Ravi Jain

Co-Director, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies

Ott Hall
ravi.jain@eastern.edu

“I am a professor of philosophy so that I can explore every subject and ask big questions about them: physics, the social sciences, literature, media. For a philosopher, no subject is outside his domain. I didn't always love philosophy, though. Funny story, modern philosophy was the only class I dropped during college. After three days of straining to develop an argument for why I am not merely a "brain in a vat", I bailed. I concluded the question was a bad one--which it is!

Instead of skepticism, I prefer the sort of philosophy that affirms the reality of the world--to praise things just because they are. It took a seminary education and twenty years of teaching calculus and physics to rekindle my interest in philosophy. And now that I am on the other side, I want to help students (and teachers of students) find the shortcut around skepticism. Just say no. And when you say no to skepticism, the mystery of being opens one up to a deeper and deeper love of wisdom. And that wisdom opens one up to God.”

Ravi Scott Jain is completing his doctorate in Philosophical Theology, at Oriel College, Oxford University, with a dissertation titled, “Whose Mathematics, Which World?” He coauthored The Liberal Arts Tradition (also in Chinese and Portuguese) and A New Natural Philosophy. His third book, The Enchanted Cosmos: Mathematics and the Logos who is Love (also in Chinese) due to be released in 2024, reveals how much of popularly held epistemology and metaphysics is transmitted through school mathematics. He has consulted with government and church leaders on education and spoken widely throughout America, Africa, China, and Europe. He learned to row (and punt!) at Oxford, competing for Oriel College in Summer Eights (and the more fun-loving punting cuppers). In his free time he enjoys relaxing with his family and friends, ideally by a fire or with a view of the mountains dropping into the sea. If he had any time to stop reading Augustine, Aquinas, and C.S Peirce, he would probably start reading a novel by Neal Stephenson or Dostoevsky (or writing one on the exciting events of the 12 th century).

Education
Ph.D.CandidateUniversity of Oxford, Oriel CollegePhilosophical Theology
M.A.2006Reformed Theological SeminarTheological Studies
 2014University of Central FloridaGraduate Certificate in Mathematics
B.A.1997Davidson CollegePolitical Science; Emphasis: International Political Economy
Graduate Courses
HONR 530CThe Art of Poetry
HONR 530DTeaching the Bible Classically
HONR 530EWomen in the Tradition
HONR 501History of Modern Education
HONR 505Classic Pedagogy I

Find out more about these courses or others offered in the MAT, here