In Part I of this series, Dr. Crystal Ramsey challenged us to consider not just the “what” and the “how” regarding our academic endeavors, but also the “why”. We were encouraged to explore “what if” questions such as:
-What if I knew “why” a researcher was doing her/his/their research?
-What if my “why” is where I can communicate with anyone about anything without data?
In the spirit of articulating “why”, I’ve borrowed the title of a work by 19th century British theologian/educator, John Henry Newman; “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” which roughly translates to “a rationale for my life.” I will discuss, with a biographical bend, my wrestling with the contours of a relationship between faith and knowledge, recognizing that the history of the academy, at least in part, suggests the impropriety if not the impossibility of such.