Author Profile

Jessica Hooten Wilson

Jessica Hooten Wilson is an Associate Professor of Humanities at John Brown University where she teaches everything from Socrates to Flannery O’Connor. She is the author of three books: Giving the Devil His Due, which received the Christianity Today Book of the Year Award in Arts and Culture, as well as Walker Percy and Fyodor Dostoevsky: The Search for Influence and Reading Walker Percy’s Novels.

Articles by Jessica Hooten Wilson

Simone Weil’s Christian Approach to Education

Feb 1, 2019 · Jessica Hooten Wilson · No Comments

When I question students at my Christian college about how their faith affects their learning practices, they stare blankly at me or scribble a note about being motivated by the true, good, and beautiful. But studying (and education) for Christians should look different than a secular approach, though many students cannot articulate these differences. To … Continue reading “Simone Weil’s Christian Approach to Education”

It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation Jul 19, 2019
Every year, professors around the world write millions of letters of recommendation. They write letters for admission to graduate schools, law schools, and medical schools. They write letters for tenure cases to help colleagues with their promotions. They write letters for students who wish to study abroad. They write letters for fellowships and scholarships. They … Continue reading “It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation”
Did You Know? The Disappearance of Civic Education at Elite Colleges Jul 18, 2019
Modern universities are ignoring their civic duty to teach their students how to become engaged citizens. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a report in 2018 that showed only 18 percent of universities required students to take a history course before graduation. This number is indicative of a growing historical ignorance among students. … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Disappearance of Civic Education at Elite Colleges”
The Diversity Distortion Jul 17, 2019
In 1996, Alan Sokal, a professor of physics, submitted a hoax article to Social Text, a journal of postmodern cultural studies, which published it. Last year, in what became known as the Sokal Squared hoax, James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, and Peter Boghossian created 20 fake papers that they submitted to several cultural studies journals. Seven … Continue reading “The Diversity Distortion”

It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation Jul 19, 2019
Every year, professors around the world write millions of letters of recommendation. They write letters for admission to graduate schools, law schools, and medical schools. They write letters for tenure cases to help colleagues with their promotions. They write letters for students who wish to study abroad. They write letters for fellowships and scholarships. They … Continue reading “It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation”
Did You Know? The Disappearance of Civic Education at Elite Colleges Jul 18, 2019
Modern universities are ignoring their civic duty to teach their students how to become engaged citizens. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a report in 2018 that showed only 18 percent of universities required students to take a history course before graduation. This number is indicative of a growing historical ignorance among students. … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Disappearance of Civic Education at Elite Colleges”
The Diversity Distortion Jul 17, 2019
In 1996, Alan Sokal, a professor of physics, submitted a hoax article to Social Text, a journal of postmodern cultural studies, which published it. Last year, in what became known as the Sokal Squared hoax, James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, and Peter Boghossian created 20 fake papers that they submitted to several cultural studies journals. Seven … Continue reading “The Diversity Distortion”