Organized the visit of Prof. Ilie Parvu (Philosophy Dept., U of Bucharest), October 2000
Organized the Third John G. Gammie PBK Symposium, October 2000
Member, Nicholas Capaldi’s Review Committee, Spring 2001
Committee on Tenure and Promotion, College of Arts and Sciences, 2000-2002
Truman Scholarship Interview Committee, 2001
Member, Stephen Gardner’s 2nd year Review Committee, October 2001
Member, Russell Hittinger’s Review Committee, February 2002
Member, Search Committee for Dean of the College of Arts and Science, 2001-2002
Member, Search Committee for Assistant Professor of Philosophy, 2002-2003
Member, Michael Mosher’s Review Committee, Fall 2002
Member, Stephen Gardner’s 4th Year Review Committee, Fall 2003
Member, University Grievance Committee, 2002-2005
Member, Search Committee for Assistant Professor of English, 2003-2004
Chair, Stephen Gardner’s 6th Year Review Committee, Fall 2005
Member, David Goldstein’s 2nd Year Review Committee, Fall 2005
Member, Michael Mosher’s Post-Tenure Review Committee, Spring 2006
Chair, Jane Ackerman’s Post-Tenure Review Committee, Spring 2006
Lecturer, Student Leadership Conference, “Leadership and Lying,” Spring 2007
Chair, Russell Hittinger’s Post-Tenure Review Committee, Spring 2007
____________________________ _________________________________
Princeton Theological Service Activities
Masters’ Studies Committee, 2007-2009
Kuyper Center Advisory Board, 2007-
Chair, Kuyper Center Advisory Board, 2009-2010
Religion and Society Committee, 2007-
Ph.D. Studies Committee, 2009-
Blackboard Course Evaluation Taskforce, 2008-
Faculty Mentor, Teaching Ministry Program, 2008-2010
Faculty Manual Working Group, 2009-2010
Back to Faculty