W. Jay Wood

Biography

My sojourn as a student of philosophy arose out of desire to address a variety of existential, deeply felt personal concerns to which philosophers routinely address themselves: What constitutes the well lived moral and intellectual life?, Is Belief in God Rational?, What is the nature of the human person?, and related questions. To me, these have never been purely ivory-tower, academic concerns, but genuine life concerns. It is my privilege and joy to have colleagues and students who share my love of philosophy.

Education

University of Notre Dame
Ph.D., 1986

University of Notre Dame
M.A., 1980

Westmont College
B.A. magna cum laude, 1976

Areas of Expertise

Epistemology
Philosophy of Religion
Virtue Ethics
Philosophical and Theological Ethics

Professional Affiliations

The Society of Christian Philosophers

Presentations

Respondent: Session on "Flourishing"
Evangelical Philosophical Association Meeting, Boston, MA, November 2017

Keynote Address on Intellectual Virtues
Indiana Wesleyan University, June 2017

Invited Lecture: "Humility's Intellectual Rewards"
Society of Christian Philosophers Meeting, Trinity College, Palos Heights, IL, March 2014

Paper Presentation: "Humility and Understanding"
Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, Oriel College, Oxford, UK, January 2017

Courses Taught

Epistemology
Aquinas
Philosophical Theology
Philosophy of Religion
Virtue Theory

Research

Epistemology
Philosophy of Religion
Philosophical Theology
Virtue Theory

Selected Publications

Understanding, Humility, and the Vices of Pride, The Routledge Handbook of Virtue Epistemology
with Robert C. Roberts, Routledge, September 2018

Christian Theories of Virtue, The Oxford Handbook of Virtue
ed. Nancy Snow, Oxford University Press, 2018

Molinism, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 3rd Edition
ed. Daniel J. Treier, Baker Academic, 2017

Faith’s Intellectual Rewards, Religious Faith and Intellectual Virtue
ed. Laura Frances Callahan and Timothy O'Connor, Oxford University Press, 2014

Prudence, Virtues and Their Vices
ed. Kevin Timpe and Craig A. Boyd, Oxford University Press, 2014

Educating for Intellectual Character, Liberal Arts for the Christian Life
ed. Jeffry Davis and Philip Ryken, Crossway Books, 2012

How Might Intellectual Humility Lead to Scientific Insight?, Big Questions Online
W. Jay Wood, Templeton Foundation, December 2012

Living Like Lance: Everybody Dopes, Christianity Today Online
W. Jay Wood, October 2012

Books

Media

TowerTalk

Envy and Its Cure

In this TowerTalk, Dr. Jay Wood explores the topic of envy, a spiritual malady that stands in the way of human flourishing and can only be healed by acknowledging the true source of our worth.