About

I majored in physics, but then discovered philosophy.

My current interests include:

• Ancient and medieval philosophy
• Philosophy of Religion
• Historical interactions of philosophy and theology
• Political philosophy

Research

My research focuses on the ways that ancient Greek philosophy shaped medieval philosophy and religious thought, and how these, in turn, contributed to the formation of modernity. Most of my work to date has been on the philosophical roots of the division between the Greek-speaking (eastern) and Latin-speaking (western) branches of Christianity. From the standpoint of modern philosophy, Eastern Christian thought represents an important “road not taken.” It shares the same classical and Biblical sources as medieval western philosophy, but its conclusions were often sharply different from those of the same period in the West. It thus offers insight into the hidden potentialities of ancient thought. Aristotle East and West: Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom (2004) examines these East-West differences through the lens of “energeia,” a Greek term that lies at the root of both the concept of the divine energies (in the East) and that of God as pure act (in the West). My more recent work has continued this comparative study with respect to other issues such as divine freedom, time and eternity, the nature of the will, and free will and predestination. I have also worked on the medieval Jewish and Islamic traditions, attempting to point out parallels among the three great monotheistic traditions in the Middle Ages.

Over the next few years I hope to explore more fully the implications of Eastern Christian thought for contemporary philosophy of religion. Ultimately my goal is to use this work (both historical and contemporary) as a basis for a new analysis of precisely why modern philosophy rejected traditional religious belief, including in what respects this development was and was not justified.