James T. Turner, Jr. (JT)
What classes do you teach at AU?
Introduction to Philosophy and Moral Reasoning; Issues in Theology; and other philosophy courses as the program develops
When did you start teaching at AU?
2018
Why teach at AU?
I teach philosophy at AU because I think there's a deep connection between the Christian life, Christian education, and philosophical reasoning. Of all the places that should teach philosophy and require it of its students, it's at a Christian university. I teach here because, in part, AU values that insight and actively seeks that it's accomplished.
Hobbies
Hanging out with Bethany (my wife) and our dog, Theo; watching college football (Notre Dame, in particular; watching ice hockey (the Washington Capitals, in particular); watching and playing golf. I also enjoy playing the guitar.
Notable achievements outside of discipline
I was in a metal band for a number of years that created a minor stir in a minor music scene. I have a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do (though I'm out of practice), and I played ice hockey for Liberty University.
People might be interested to know I...
I have an identical twin who also is a philosophy professor.
Places you've lived
Honolulu, HI (Hawai'i born!); Texas; Kentucky; Tennessee; South Carolina; New York; New Jersey; Virginia; Scotland
What do you find most enjoyable about working at Anderson University?
The students, my fellow faculty, and that my wife works here.
What I wish prospectives students knew about my discipline or careers in my discipline.
Studying philosophy isn't about getting a job; it's about becoming a better human being. Of course, better humans make better and more attractive (to employers) employees, too.
How would you describe your classes to someone who has never attended one?
Philosophy is done in dialectic; that is, we pursue ideas through back-and-forth dialogue. We analyze arguments for positions and think about the consequences of ideas.
Publications
On the Resurrection of the Dead: A New Metaphysics of Afterlife for Christian Thought. London, UK: Routledge, 2018.
"Why a Bodily Resurrection? The Bodily Resurrection and the Mind/Body Problem." Journal of Analytic Theology (5) 2017: 121 - 144