Learning for Wisdom: Christian Education and the Good Life

Getting an education can lead to a good paying job. What could be wrong with that?

Education can serve as a gateway to work; but at a more fundamental level, an education is about more than finding a job or skills training. Education is about disciplining the mind with wisdom.

A Christian education prepares students to become wise and loving servants of Christ rather than just capable or effective workers. Learning for Wisdom helps you slow down and think through the meaning of a good education. It also compares Christian thinking and learning with the great traditions of the world, like those of Socrates, Aristotle, Confucius, and the Buddhist wisdom tradition.

James E. Taylor is a philosophy professor at Westmont College. He received his BA in philosophy at Westmont, an MA in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, and an MA and PhD in philosophy at the University of Arizona. He joined the faculty at Westmont in 1994. Taylor has published a number of philosophical essays in professional journals, and one other book: Introducing Apologetics. He was recognized as the Westmont College Teacher of the Year in the Humanities Division in 1997. Taylor is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Sigma Tau (the national philosophy honor society). He is also a member of the American Philosophical Association and the Society of Christian Philosophers. He is married to Jennifer and has three adult children: Sarah, Benjamin, and Nathaniel. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, playing guitar, reading, and walking on Santa Barbara beaches and trails.