Critical Thinking with Mind AND Heart: Christopher Ocker and Mike Morrell

Is critical thinking a lost art?

How can we engage thoughtfully with the world around us, engaging our minds and hearts?

What — if anything — can we credibly do about some of the most pressing challenges facing us today: war, poverty, racism, and climate catastrophe?

Is civilization itself a doomed project — and might something more holistic and integrated take its place?

What can the history of Christianity — and the Reformation in particular — teach us about how people of faith respond and create change during times of upheaval?

These are just some of the questions Professor Christopher Ocker and I cover in our stirring video dialogue. Dr. Ocker — assistant Provost, interim Dean, and Professor of the History of Christianity at San Francisco Theological Seminary — is easily one of the most fascinating people I’ve had the privilege of conversing with.

I think you’ll get a lot out of valuable takeaways from our dialogue — Tune in here!

PS: If you’d like the opportunity to study directly with Dr. Ocker and other renowned faculty, check out the San Francisco Theological Seminary at the University of Redlands Graduate School of Theology. As a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), students have access to over 200 faculty in the largest consortium of graduate theological education in North America, while maintaining a small, personalized learning environment. I really appreciate their educational approach toward critical thinking, rooted in the intersection of spirituality, theology, biblical studies, and social justice. SFTS runs absolutely brilliant online and on-site programs addressing a variety of urgent spiritual, ministerial, entrepreneurial, and developmental needs, all with small classrooms and an artisanal level of attention on you.