Jason Thacker's Blog, page 2

Pursuing the Good Life Through Reading Biography

It is one thing to pursue the good life through the study of abstract concepts, and another to pursue it through observing someone’s own pursuit in a story. Yes, we need to study the concepts, ideas, and movements of moral philosophy. But one of the things I often find missing in the study of ethics is understanding the story of the people behind the ideas, and learning about their own philosophical journeys as it relates to the massive shifts in the discipline. As many of us embark on a summer ...

What do you mean by that? Defining your terms as an intellectual virtue

For years now, I have led a discussion on Charles Taylor’s definitions of what it means to be secular in my worldview/philosophy courses at Boyce College. One reason for this is that the term secular can take on different senses and mean different things by different people in different contexts. I vividly remember years ago writing something about our secular culture in a paper. My professor circled the word and wrote boldly in the margin “what do you mean by this?” That note caused me to slow ...

Why We (Still) Need a Statement of Principles for AI

In April 2019, a group of over 70 evangelical leaders signed and launched Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles (Spanish version) with two goals in mind. First, we wanted to help the Church proactively think about the myriad of ways that AI is shaping our society and provide a sound theological, philosophical, and ethical framework with which to wisely navigate these tools. Second, we sought to present a distinctly Christian view on the fundamental questions being raise...

Why Christians must pursue biblically defined justice

Years ago, as my wife and I were renovating our house, we met an African American gentleman who came to help with one of our projects. We welcomed him into our home and left him to do his work. After he finished the job, we began to talk. He graciously thanked us for the hospitality and mentioned it was not always the case. Upon my inquiry, he proceeded to describe some horrendous experiences he had endured as a Black man in people’s homes in our small Southern community. Some wouldn’t allow him...

Why the Christian ethic isn’t simply about rules

Often when Christians (and even non-Christians) speak about biblical ethics, we tend to focus on the rules that Scripture gives us. For example, we think of the Ten Commandments in which the second half begins with “you shall not _______.” Whether it’s about murder, adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, or covetousness, we tend to relegate the Christian ethic to a set of moral rules by which we are to live. This type of ethical system is known as deontology, where ethics is merely a set of ...

Big news for the Thacker family

As many of you likely saw this past Friday, Boyce College and Southern Seminary announced my recent appointment as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Ethics. I am thrilled to join this faculty as we seek to train up the next generation for more faithful service in the Church and around the world. I have been teaching at Boyce as an adjunct instructor since 2021 and have fallen in love with the classroom, especially with the students and their passion for Christ. My family will be relocatin...

What does the image of God have to do with social ethics?

Years ago, I was talking with a fellow Christian ethicist about various aspects of social ethics (moral reflection on societal, structural, and communal issues) and it struck me that he never spoke much about the doctrine of the imago Dei, or the image of God, as central to the Christian ethic. I pressed in a bit on why he didn’t seem to emphasize it, and he responded that the Bible simply doesn’t really speak of it much and that when it does it mainly focuses on how Christ is the perfect image ...

How a post-truth society is vulnerable to misinformation and conspiracy theories

We are frequently faced with the realities of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories. Social media has opened up a new world of connectivity and access to information. But for all of the good that these tools can bring into our lives, these benefits also have also come at a cost to the very foundation of truth in our societies today. Often when breaking news happens and many details are yet to be known, battle lines are drawn and talking points are promoted as many in...

How do we disciple our kids during the sexual revolution?

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Rep.) signed a bill into law that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade. This bill, which was dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, brought about an intense national controversy. This is due, in large part, to the prominent role that sexuality and gender identity play in today’s cultural conversations, as well as the influence of the LGBTQ+ movement in all aspects of our society. Even as th...

Toward a public theology for a digital age

A few years ago, I read an insightful article by Shira Ovide of the New York Times on the splintering of the internet and the complexities surrounding digital governance around the world. She writes about how most countries around the world have their own car safety regulations and tax codes, but currently there is widespread debate over how online expression should be governed. She highlights how technology companies—many based in the Western world—are essentially governing speech and free expr...