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               David H. Calhoun 
              Associate Professor 
              Philosophy Department 
              Gonzaga University, Spokane,
                          Washington 
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| David H. Calhoun is
              Associate Professor of Philosophy at Gonzaga University in
              Spokane, Washington, where he has been teaching since
              1989.  Calhoun has degrees from Louisiana State
              University (B.A., Philosophy, 1981) and Northwestern
              University (M.A., Philosophy, 1985, and Ph.D., Philosophy,
              1989).  He regularly teaches courses on ancient
              philosophy, philosophy of human nature, and
              existentialism.  Over the past decade he has
              developed a course on Christianity and Science that
              explores the origins of western science in connection with
              Greek philosophy and Christian theology and culture and
              critically examines the popular view that science is at
              war with Christianity.  He and his colleague Brian
              Clayton have been team-teaching philosophy of human nature
              in summers since 1994, and recently began offering a
              course on philosophy in film. Calhoun has published articles and book reviews on philosophical theology, ethics, and philosophy of education and spoken at conferences on topics such as human nature / philosophical anthropology, New Atheism, Christian themes in film and literature, and Christianity and science. Current projects include the philosophical underpinnings of human dignity, philosophical and theological themes in the films of Terrence Malick, and virtue and character in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Calhoun directs the Gonzaga Socratic Club, which promotes philosophical inquiry into the Christian worldview after the model of the Oxford Socratic Club, which was presided over by Christian scholar and apologist C. S. Lewis in the 1940s and 50s. Recent publications: “Who Has Eyes to See, Let Him See:
                Terrence Malick as Natural Theologian.”  Theology and the
                  Films of Terrence Malick, ed. Christopher B.
                Barnett and Clark J. Elliston.  Routledge,
                2016.  66-98.  (publisher
                  info / Amazon
                  book listing) “From Solitary Individualism to
                Post-Christian Stoic Existentialism: Quests for
                Community, Moral Agency, and Transcendence in the Films
                of Clint Eastwood.” 
                The
                  Philosophy of Clint Eastwood, ed. Brian Clayton
                and Richard McClelland. 
                University of Kentucky, 2014.  13-40.  (Amazon
                  book listing) “The Euthyphro Problem.” New
                  Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2012-13: Ethics and
                  Philosophy. Ed. Robert L. Fastiggi. 4 vols. Detroit:
                Gale, 2013.  Vol.
                2: 519-20. “Prospects for Human Dignity before
                and after Darwin.” Human Dignity in
                  Bioethics: From Worldviews to the Public Square,
                ed. Steven C. Dilley and Nathan J. Palpant.  Routledge
                Annals of Bioethics. 
                Routledge, 2012. 
                166-198.  (Amazon
                  book listing) “Human Exceptionalism and the Imago Dei: The
                Tradition of Human Dignity.”  Human Dignity in
                  Bioethics: From Worldviews to the Public Square,
                ed. Steven C. Dilley and Nathan J. Palpant.  Routledge
                Annals of Bioethics. 
                Routledge, 2012. 
                19-45.  (Amazon
                  book listing) Recent Conference and Public Presentations: 
 
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                “Distinctly Christian Higher
                Education in Secularizing (and
                Already Secular) Institutions,” Higher Learning: 2016
                Baylor Symposium on Faith
                and Culture, Baylor University (Waco, TX), October
                27-29, 2016.  (presentation
                  handout) “The Ascent of Eros in Terrence
                Malick’s To the
                  Wonder,” The Thought of Terrence Malick,
                Gettysburg College Philosophy and Film Seminar,
                Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, PA), April 8-9,
                2016.  (proposal
                  abstract) “How Films Can
                  Argue, and Even Evangelize:
                  The Case of Terrence Malick.”  Plenary
                  lecture at “Defend the Faith” conference. School of
                  Apologetics. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
                  (New Orleans, LA). January 7, 2016. (link
                    to video)  “Apologetics,
                  Culture, and Science.” 
                  Lecture series at “Defend the Faith”
                  conference: (1) “The Epistemology of Religious Belief:
                  Evidence and Interpretive Stance”  (2) “Pascal’s
                  Anthropological Apologetic: Beyond the Wager”  (3) “Film
                  Apologetics: Aggressive
                    Naturalism in Popular Film”  (4)
                    “Christianity and Science: Creationism and Other
                    Christian Models.”  School of
                  Apologetics. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
                  (New Orleans, LA). 
                  January 5-7, 2016. 
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                “Freedom and the Human
                  Practice of Giving Reasons,” For Freedom Set Free,
                  Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture 2015 Fall
                  Conference (South Bend, IN), November 20, 2015. “Human Reason and the Limits
                  of Naturalism: From Darwin’s Doubt to C. S. Lewis’
                  Argument from Reason.” 
                  Plenary lecture at “Defend the Faith”
                  conference. School of Apologetics. New Orleans Baptist
                  Theological Seminary (New Orleans, LA). January 7,
                  2015. “Cinematic Natural Theology: Design and Providence in Contemporary Film,” Faith and Film: 2014 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture, Baylor University (Waco, TX), October 23-25, 2014 
 
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                “Idols to an Ill-Known God:
                  Signs of Grace in Contemporary Film.”  Plenary
                  lecture at “Defend the Faith” conference. School of
                  Apologetics. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
                  (New Orleans, LA). January 9, 2014 (link
                    to video) “Kierkegaard’s Philosophical
                Anthropology,” Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker for our
                Time?: 2013 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture,
                Baylor University (Waco, TX), October 31–November 2,
                2013 (proposal
                  abstract) “Darwin, Human Distinctiveness, and Human Dignity.” Biology and and the God of Abraham lecture series. Gonzaga Faith and Reason Institute. April 17, 2013 (link to video) 
 
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                 First Year Seminar (FYS): Conversion
                and Personal Transformation (draft
                  for Fall 2016) Philosophy of Human Nature (Spring
                  2016) Ancient Philosophy (Fall 2014) Philosophical
                  Reflections on Christianity and Science (Spring
                    2016) 
 Theses on Jeannot on the Subject of Jesuit Catholic Identity. A reflection on basic principle of Jesuit Catholic higher education in the modern context, spurred by Philosophy Department colleague Tom Jeannot (Spring 2014).“Galileo as Scientific Martyr? Examining the Myth,” The Crux 1.1 (November 2013):25-29, 31. Prayer for the Beginning of the Academic Year, Invocation for Fall Faculty Conference, Gonzaga University, August 29, 2013. David Calhoun's Curriculum Vitae (updated January 2016)  | 
          
[Gonzaga
            University]  [Gonzaga Philosophy
            Department]  [Gonzaga
            University Blackboard site]  [Gonzaga
Socratic
            Club]
          
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| Contact Information | 
| Department of
                Philosophy   Campion 211 (1208 N Standard St, on the circle driveway leading to the east end of College Hall) 509.313.6743 Campus Extension 6743 Email: calhoun at (use the "at" sign) gem.gonzaga.edu  | 
            AD Box 50, Gonzaga
                University   Department of Philosophy Gonzaga University Spokane, WA 99258  | 
          
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© 1998-2016 by David Calhoun.  All rights
          reserved. 
        This page last updated on November 23, 2016.