Gordon Gilmore is a PhD Student in the Theology and Ethics Department, with a concentration in Philosophical Theology. He studied philosophy and psychology in Illinois, where he grew up, before...
A Community in Conversation
One of the greatest things about the GTU is that, in addition to providing me with this prism of perspectives that broaden my work, it has given me the flexibility to chart my own course and develop my project into a contribution beyond what I could have initially imagined.
Working as a circulation assistant at the library during my time as a GTU doctoral student, I have many opportunities to witness the community of voices that contribute to the rich, interreligious web that makes up the warp and weft of scholarship here at the GTU. Whether it’s students from the Institute of Buddhist Studies dialoguing with those from the Center for Dharma Studies, students from the Center for Islamic Studies interacting with the Dominicans, or any of the plethora of other pairings that take place daily here at the GTU, there’s always an intriguing conversation going on.
Having this type of dialogue happening around me all the time has been conducive to the development of my own work in philosophical theology, taking it in unforeseen (and exceedingly beneficial) directions throughout my time here. One of the greatest things about the GTU is that, in addition to providing me with this prism of perspectives that broaden my work, it has given me the flexibility to chart my own course and develop my project into a contribution beyond what I could have initially imagined.
My own studies are focused on Augustinian theological anthropology and the doctrine of creation. While the GTU has rooted me in a vast array of primary sources and analysis from what has traditionally been recognized as the established theological tradition, I have also been given access to an abundance of contemporary literature that challenges the received tradition in a critically constructive manner. In maintaining a creative balance between these two, I’ve had continuous help from both the GTU faculty and the wider student body. My hope is that my own project will contribute to a more integrative, holistic view of the human person as embedded within their environment, much in accord with what has been called for in the recent encyclical Laudato Si. In terms of the interdisciplinary work I wanted to do to analyze my tradition in ways that keep it applicable to the contemporary world, the GTU has been invaluable.