My name is Jed Sanford. I created this blog to share my thoughts about and to spark conversation about some of life’s most important questions, questions which underlie many of the most important contemporary issues we face as individuals and as a society today. I have degrees in Mathematics, History, Theology, and Biblical Studies, and have an ongoing interest in the topics of philosophy and religious studies, with a particular interest in the topic of ethics. As an American, I am interested in how people with differing beliefs, values, and understandings of what is good can live together well in a pluralistic, democratic society. As a Christian, I am interested in how the American church can be more faithful to God’s Word.
The Greek word logos in the title of my blog has two meanings which reflect the two different main sections of my blog. The first meaning is “reason.” This reflects the Philosophy section of my blog. While many criticize philosophy as an exercise in irrelevant speculation, at its best philosophy (the “love of wisdom”) is about applying critical thinking to our beliefs in order to help us better answer the very practical question, “How should we live?” In this section of my blog, I examine and analyze the philosophical issues that underlie many of the social, ethical, and political issues we face as individuals and as a society today, in a way that will speak to and be relevant to any one, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.
The second meaning of logos is “word,” which takes on a special sense in the Christian tradition as applied to Jesus as the ultimate Incarnate Word of God. This reflects the Theology section of my blog. At its best, Christian theology is reasoned reflection upon the implications of God’s self-revelation to us in His word (Christian Scripture) and, especially, in His Word (Jesus). This section of my blog will be specifically intended for a Christian audience (though any non-Christian interested in learning more about Christianity is more than welcome to read it!). In it, I examine and analyze theologically some of the issues in contemporary American culture and the American church, and try to present ways that Christians can think about these issues in a more biblical manner.
The third section of my blog is titled Apologetics. Apologetics has nothing to do with apologizing for one’s beliefs. Quite the contrary! Rather, in the spirit of Plato’s Apology, apologetics presents a reasoned defense of one’s beliefs and actions. Christian apologetics, then, is a reasoned defense of the Christian worldview. This section of my blog will be of interest both for Christians interested in defending their beliefs intellectually, as well as for non-Christians interested in assessing the reasonableness of the Christian worldview.
When I am not reading about and pondering the mysteries of life, I enjoy fantasy novels, video games, and music, especially hard rock and metal. I live in Illinois.