Advice to Christian Philosophers – Eric Silverman Interview
I’m happy to announce a new interview on my other blog, Advice to Christian Philosophers.com
Our 4th interview is with Eric J. Silverman, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies at Christopher Newport University.
Dr. Silverman is a philosopher of contemporary ethics and medieval philosophy. He did his undergraduate study at Rutgers and majored in political science and history, intending at the time to go to law school. After surviving a battle with cancer (Hodgkins-Lymphoma), he decided to study philosophy(!). He earned his MA from Baylor and Ph.D. from St. Louis University under the guidance of Eleonore Stump.
His first book, The Prudence of Love (Lexington Press), argues that love is a virtue which benefits those who practice it.
With a penchant for fascinating topics, Silverman’s most recent volume is Paradise Understood: New Philosophical Essays about Heaven:
"...systematically investigates heaven, or paradise, as conceived within theistic religious traditions such as Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It considers a variety of topics concerning what life in paradise would, could, or will be like for human persons. The collection offers novel approaches to questions about heaven of perennial philosophical interest, and breaks new ground by expanding the range of questions about heaven that philosophers have considered."
Paradise Understood includes essays by Richard Swinburne, Robert Audi, and more, and it is co-edited by Ryan Byerly and published by Oxford.
It was recently reviewed by the Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.
You can read more about the project here or order the book on Amazon.
In this interview, he shares sage advice for younger philosophers who are making their way through school and the job market, including:
- how surviving cancer lead him to study philosophy
- how a high place for universal love (as opposed to love of family, nation, etc.) is distinctive to Christian philosophers
- why non-Christians shouldn’t re-invent the wheel when arguing for or against God
- how to think analytically about the afterlife
- and more!
